ICE CLIMBING SITES OPEN

[Anchor Lead]

Climbers flock to Gangwon-do Province in the middle of every winter to climb up frozen walls. Now the ice climbing sites in the province, which had been forced to close due to the pandemic, have started to open one by one. But climbers must be extra careful and watch out for potential accidents.

[Pkg]

Paramedics transport a helmeted climber to an ambulance. A climber has fallen 15 meters from the frozen wall to the ground. This accident took place at an ice climbing site in Inje, Gangwon-do Province, a favorite haunt for ice climbers. Accidents occurred here in 2019 and 2020 as well. In 2018, a falling icicle tore a climber’s thigh. Ice climbing sites in Gangwon-do Province, which had been forced to close down due to the pandemic, started opening up one by one. There are several climbers scaling the icy wall even on a weekday.

[Soundbite] MIN HUN(ICE CLIMBER FROM SEOUL) : "Lots of sites are closed because of COVID-19, leaving us with only a few places that are open. This is the closest location from Seoul."

More than 1,000 ice climbers visit the Seoraksan National Park every year. Park authorities opened four frozen waterfalls in the mountain today. Paramedics and firefighters are on call for any potential emergencies.

[Soundbite] BANG GYEONG-MO(MOUNTAIN RESCUER, GANGWON FIRE HQs) : "Ankle fractures occur from falls. Also, falling ice can hit body parts to cause fractures."

From 2015 to 2020, two climbers died and seven were injured in ice climbing accidents in Gangwon-do Province. Provincial fire officials suggest climbers to choose a location that is appropriate for their skill level and to be properly outfitted with safety gears to ensure their safety.