I finally made my way to Namhansan this weekend for some local sport climbing. Namhansan is a pretty good place for a day trip especially if you want to get a lot of routes in and if you climb 5.11. If you have access to a car, it is easy to get to as well. The approach is short and the scenery is great making Namhansan one of my favorite places for a day of sport climbing. As an added bonus, there is a cute, energetic puppy to keep you entertained in between burns.
This cute little guy is super friendly and energetic. However, he isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
Climbing
Namhasan is a small crag made up of featured granite. It gets plenty of sun, so it is great for a cold day as long as the sun is out. There are about 18 routes here from 5.8 to 5.13c, but most are graded in the 5.11 range. The routes are short, most being 15m or less, but fun. The holds consist of mostly positive crimps and jugs with the occasional sloper. All of the climbs I saw are sport climbs. They were all well bolted, not a run-out in sight. Each route has a small tiger shaped plaque at the base with the route’s name and grade written on it. The top of each route has a nice set of chains and a quick clip for convenient cleaning.
The crag from the approach. Notice all of the trees. This place will probably be very scenic in the fall.
Gear
All you need are about 10 quickdraws and a rope.
Facilities
There aren’t any toilets at the crag, but there is a clean, spacious bathroom at the parking lot. There are plenty of restaurants and marts to eat at or get supplies.
From the parking lot, start your approach towards this sign.
It is easy to walk past The Hidden Cellar but it is worth finding!
I remember walking past the sign for The Hidden Cellar for the first time. It was just a wooden, folding, floor sign that pointed to a dark alley and basement. At the time I thought it looked sketchy so I avoided checking it out for a while. Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me and I am glad that it did.
The Hidden Cellar is clean and spacious. The bartenders are super friendly and the there is a just a great vibe in this place. There are a few board games available including my favorite, Settlers of Catan. They have a couple of TV’s that usually have sports on, but if you are American like me you probably won’t know what is going on since the sports watched are cricket, rugby, etc. All in all, The Hidden Cellar the best place for craft beer in HBC in my opinion.
The Hidden Cellar Taps. They have several excellent local brews.
Beers
The Hidden Cellar has a great selection of bottled and tap beers. Their tap selection rotates. When I went in they had Magpie Porter, Railhouse IPA, Hand and Malt Belgian Wit, Maloney’s Southie Irish Red Ale, and Kozel Lager. These beers are all well priced with the Kozel going for 4,000 won and the rest priced at 6,000 won.
As for bottles, The Hidden Cellar carries craft beer from all over the world. Just a sample of breweries they carry: De Molen and Mikkeller from Europe, North Coast, Anderson Valley, Rogue, and Smutty Nose from the USA. Among their selection is my favorite beer: Old Rasputin from North Coast Brewery, a strong, dark stout with loads of roasted flavor. The bottled beer prices are as good, if not better, than you can find anywhere else in Seoul and the prices are all labeled which makes it a lot easier for you to pick out what you want (although with so many good options you might still have trouble making your selection).
There are some great deals to be found here. At the time, Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout and Black Isle Blonde and Goldeneye Pale Ale were on sale for 5500 won. Also, you can get an additional 15% off when you buy six bottled beers at once. On Wednesday, Lads Night gets you kozel and a shot for 7000 won and on Thursday, Ladies Night gets you a bottle of house wine for 9000 won. Check their facebook page for current deals.
Railhouse IPA and Southie Irish Red Ale from Maloney’s Pub. Both on tap.
Other Alcohol
If, for some crazy reason, you aren’t in the mood for beer The Hidden Cellar will still accommodate your alcohol fix with a large selection of wine and liquor. They have a lot of bottled wine to choose from and house wine that you can buy from the glass (4500 won) or carafe (12,000 won/0.5L and 20,000 won/L). If you like the hard stuff, the Hidden Cellar has many of your favorite bottles of hard alcohol including one of my favorite whiskies, Laphroaig.
The Hidden Cellar has a large selection of wine, liquor, and bottled beers at competitive prices.
Food
Food is served all day at The Hidden Cellar. You can order a Jamaican patty, or grilled cheese sandwich. They also have cheese and chips if you just want a snack. What I like the most though is that they are fine with you bringing your own food in. I am a big fan of grabbing a sandwich from Casablanca’s and enjoying it with one of the draft beers here.
From Noksapyeong station exit 2 walk 200m take the first left. You will pass Kimchi pots. Walk 200M and you will see a PSA academy on the right hand and a car centre on your left, The hidden Cellar is in the Basement of the car center building.
This is the front of the Magpie brewing room. There is also a basement with a lot more seating just a bit past here.
When I first started coming to Magpie Brewing Co., there was only the brewshop which seated about a dozen people and there were only two beers available. They have expanded nicely with a lot more seating in the basement as well as two more locations: Hongdae and Jeju. Seating at the HBC location is usually available on weekdays, but it can be crowded on weekends.
The Magpie Brewing Co. Brewshop. Great beers at a great price.
Beers
Magpie Brewing Co. has all of its beers on tap. Two of their beers, the Magpie Pale Ale and the Magpie Porter are always available (for as long as I’ve been going here). They both have 4.8% abv and cost 5,000 and 6,000 won respectively. I like both of these beers tremendously. Both are easy to drink. Typically, I prefer the roasted coffee taste of the porter when it is cold and the citrusy, mildly hoppy pale ale when it is warm.
In addition to these two staples, Magpie usually has a few more of its own beers available as well as a few guest taps. Magpie’s limited edition beers are what sets it apart from the other brewers in Seoul and what make it my favorite place for craft beer in the city. The brewers are very creative and are willing to try new things with their beers.
