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Insubong is not the only option for a granite multipitch day while staying in Seoul. Farther northeast, Seoninbong (선인봉) in Dobongsan also begins with a subway journey. Its cracks can put fists, arms and your whole body to work alongside the slabs.
This guide helps you compare Seoninbong with Insubong, plan a car-free approach, check which routes reopened after the 2025 rockfall, and choose among lines from Leopard and Bat to Yodel Buttress to match your crack and multipitch skills. It is for teams with outdoor belaying experience who can prepare trad protection and a descent plan.
What kind of crag
Seoninbong is a climbing wall in the Dobong area of Bukhansan National Park, not another name for a Dobongsan hike. The 2012 guide Climb: Rock Climbing in Korea dates the first ascent to 1937 and describes it as one of the two early centres of Korean climbing alongside Insubong. The wall faces southeast and offers granite slabs, cracks, chimneys and overhanging climbing.
How big it is depends on the source. The 2012 guide lists 37 routes; theCrag has 42; a 2015 Wolgan San feature on Bat puts the wall at about 200 m high and 500 m wide with 56 routes opened by then. They cover different scopes, so the numbers cannot tell you how many routes have been added since.
Compared with Insubong, the same guide calls Seoninbong steeper with better friction, and the Mountain Project area page says many climbers think it has as many quality crack routes as Insubong, with fewer crowds. That helps picture the style, but it does not mean every crack takes protection easily: some lines have fixed gear, while others rely on your rack throughout.
For example, People and Mountain described "주먹 쥐고 일어서" in 2017 as a roughly 28 m 5.10c fist crack with no bolts on the climbing section, needing repeated cam sizes. Climbing the same grade on sport routes does not mean you can handle its wide crack and protection.
Choose Seoninbong for a specific reason: you want granite with distinctive cracks, can bring trad gear and are willing to count the approach and team efficiency as part of the day. The 2012 guide recommends 15 quickdraws, two 60 m ropes and a full set of cams with extra small to mid sizes. If you only want light short climbs with quickdraws, compare Ganhyeon first.
When to go
The 2012 guide says the main wall faces southeast. Dry, moderate spring and autumn days are a sensible starting point for a first visit; summer combines sun, humid heat and an uphill approach. The Korea Meteorological Administration overview explains national summer rains and cold winters, but your chosen face and the day's wind still matter.
There are local exceptions. "주먹 쥐고 일어서" is in a deep shaded cleft. The on-site People and Mountain report says it gets shade all day. That describes that crack and its location, not all of Seoninbong as a summer shade crag.
After rain, leave the crack lines for another day. Korean climbers' logs for Bat, Yeondae Bachelor and Ascent all mention cracks seeping or running with water when it rained the day before.
In spring, check thaw restrictions before choosing a date. The Seoul Alpine Federation reproduction of the 2026 notice names Seoninbong and set the Dobong area restriction from 23 March to 5 April that year, subject to weather changes. Do not copy those dates for future years.
Autumn Sundays are the busiest. One Leopard log describes queueing at every pitch; a Hyeonam log found no free route at the wall and the team bailed after three pitches. Go on a weekday if you can.
Getting there
Public transport
The Dobong District official transport page, checked in October 2026, lists Dobongsan Station (도봉산역) on subway lines 1 and 7. Its official FAQ gives about 10 minutes on foot from the station to the Dobong visitor support centre. That only gets you to the trail entrance, not to the wall.
The 2012 guide's approach: leave Dobongsan Station by exit 1, cross the main road and walk through the shops towards Seoninbong, follow the hiking trail to the Mountain Rescue Office (산악구조대), then take the trail on the right to the crag, about 40 minutes. That is an old guidebook time; allow extra for the climb, route-finding and rests with ropes on your back. Do not interchange Seoninbong, Insubong and the Dobongsan hiking summit.
Watch the approach from above Seokguram to the Leopard, Bat and Seolwoo starts
Approach: above Seokguram to the Leopard, Bat and Seolwoo starts · POV from September 2026, with GPX · 어푸어푸어프로치
Driving
Navigate first to the 도봉산역/도봉탐방지원센터 side and make sure you enter from Dobong-dong. Driving to Songchu or another entrance does not automatically connect to the same climbing approach just because it is in the same national park.
