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If Seonunsan’s steep photographs make a Gochang trip look like nothing but hard projects, nearby Halmae-bawi offers another option: more vertical terrain, pockets and short sport routes. This guide helps you choose warm-ups and objectives, arrange the last leg without a car and avoid the wrong namesake or farmland entrance.
What kind of crag
This is 할매바위 at 계산리, 아산면, 고창군 / Gyeosan-ri, Asan-myeon, Gochang. The official Gochang tourism page identifies climbing at this address. Do not confuse it with another Halmae near Jeonju.
The 2012 Climb guide describes pocketed limestone with jugs and some overhangs. A 2020 visitor account describes a limestone–conglomerate mix, vertical to gently overhanging, with sidepulls, underclings and edges. Compared with the steeper Seonunsan sectors, it offers a useful day of shorter sport routes and varied hold types.
The book lists 25 routes, while the 2020 visitor estimates about 50. Neither is a present inventory. The named easier-to-5.12 selection below helps assess suitability, but easier routes still require outdoor leading, anchor and retreat skills.
When to go
For a first visit, I would look for dry, moderate days in April–May or September–October, then adjust to the forecast. This is a planning choice based on KMA’s seasonal background; the sources do not justify labelling the whole wall a south-facing winter venue.
A short approach makes changing plans easier but does not eliminate sun, wet starts or summer humidity. Assess the sunshine at both the climbing and belay positions before assigning projects. An overhanging section does not establish dry conditions across the wall or farmland approach. In winter, check wind and shade rather than assuming a southern location guarantees warmth.
Getting there
Public transport
The official Gochang–Seonunsa timetable, consulted in October 2026, provides the regional connection. It does not name the crag stop in each service listing. Show the official crag address to the terminal or driver and confirm whether a suitable stop near 병암교차로 is served; the 2012 book’s stop instructions do not guarantee today’s service.
If the stop and safe pedestrian connection are unclear, arrange a taxi from Gochang or your accommodation, including the return. Do not copy the 2020 visitor’s bus numbers or flag-down method as current operating rules.
Driving
Navigate specifically to 고창 할매바위 / 아산면 계산리. The final approach is near fields and a pond. Use an authorized existing path; field edges are not access roads.
Parking
The official crag page gives no usable parking capacity or parking arrangement. Confirm a legitimate place with local climbers or the management contact before driving. Seeing the wall from the road does not authorize roadside parking: keep agricultural access and passing space clear.
Rules before you go
The 2012 book records a past closure following a dispute with the landowner. That history establishes neither a current ban nor unrestricted access. The tourism listing is also not a right to cross private land. Confirm today’s entrance, parking and usable wall; stop and ask if a fence or landowner instruction conflicts with an old description.
Avoid crops, widening field paths and leaving waste. Keep bags and rest areas clear of local activity. The 2020 visitor’s rebolting observation describes that visit, not current hardware.
Short routes can have steep starts. Establish a sensible belayer position, and choose your rope for the actual line and descent. A historical overview giving 22 metres does not set the maximum length of later additions or extensions.
Emergency assistance: call 119, the number described by the National Fire Agency. Save the Korean crag name, your route and an offline location before setting out. Ask your insurer specifically about outdoor lead climbing, rescue, medical treatment and repatriation; policy names alone do not establish coverage.
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 table preserves original YDS grades from Climb (2012), printed page 113. Every entry is a single-source record; lengths identify routes rather than establish lowering requirements. “Orcher Color” retains the book spelling; use 황토빛 to identify it locally.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
Excursion, Expert and Wangpho are shorter book examples. Use an initial route to assess rock and protection before increasing the difficulty.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excursion／나들이 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 12 m | Halmae | 2012 Climb p.113 |
| Expert／전문가 | 5.10a | 5.10a | 12 m | Halmae | 2012 Climb p.113 |
| Wangpho／왕포 | 5.10a | 5.10a | 12 m | Halmae | 2012 Climb p.113 |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
Salty Road is longer than the warm-up examples; Honeymoon moves into 5.11. Build the day around these differences.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forfeit／범칙금 | 5.10b | 5.10b | 18 m | Halmae | 2012 Climb p.113 |
| Salty Road／곰소길 | 5.10c | 5.10c | 22 m | Halmae | 2012 Climb p.113 |
| Honeymoon／허니문 | 5.11b | 5.11b | 20 m | Halmae | 2012 Climb p.113 |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
Ladder, Snake & Rat and Orcher Color provide named objectives. Eight metres does not mean easy or free of ground-fall concerns.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladder／사다리 | 5.12a | 5.12a | 13 m | Halmae | 2012 Climb p.113 |
| Snake & Rat／꽃뱀과사마귀 | 5.12b | 5.12b | 13 m | Halmae | 2012 Climb p.113 |
| Orcher Color／황토빛 | 5.12c | 5.12c | 8 m | Halmae | 2012 Climb p.113; route spelling in the book |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
The adopted 2012 named table has no route in this band. A higher general limit in the 2020 account is insufficient to identify a route here; none is invented.
Watch the climbs
Salty Road / 곰소길 5.10c · short take, records a different grade · 클라이밍하는 현
Where to look things up
- Official Gochang Halmae page: establish the correct location; ask separately about parking and land arrangements.
- Gochang–Seonunsa timetable: regional transport; confirm the actual nearby stop.
- 2020 Gochang visit: wall style and pairing with Seonunsan, not current prices, hardware or bus operating rules.
- Guidebooks: Grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority.
- Climb: Rock Climbing in Korea, Dong-il Ryou and Jonn Jeanneret, Outdoor Global, first edition 2012; English descriptions with Korean place and route names. Halmae occupies printed pages 112–113. The table comes directly from this edition; the land dispute is historical background.