Out & About #531 | Hub Climbing + Man Doo Hyang

​It's accurate to say that new years bring about changes. A conspicuous observation amongst my inner circle would be the gradual shift from ceaseless food adventures to hangout sessions fusing physical activity followed by rewarding munches.

Another fellow food enthusiast recently returned from her travels. And while a planned visit to TORA was in the works, an above-seasonal Sunday afternoon was not the time for that. I voted against the chaos of Yorkdale and proposed staying local instead.
The suggestion of partaking in a drop-in dance class was rejected in favour of checking out the city's newest indoor climbing facility, Hub.

​Our date of visit happened to coincide with the second and final day of their Grand Opening party. Existing members from the club's Markham location were able to bring two guests with them for free, causing the facility to swell with climbers of all experience levels. The staff kept busy by tending to the requests of attendees and ensuring that waivers had been filled for each and every participant.
We didn't arrive until early afternoon, after crowds had long arrived and settled in. However, there was still a delay due to the limited number of computers (for signing waivers) and obtaining the correct size for our rental shoes.

A complimentary yoga session happened to be taking place around this time, so we headed towards the second floor to join. As neither of us had prepared our own mats, we simply unravelled the chalk-covered ones available. They definitely weren't the cleanest, nor did they smell all that great. Each Downward Dog was rewarded with a rancid whiff of sweat. Stench aside, the one-hour class was enjoyable and succeeded in stretching out our bodies' tightest areas prior to engaging in more intense physical activity.

​The second floor was extremely minimal: mostly concrete with no decorative elements whatsoever. With that said, it provided a quiet area to rest one's mind, away from the clamour of the climbing walls. It was also here that one could grasp a full view of the numerous attractions and exercise areas. In the far corner was a compact gym in the making, while bouldering walls of varying difficulty levels surrounded the perimeter. At its centre was a lofty structure intended for intermediate level belay and top rope climbing.
In a less crowded area was a party room - likely instated for the birthday party needs of children - and a Learner's Area where our auto-belay safety orientation would take place.

With the conclusion of our calming yoga session, we retreated back to the ground floor to request harnesses and more fitted pairs of climbing shoes. This type of footwear was primarily structure-less, with a flexible yet rigid toe piece and soft sides all around. Good news for those with flat feet (such as myself) is that you can easily upgrade to a half size larger to accomodate for the insertion of orthotics.
We then underwent brief training for the auto-belay system (an automated pulley system that would lower climbers down slowly) and were made aware of safe falling methods for bouldering.

Afterwards, we went on to spend a large chunk of our time in the Learner's Area, challenging ourselves with different routes. Hub utilized a number-based difficulty system; for example, a route with a rating of 5.3 was far less straining than that with rating 5.9. Most of the courses in the Learner's Area were relatively free of contours, however, there were a handful that incorporated concavity and protrusions.

​As we eased into the evening hours, we decided to attempt the trickier routes in the main climbing area. My partner-in-crime was first to hook herself onto the belay system. Sprawling upwards with the fluidity of a long-legged spider, she reached the top in under two minutes! I, on the other hand, am not quite so lanky. The course was a grueling expedition for me. Breathing a bit faster than normal, I did not succeed in touching the top stone until almost five minutes later.

​Orangecane had been right about the aftereffects: my hands felt "raw", exposure to warm water was torture, and driving was excruciating. I had rewarded with agonizing calluses on the underside of hand, specifically at the point where the palm meets the ends of the fingers and the hand bends

In spite of the pain, my friend suggested purchasing a one-month pass. The package was inclusive of admission, shoe/harness rental, a top rope lesson, and gym equipment/yoga class access. Though climbing is not an activity I can picture myself engaging in frequently, it was more economical to purchase the pass and take advantage of their facilities.
Personal recommendations: Bring a lock to secure your belongings, a change of clothing, and a durable, sealed water bottle.

To refuel, we headed over to Man Doo Hyang, a family-opened restaurant that neither of us had considered in a loooooong time.

< Pictured above: Bibimbap, DolSoBap, and ManduKuk >

Their side dishes were as I had remembered: the gochujang-based ones were spicy; the bean sprouts had been seasoned adequately.
Service had, unfortunately, taken a turn for the worse though. It was evident that the management staff had changed. No longer were bells present on every table. Most despicable of all was the blatant lack of attention given to customers waving their hands right before them. There was nothing wrong with the older members of staff that delivered our meals in silence. The issue lay with the beansprout of a middle-aged man who turned his back towards us almost every time we raised our hands, despite the utter lack of customers on a late Sunday evening.

​I also did not appreciate his judgement when I inquired about vegetable-containing dishes. Having noticed primarily carb- or meat-centric items on their revamped menu, it was only natural to wonder about whether I would be able to fulfill my daily intake of greens. This man was quick to jump to the conclusion that I was vegetarian, then pointed out that the Dumpling Soup I ordered contained pork. While this could have also been interpreted as consideration for certain dietary concerns, his tone of voice sounded otherwise.
In retrospect, there wasn't a single vegetarian dish on the menu anyways. I had merely inquired in the name of a healthy, post-exercise diet.

We both selected Bibimbap as our entree of choice: mine cold and my dining partner's piping hot in a stone pot. A nearly identical array of ingredients were shared between them, but merely in a different manner of presentation.

• The Dolsot Bibimbap included rice at the bottom of the pot, such that it would gain crispiness over time. A side of warm rice in a Stainless steel bowl was served alongside the cold Bibimbap, instead of being mixed in.
• A raw egg was placed at the centre of the Dolsot Bibimbap, and would cook in the residual heat of the stone pot once mixed. The cold Bibimbap featured a fried egg with a runny centre - one that I enjoyed greatly.
• As opposed to the thick gochujang paste commonly consumed with hot bowls, a sweet, spicy soy-based sauce accompanied the cold Bibimbap.
• Finally, pieces of shredded lettuce were included in the chilled rendition.

Both were tasty, satisfying meals to finish off the evening.

The Dumpling Soup was also incredibly delicious: the filling was plush and absolutely divine! Moreover, the wrappers weren't as starchy as Myungdong Kalguksu. In addition, the broth and simmered beef strips were wonderful. Sweet potato noodles were the single element that I did not show much affinity for; my dining partner gladly took my portion instead.

​Resisting bubble tea in favour of bingsoo, we headed a few doors down to Snowies.

​A large-sized Mixed Fruit Bingsu proved too hefty a portion for two people, but I did enjoy the generous portion of fresh (and frozen) fruit.

Earl Grey Cream was a bold, stimulating blend that bore little resemblance to the typical bergamot-laced profile. In fact, it was probably a tad too bold and too stimulating, for it had us tossing and turning into the wee hours of the night despite being physically exhausted from the day's activities.

​We returned to Hub two days later, and were recognized immediately by the same staff member who had given us our auto-belay training. The training grounds were much more tranquil in comparison to the weekend Grand Opening craze, so we had the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with several previously unexplored areas as the crews were cleaning up for the evening.

Forearms still sore, I climbed with less aggression to conserve energy. On the other hand, my climbing partner was back and revealed more enthusiasm than before. "I'm not sore!" she exclaimed, while tackling progressively tougher courses.

I observed her proceed as the calluses on my hands surfaced yet again, even without the impact of my Iron Ring. This time around, I had been meticulous in applying and re-applying chalk on my hands to reduce friction. These efforts were not in vain, however, it sufficed to say that I drove home with equally tender extremities.