Parking
You can plan around the Seoul Facilities Corporation transfer car park at Dobongsan Station. In October 2026 its page listed 서울시 도봉구 도봉로 955. This is a paid facility beside the station; you still walk to the trail entrance and then to the wall. Check vehicle height limits, operating rules and current charges with the operator. Do not treat temple land as all-day climber parking.
Rules before you go
Check named walls and routes. The KNPS live restriction page shows the Bukhansan Dobong office status. A normal status for ordinary trails does not replace confirming that your climbing route is open.
The 2025 rockfall closure has been lifted. On 19 April 2025 strong wind toppled a pine above Bat and set off rockfall, and routes from Leopard to Seolwoo were closed (Wolgan San report). A June 2025 Bukbu News report quotes the Bukhansan National Park Dobong office: safety work was finished and Bat and the other closed routes reopened from 24 May, with regular inspections planned through that August. This is a media report, not the notice itself; no new Seoninbong-specific restriction turned up in October 2026, but the KNPS live page is the authority before you go.
The pine is gone. Logs from after the reopening say a rockfall-protection chain now sits where the tree stood beside the Bat pitch 3 belay. Where older sources mention the "pine-tree rappel point", go by the anchors actually there.
Watch the national park rescue team deal with the rockfall and fallen tree (2025)
2025 rockfall and fallen-tree response · national park special mountain rescue team, May 2025 · [북한산국립공원]안전산행TV
Ask the Dobong office how wall use must be handled. The KNPS rock-wall service page is a lookup point, not proof of which procedure applies to every Seoninbong route. Keep temple, rescue-facility and trail areas clear, do not cross barriers, and do not treat old camping information as current permission.
Before leaving the ground, have protection, ropes and a descent topo suited to your route. A 2017 report about maintenance does not guarantee today's fixed gear, and the route lengths in the tables are not rappel rope lengths. If sharing a descent line with other parties, confirm its location, rope-throw direction and waiting arrangements first.
Call 119 in an emergency; the National Fire Agency service information says foreigners can use it. Keep the Korean crag and route names and an offline location on your phone. Ask your insurer whether trad and multipitch climbing, search and rescue, medical treatment and repatriation are covered; the policy wording decides. Climbing activities may have eligibility rules and exclusions, as the BMC insurance product summary shows. This is an example of what to look for, not advice that Taiwanese travellers should buy that product.
Routes by level
YDS and V-grade conversions follow the Mountain Project international grade comparison chart and are approximate; "approx." marks grades the sources give without a/b/c (such as 4 or 5+). The original grade is the one that counts.
The three tables below hold the 2012 guide's whole Seoninbong route list (printed pages 240–241), plus the fist crack from People and Mountain. The guide has 37 entries; "여델길" and "요델우측" have no grade and "미상" has no name. Leaving those three out gives 34, and with the fist crack the tables hold 35 rows. Grades, lengths and pitch counts come from the 2012 guide unless noted. The guide's pitch-by-pitch figures match the "선인봉 루트 개요" table that circulates from Wolgan San almost cell for cell, so the two are one data set, not independent checks. The notes column only gives sources and where other records differ.
The tables also hold the lines the Korean climbing community treats as classics. Bat, Leopard and Yodel Buttress are each named by three or more sources (theCrag and Mountain Project star ratings, the 2015 Wolgan San series "고전 루트를 찾아서", and Kim Seong-ryul's "한국의 바윗길을 가다" columns in bnt News); Gyeongsong A, Ascent, On The South, Yeondae Bachelor and Overhang on The South by one or two, and each note opens with who names it.
The "Online logs" at the end of a note are Korean climbers' blog records from the wall; they add method, timing and a sense of the place, while grades and pitch counts follow the start of the note. Three sets of topos circulate:
- The 사람과 산 May 2008 supplement "인수 선인의 바윗길", redrawn in 2012 by 양규옥 of 산빛산악회 with the source printed on the image; the 58climbers blog Cheongam page and Yodel Buttress / Hanmaeum page reproduce it.
- NEPA's 2006 "Rock Navigation" photo topos: the original site is gone, but a 2022 repost on the yoosoon333 blog keeps the overview and more than ten route images.
- The Wolgan San "선인봉 루트 개요" pitch table: only a 2010 Daum café repost was found. The 2012 guide's pitch figures are almost identical to it.
These and their reposts are versions of the same body of data, not independent checks.