Unfortunately, sometimes these beers run out too fast! To illustrate, Magpie’s gose is the first domestic sour beer I’ve encountered here. My girlfriend loves sour beers and she had it every time she had a chance to order it. Then one day she tried to order it and heard that it was sold out, a single tear ran down her cheek. The two limited edition beers currently on tap that I like the most are the Baltic Porter and the Belgian Golden Strong Ale. The Baltic has a malty aroma, and strong flavor. The alcohol is more pronounced than the regular porter and it has a dark bread flavor to it (I’m not the best at describing flavors). The Belgian Strong is citrusy with a thicker texture and although it has a high 7.5% abv, I couldn’t taste the alcohol much. It is still quite smooth.
Expect to pay 6,000-9000 won for the special beers. In my opinion, these prices are excellent. Most bottled and draft imports cost at least 2,000 won more than Magpie’s offerings and Magpie’s are as good, if not better in quality and are much fresher.
The Magpie Porter and the Belgian Golden Strong Ale. The porter is my go to winter beer. My girlfriend and I didn’t have the patience to take the picture before having some.
Food
In the brewshop, you can order a few snacks. You can get s’mores, grilled cheese sandwiches (with a bacon option), and a cheese and nut plate. Downstairs, in the basement you can order thin crust pizzas with many toppings. The pizzas are on the smaller size, but good quality and very tasty. As a meal they are only good for two people, but they make a nice snack for a group.
A special rum spiked beer for Valentine’s day with the cheese and nuts plate. Again, not enough patience to take the picture before sampling the beer.
The bouldering side of the gym. There are a lot of labeled boulder problems, but there are additional holds everywhere if you want to make up your own stuff.
Climbing
Do you want to climb 5.14? Well too bad, but at The Ja’s climbing gym, you can at least watch someone who can. This gym is owned by Jain, Jabe, and Jaha. All three siblings have competed or are competing in the IFSC. They are REALLY good.
The gym is basically split into two sides. One side is mostly bouldering. It has a lot of labeled problems from VB to VHard. There is also a training wall here with campus boards and hangboards. On the other side are the “routes”. These “routes” are still on the bouldering walls, but they have around 30 moves to train for endurance. All of the walls are short, at most three meters high. Good for those who aren’t looking for high balls, a bit low for tall people like me.
The holds at The Ja’s are still pretty new, so they have a lot of friction. This also means that they chew up skin quickly so prepare to grow some callouses. There is some variety in the holds, but they are mostly jugs and positive incut holds. Most of the foot holds are big as well. The problems are pretty straight forward. You usually don’t need any tricky or creative beta. This gym is a very good place to train and get strong, but it isn’t a good place to practice for outdoor conditions.
The boulders problems are changed every month or so, but the “routes” are changed less frequently. Both loose and liquid chalk are allowed here.
Jain’s 2013 IFSC Lead Climbing Trophy
The route wall. These “routes” have about 30 moves on them to train your endurance.
Facilities
The Ja’s Climbing Gym is in a great location. There are a lot of good restaurants near by: Vatos, Pancake House and Flying Pan White for example.
It is in a basement, so the ceilings are low and it gets dusty and chalky from lack of ventilation. However, they use the heater and the air conditioner, so the temperature is usually pretty good.
The music is by far the best of any gym in Seoul. Mostly hip-hop, but usually A Tribe Called Quest style hip-hop. The vibe here is awesome and there are more foreigners and English-speaking Koreans here than at other gyms. The crowd is younger and hipper than most other gyms as well. It is easier to meet new people here than at other gyms.
The pro shop has shoes, chalk and lots of climbing clothing as well as a few boutique items. The locker room is a bit musty and cramped. There are private, hot showers, towels, soap, and shampoo provided.
Prices
1-day / 20,000 won (General), 10,000 won (students)
1 months / ₩ 130,000 (General), 100,000 won (students)
Sector-B’s owner and route setter, Max, makes routes for the IFSC, so his problems are excellent. He also speaks English. On the walls, there are a large variety of quality holds from the USA and Bulgaria. Expect loads of volumes, slopers, and pinches balanced with the usual jug and crimper. The holds are new and are very grippy although they eat up your skin. The problems here are interesting and require thinking through your beta. What I like most about the setting here is the variety of problems. From balance to dynos to slabs, there are problems of all styles. In addition to the marked problems, there is an overhanging wall with holds everywhere so that you can make your own problems if you like.
The walls are tall, I’d guess around 15+ feet! This could be a positive or a negative depending on your attitude towards heights. More than one of my friends has told me that this gym terrifies them! Another bonus is that most of the problems can be topped out.
One section of the wall is reset each week, so there is always something new to try. Both liquid and loose chalk are allowed. There are a few hangboards, including a beastmaker, and there are two long ropes to campus up.
Loads of different hangboardsWarm-up/Training Wall – Check out the Beastmaker!The slab wall is tricky and balancy.This overhang is loaded with all types of holds so you can make your own problems.
Facilities
Sector-B is pretty big, the ceilings are high so you don’t get that claustrophobic feeling that some of the basement gyms give. It has good ventilation, so you don’t feel like you are inhaling chalk all of the time like some of the basements.
The music is decent, but sometimes really loud. You never hear Korean love ballads like you do at some gyms, and that is all I really want.
They have a decent pro shop that sells: shoes, chalk, chalk bags, tape, and quite a bit more. The locker room is clean and the men’s locker room has three clean private showers with soap and shampoo provide. Towels aren’t provided however. Upstairs there is a room to relax and socialize, as well as a utility workout room for yoga and such. As of now, there is a pull up bar, but no free weights.
The Locker Room is nice and clean.The shower is clean with hot water! Shampoo and soap are provided, but towels are not.
Climbing Gyms and Craft Beers of Seoul 