Routes are placed by the guide's hardest free pitch, not its overall grade: Yeondae Bachelor's overall entry reads 5.9/A1 but pitch 3 is 5.11a, so it sits in the intermediate band. A0, A1 and A2 denote aid and must not be dropped. Lengths and pitch counts only identify the version; they are not for planning pitches or rappels on the wall.
Videos sit with their routes in the tables; select a thumbnail to open that route's list. Watch for version differences:
- One Bat clip's title says "7 pitches to the summit", more than the guide's three.
- The Summit pitch 1 clip is labelled 11c, while the guide gives that pitch 5.8 A0.
- One Stands With a Fist clip uses the old 5.10d grade.
- One Ascent clip records a cam pulling on the aid section and a fall, not a demonstration.
Grades and route names in video titles describe that clip's version only; choose routes from the source column in the tables.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
For a classic granite multipitch, start by comparing Bat and On The South. Bat is the line most often named as Seoninbong's signature, though the guide's 5.9 and the databases' 5.10a are a grade apart; On The South is much shorter, and linking it into Side Route is the fastest way to the top. Seonin A, Seonin B and Silver are another set of moderate multipitch; the hardest pitches on A and B come last, so an easy first pitch is no guide to your team's speed. "Beginner" is only a grade band; trad and multipitch skills are still needed.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Road / 양지길 | 5.9 (hardest), plus A1 | 5.9, plus A1 | 125 m / 4 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; 한국의 바윗길을 가다 dates it to 1964. | — |
| S Chimney / 침니 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 35 m | Locate using guide | 2012 guide, single pitch. | — |
| On The South / 남측길 | 5.10a (hardest) | 5.10a | 70 m / 4 pitches | South face | Three stars on theCrag; the fastest line to the top. Pitch 2 (5.10a) has a pendulum; link into Side Route to reach the summit (wooltraveler 2021). | ![]() autumn 2025 ascent, 4K · Let’s Go to the Mountains |
| Side Route / 측면길 | 5.8 (hardest) | 5.8 | 138 m / 5 pitches | Locate using guide | The guide leaves pitch 3 ungraded. It has been extended to the summit and has no fixed bolts (K Climbing 2020 video description), hence 6- and 9-pitch versions. Online logs: 엉클비's 2018 log puts the start about 200 m left of the clearing above the rescue office, at the pine where a red fixed rope ends; a peregrine falcon nests midway up the pitch 3 crack; the whole day took 7 hours. | ![]() May 2026 ascent · 산이랑 |
| Waist / 허리길 | 5.10a (hardest) | 5.10a | 59 m / 2 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; 한국의 바윗길을 가다 (17) dates it to 1965. | ![]() climbing-school alumni refresher, filmed 2015 · Byungmin Lee |
| Young / 영길 | 5.10a (hardest), plus A0 | 5.10a, plus A0 | 97 m / 3 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide, single source. | — |
| Bat / 박쥐길 | 5.9 (2012); 5.10a (theCrag, MP) | 5.9 / 5.10a | 2012: 188 m / 3 pitches; Wolgan San: about 150 m, 6 pitches to the top | Left side (next to Leopard) | Three stars on theCrag; Wolgan San calls it "the symbol of Seoninbong". First climbed 1960 by Seonwoo Jung-ok and Jeon Gwang-ho; the signature is the "박쥐날개" under-cling crack on pitch 2, and pitch 4 is a 5.10a roof traverse, or about 5.9 round the slab on the left. The guide's pitches add up to 115 m, not its total. Online logs: 도랫굽이's 2013 log and 달람쥐's 2023 log give 150 m / 4 pitches with pitch 2 at 5.8, and a double-bolt station partway up the under-cling; in pet1973's 2023 log a pair started at 2:30 and finished the descent from the Leopard ledge atop pitch 4 at 4:40. | ![]() uploaded November 2025, after the rockfall closure lifted · Neodoor 신개념아웃도어 |
| Seonin A / 선인 A | 5.8 (hardest) | 5.8 | 100 m / 3 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; pitches 5.7, 5.7, 5.8. Seoninbong's first ascent in 1937 took this line (Wolgan San 2015). | — |
| Seonin B / 선인 B | 5.9 (hardest) | 5.9 | 138 m / 4 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; first three pitches 5.7, last 5.9. | ![]() short clip, 2026 · Il Sang Bae |
| Silver / 은벽길 | 5.8 (hardest) | 5.8 | 106 m / 4 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide. The original first-pitch start sees little traffic; most parties now use a variation start that joins pitches 1–2 into about 30 m (달람쥐 2023). Online logs: 뚱뎅이 펭귄's 2022 log gives cam sizes pitch by pitch (big cams on pitch 3), notes that pitch 2 is runout until the third bolt, and gives pitch 4 as 5.8 (guide 5.7). | ![]() full ascent · 냉감자 icegamza |
| Ascent / 어센트길 | 5.8 (hardest), plus A2 | 5.8, plus A2 | 143 m / 4 pitches | Locate using guide | Three stars on theCrag and on MP (only one vote on MP). The guide gives only 5.8; theCrag and a 2007 log record pitch 3 as an A2 bolt ladder through a roof, with the rest free. Online logs: 古山's 2007 log says Friends #4 and #5 are essential and the pitch 1 crack runs with water after rain. | ![]() the description says pitches 1–3 · Let’s Go to the Mountains |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
This band holds Seoninbong's signature lines. Leopard is the only Seoninbong route Mountain Project lists as a classic, and most parties stop after pitch 4; Yodel Buttress is the longest line on the crag, and most climb only its first three or four pitches. For crack practice, pitch 1 of Overhang on The South and Stands With a Fist are two different widths: a finger crack and a fist crack, both protected entirely by your own gear. Where sources differ by a grade, leave margin for the harder one.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overhang on The South / 남측오버행 | 5.11c (2012); 5.12a (Wolgan San 2020) | 5.11c / 5.12a | 75 m / 3 pitches | South face | Wolgan San 2020 calls it one of Korea's benchmark hard finger cracks. Opened as aid in 1964 and first freed in 1987; the name comes from the 5.10d roof on pitch 2, there are no bolts anywhere, and most climb only pitch 1. Online logs: isjungn's 2024 log says protection is all cams, including #0.3 and #0.4, and parties lower off after pitch 1. | ![]() leading pitch 1, labelled 5.11c · Michael,yk Mok |
| Seal / 물개길 | 5.11b (hardest) | 5.11b | 58 m / 2 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide, single source. | — |
| Juyoung / 주영길 | 5.10c | 5.10c | 29 m | Locate using guide | 2012 guide, single source. | — |
| Jeonghyang / 정향길 | 5.11c (hardest), plus A0 | 5.11c, plus A0 | 89 m / 3 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; pitch 1 is aid. | ![]() ascent footage · 헤드셰프캠핑카 |
| Leopard / 표범길 | 5.10c (hardest) | 5.10c | 188 m / 6 pitches | Far left | The only MP classic (3.6 stars, 5 votes); Kim Seong-ryul calls it "the most popular on Seoninbong". Opened by the Yodel alpine club in 1966–67; the cruxes are the start of pitch 1 (polished rock where falls often injure ankles) and the pendulum from the end of pitch 1 into pitch 2, and most parties stop after pitch 4. Online logs: 달람쥐's 2023 log puts a BD #11 nut at the first crux of pitch 1; jjunmh's 2019 log notes that rebolting added a belay partway up pitch 2, so older topos split the pitches wrongly; 泰山峻嶺's 2018 log describes a 7–8 m traverse left on pitch 3 where the quickdraws turn. | ![]() single take, unedited · 선우(仙友)락클라이밍 |
| Squirrel / 다람쥐길 | 5.10b (hardest) | 5.10b | 128 m / 5 pitches | Locate using guide | The same figures appear as 재원길 in the Wolgan San route table, and 재원길 is elsewhere graded 5.12a; confirm which line you are on. | — |
| Sky / 하늘길 | 5.11b (hardest) | 5.11b | 146 m / 4 pitches | Locate using guide | The guide gives pitch 4 as 5.8; the NEPA topo and a 2020 log record it as partly aid. Not the same route as Insubong's 하늘길. Online logs: 泰山峻嶺's 2020 log and 古山's 2009 log: pitch 3 starts with big cams, goes from under-cling to stemming and layback, and becomes a finger crack higher up; on a weekend a five-person party once blocked pitch 2. | ![]() ascent footage, 2024 · 선우(仙友)락클라이밍 |
| Blue / 푸른길 | 5.11a (hardest) | 5.11a | 139 m / 4 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; pitches 2 and 3 are both 5.11a. | ![]() all pitches free, 2015 · K Climbing Company |
| Seolwoo / 설우길 | 5.11b (hardest) | 5.11b | 125 m / 4 pitches | Centre of the east face | The 2012 guide and a 2011 report agree pitch by pitch; opened in the early 1980s. Online logs: Kim Seong-ryul's 한국의 바윗길을 가다 (28) describes a balance crux right below the pitch 3 belay and notes that bolts are farther apart on Seoninbong than on Insubong. | ![]() ascent footage, labelled 5.11b · 선우(仙友)락클라이밍 |
| Hanmaeum / 한마음길 | 5.10b | 5.10b | 33 m | Locate using guide | The 2012 guide has one pitch; the 사람과산 2008 topo has two, hardest 5.10d A0. Also a common alternative start to Yodel Buttress. | — |
| Yodel Buttress / 요델버트레스 | 5.11a (hardest), plus A1 | 5.11a, plus A1 | 2012: 236 m / 6 pitches; theCrag and others: 8 pitches, about 240 m | Locate using guide | Three stars on theCrag; Wolgan San calls it "a signature route", and it is the longest line on Seoninbong. The Yodel alpine club began working it in 1968 and finished it in 1975; the 5.11a on pitch 1 comes after the first bolt. Most parties rappel after pitch 3 or 4; above pitch 4 the bolts are old and far apart. Online logs: 채울's 2022 log and gaussmt's 2020 log say the first bolt on pitch 5 is 5–6 m up; pitch 7 is an A1 thin crack in the original, but most climbers use the Yeondae Bachelor bolt ladder to the right; starting from Hanmaeum makes the descent easier. | ![]() the description marks the 5.10d and 5.11a pitches · 슈몬TV |
| Yeondae Bachelor / 연대베첼러 | 5.11a (hardest pitch); overall 5.9/A1 | 5.11a, plus A1 | 174 m / 5 pitches | Between Yodel Buttress and Summit | Wolgan San calls it "one of the popular routes". Opened in 1968 by the Yonsei University alpine club; the straight cracks on pitches 1 and 2 are the highlight, and most climbers stop after pitch 3. The guide's overall grade and pitch grades disagree, so the table uses the hardest pitch; the same Wolgan San article puts the 5.11a crux on pitch 3 in its text and pitch 2 in its summary. Online logs: 곡우's 2018 log and isjungn's 2020 log give a total of 194 m, about 3.5 hours for a pair with 13 quickdraws and a set of cams; the crux is between the third and fourth bolts of pitch 3, and pitch 5 has only one bolt mid-pitch; four rappels from the top, or three on a doubled 60 m rope when bailing from pitch 3. | ![]() 2023 ascent · 산소년채널 |
| Summit / 써미터 | 5.10d (hardest), plus A0 | 5.10d, plus A0 | 168 m / 5 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide, single source; all five pitches carry aid marks. | ![]() all pitches, 2019 · 헤드셰프캠핑카 |
| Cheongam / 청암길 | 5.11a (hardest), plus A0 | 5.11a, plus A0 | 190 m / 7 pitches | Near the rescue office, right of Seonin C | The 2012 guide and the 사람과산 2008 topo agree pitch by pitch; pitch 6 is mossy. | ![]() 2026 ascent · 여니상자(yeonee) |
| Gyeongsong A / 경송 A | 5.10c (hardest), plus A0 | 5.10c, plus A0 | 145 m / 5 pitches | Locate using guide | Two stars on theCrag. Opened 1982–83 by the Gyeongsong alpine club in memory of a member who died on Bat in 1975; pitch 3 is 5.10c friction slab throughout. The guide gives pitch 4 as 5.10a, but Kim Seong-ryul's 2013 feature describes it as an aid section hung with slings; pitch 5 has loose rock, and many parties finish early. Online logs: Kim Seong-ryul's 한국의 바윗길을 가다 (53) says the first bolt on pitch 1 is more than 10 m up on very polished rock, and a pair usually allows 2.5 hours. | ![]() Gyeongsong A pitch 1, then pitch 2 of Azalea · 장연달 암벽 영상 |
| Azalea / 진달래길 | 5.11a (hardest) | 5.11a | 80 m / 3 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; a common link-up is Azalea pitches 1–2 into Silver pitches 3–4 (도랫굽이 2013). | ![]() the title notes the route does not reach the summit · 미미의등산일기 |
| Myeongsimhana / 명심하나길 | 5.10c (hardest), plus A0 | 5.10c, plus A0 | 96 m / 3 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide, single source. | ![]() pitch 1 onsight · 장연달 암벽 영상 |
| Myeongsimdul / 명심둘길 | 5.10d (hardest) | 5.10d | 137 m / 5 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; two stars on theCrag. | ![]() club ascent sketch · korea rock climbing |
| Shawshank Redemption / 쇼생크탈출 | 5.11b (hardest) | 5.11b | 40 m / 2 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; pitch 1 ungraded. | — |
| Stands With a Fist / 주먹 쥐고 일어서 | 5.10c | 5.10c | About 28 m | East face, left of the Seonin C chimney | People and Mountain 2017; regraded from 5.10d to 5.10c after test climbs. No bolts on the climbing section; repeated cam sizes needed. | ![]() fist-crack ascent, labelled 5.10c · Santa Minji |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
The data for all four routes here comes almost entirely from the 2012 guide, and three include aid. Seonam's first pitch is already 5.12c, so it is not a long line for warming up gradually; when Gyeongsong B was opened in 1986, it was reported as the hardest route on Seoninbong. Get a clear pitch topo before trying anything in this band.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyeonam / 현암길 | 5.11d (hardest), plus A0 | 5.11d, plus A0 | 149 m / 6 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; the NEPA topo gives pitch 5 as 5.11c. Online logs: 걸리's 2015 log: on an autumn Sunday no route at the wall was free, and the seven-person team climbed three pitches and went down. | ![]() five pitches in full; the guide lists six · 헤드셰프캠핑카 |
| Seonam / 선암길 | 5.12c (hardest) | 5.12c | 4 pitches; verify total length on a topo | Locate using guide | The total field says 188 m but the pitches add up to 122 m; pitch 3 reads 5.11 with no letter. | — |
| Gyeongsong B / 경송 B | 5.12a (hardest), plus A0 | 5.12a, plus A0 | 136 m / 3 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; opened 1986. | ![]() all pitches, 2019 · 헤드셰프캠핑카 |
| Youngest One / 막내길 | 5.11d (hardest), plus A0 | 5.11d, plus A0 | 201 m / 6 pitches | Locate using guide | 2012 guide; 한국의 바윗길을 가다 (17) dates it to 1973. | ![]() all pitches, 2019 · 헤드셰프캠핑카 |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
The 2012 guide table used here has no route for this band, and unverified project lines are not added to fill it. If hard sport climbing is the focus of the trip, compare sport destinations such as Seonunsan before deciding whether to keep a day for granite multipitch.
Getting down
This is the biggest difference from Insubong: most teams do not go to the summit; they climb to mid-height and rappel the route. The 2015 Wolgan San series says every belay has double bolts for rappelling. Korean sources assume two 60 m ropes; Mountain Project suggests a 60 m rope plus a tag line.
- Leopard and Bat: the Wolgan San Leopard feature says most climbers finish pitch 4, rappel along Bat to the 허리테라스 ledge, then to the pine, and reach the ground in one rappel on two 60 m ropes tied together. That pine fell in 2025 and its spot now holds a rockfall chain; go by the anchors you find.
- Yodel Buttress: the Wolgan San feature gives two 60 m rappels from pitch 3 towards Hanmaeum to the ground, or three down Sky from pitch 4.
- Yeondae Bachelor: the Wolgan San feature says most climbers finish pitch 3 and make three rappels down Yodel.
- From the summit: the 2012 guide says you can make one rappel from the top and walk down the back. Blog records include four rappels from the summit via 왕관바위 towards Yodel Buttress (도랫굽이 2012), and, after topping out on On The South, rappels in stages back to 호랑이굴 and on down (wooltraveler 2021).
The cost of rappelling from mid-height is that you descend into the lines of parties below. The 2012 guide specifically warns about climbers behind you; check where the rope will land before you throw it, and do not drop rope ends onto another team. In 2018 a climber died on On The South when the rope came loose during a rappel, and the report says the party may have used a tree as the rappel point (JoongAng Ilbo); check each other's knots and connections before rappelling, and use bolt anchors rather than trees where they exist.
Where to look things up
- Management and trails: KNPS restriction information, where you identify the Bukhansan Dobong office; confirm named route locations directly with management.
- Transport and parking: Dobong District transport, official FAQ and car park operator, respectively for the station, entrance and parking facility.
- Online databases: the theCrag Seoninbong page has star ratings and pitch breakdowns; the Mountain Project Seoninbong page has only 8 routes but gives gear and descent advice. Both have very few logged ascents, so treat the stars as a rough guide.
- Route features: the 2015 Wolgan San series "고전 루트를 찾아서" (Bat, Leopard, Yodel Buttress, Yeondae Bachelor) and Kim Seong-ryul's "한국의 바윗길을 가다" cover first-ascent history, pitch cruxes and descent set-ups.
- Guidebooks: Grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority. The grade tables in this article were checked directly against the 2012 guide, and you still need a current route topo.
- Climb: Rock Climbing in Korea, Dong-il Ryou and Jonn Jeanneret, Outdoor Global, first edition 2012. English text with Korean names, covering many Korean roped-climbing crags; Seoninbong is on printed pages 238–241. Its old transport and management information is not used for current conditions.
- 사람과 산, May 2008 supplement "인수 선인의 바윗길", in Korean, a route-topo collection for Insubong and Seoninbong; this article has seen only the 2012 redrawn reproductions, not the original. No newer printed or digital topo for Seoninbong was found.
Update history
- 2026-10-25: Rewritten to follow the full Insubong structure. The grade tables now cover the 2012 guide's 34 routes plus the fist crack, each with its source and where other records differ; added videos for 25 routes; who names each classic, its first-ascent history and community logs for 12 routes now sit in the grade-table notes rather than separate sections; added the sources of three topo sets and "Getting down"; rewrote the rules section to say the April 2025 rockfall closure was lifted on 24 May; added the 2012 guide's approach and an approach video.
References
- Climb bibliographic record
- theCrag: Seonin-bong
- Mountain Project: Seonin-bong, Leopard, Bat Route, Yodel Buttress, Ascent
- People and Mountain: Seoninbong "주먹 쥐고 일어서", 2017
- Wolgan San: 고전 루트를 찾아서, Bat, 2015
- Wolgan San: 고전 루트를 찾아서, Leopard, 2015
- Wolgan San: 고전 루트를 찾아서, Yodel Buttress, 2015
- Wolgan San: 고전 루트를 찾아서, Yeondae Bachelor, 2015
- Wolgan San: Seoninbong Corner Crack and Overhang on The South, 2020
- Wolgan San: Seoninbong rockfall and restriction report, 2025
- Bukbu News: Seoninbong routes reopen after rockfall safety work, 2025-06-04
- Kim Seong-ryul: 한국의 바윗길을 가다 (28), Seolwoo, bnt News
- Kim Seong-ryul: 한국의 바윗길을 가다 (53), Gyeongsong A, 2013
- JoongAng Ilbo: Seoninbong rappel accident, 2018
- Seoul Alpine Federation: 2026 thaw-period wall restriction reproduction
- Dobong District: transport information, FAQ
- Seoul Facilities Corporation: Dobongsan Station transfer car park
- KNPS: live restrictions, rock-wall services
- Korea Meteorological Administration: Climate of Korea
- National Fire Agency: Public EMS, BMC insurance product summary
- Mountain Project: international grade comparison
- 58climbers: Seoninbong Cheongam topo (사람과 산 2008, redrawn by 양규옥), Yodel Buttress / Hanmaeum topo
- yoosoon333: NEPA Rock Navigation Seoninbong topo repost, 2022
- Daum café: Wolgan San 선인봉 루트 개요 repost, 2010
- 도랫굽이: Bat, 2013, Leopard, 2013, Seoninbong summit climb, 2012
- 달람쥐: Bat and Gyeongsong A, 2023, Silver and Leopard, 2023
- pet1973: Bat, 2023
- 泰山峻嶺: Leopard, 2018
- Kim Seong-ryul: 한국의 바윗길을 가다 (17), Leopard, bnt News, 2011
- jjunmh: Leopard, 2019
- Ultraveler (채울): Yodel Buttress, 2022, On The South, 2021
- gaussmt: Yodel Buttress, 2020
- 곡우: Yeondae Bachelor, 2018
- isjungn: Yeondae Bachelor, 2020, Overhang on The South, 2024
- 뚱뎅이 펭귄: Silver, 2022
- 泰山峻嶺: Sky, 2020
- 古山: Sky, 2009, Ascent, 2007
- 엉클비: Side Route, 2018
- 걸리: Hyeonam, 2015





























