Who am I?
Hello, this is Oscar :)
I am a Brooklyn based climber, trainer, and routesetter who has been immersed in the climbing community for over a decade. I began my trainer career in 2016 with the Korean Youth National Team, leading two international training camps in Red River Gorge and Rifle Mountain Park that helped athletes push from 5.13s to historic 5.14d ascents. At UT Austin, I served as both Head Coach and a leading athlete, guiding the team to podium finishes at National Championships, and later continued personal training in Austin, TX and New York City.
Beyond training, I’ve been routesetting for commercial gyms and competitions since 2015, setting at high level events, founding private competitions, and hosting clinics in Korea to help raise a new generation of routesetters.
Today, my love for climbing lives in helping climbers build a healthy relationship with the sport, whether that is sending hard projects, winning competitions, or simply finding the joy in day to day climbing. From the blend of my experience in competitions, outdoor adventures, routesetting, and training, I help climbers grow in each category strength, technique, and mental while keeping the love and joy for sport at the very core. Come be part of this beautiful journey!
Trainer exp.
Personal Trainer
- New York City: 09/2022 - Present
- Austin, TX: 01/2022 - 06/2022
Korean Youth National Team Coach
- Rifle: 06/2017 - 08/2017
- RRG: 07/2016 - 08/2016 (link)
Coached and guided the team during two international training camps led by Director Jongkuk Seo to Red River Gorge, KY and Rifle Mountain Park, CO. Oversaw team’s nutritional plan, climbing schedule, and tailored project routes for each athlete to achieve the best outcomes within the given timeframes. This resulted in every athlete reaching their goals from the Red Point 5.13a - 5.14d to the First Korean Female Ascent of 5.14d.
Featured Athletes: Chaehyun Seo, Sungsoo Lee, Minyoung Lee, Seongmin Eom, and Yugwan Shin
Competitive Team Head Coach / Recreational Club Instructor
- UT Austin: 09/2016 - 12/2018
Led the university’s competitive climbing team and recreational club, overseeing athlete development, training programs, and competition strategies. Designed structured training plans focused on skills and strength progression, and competition tactics for climbers of all levels. Under this leadership, the team consistently reached the podium at Local, Regional, and National events each year, with several athletes advancing to the final rounds at the USA Climbing Collegiate National Championships.
Competition exp.
- GP81 - GPRP 2025 Finalist (link)
- The North Face Psicobloc 2024 Final Bracket Round of 32 (link)
- Lead Flash Movement LIC: 3rd Place (2023 link, 24 link)
- The Climb - The Climb Bouldering Cup 2018 11th Place (Korea)
- Inspire Rock Bloc Comp 2018 1st Place (Houston, TX)
- UT Austin Climbing Team
- Lead
- Bouldering
- 1st Places (2017,18)
- Baylor University
- Texas A&M University
- Southern Methodist University
- St. Edward's University
- 1st Places (2017,18)
- Speed
- Finalist at Nationals (2016,18)
- 2nd Place at Regionals (2018)
- 3rd Place at Regionals (2016)
- 1st Places (2017)
- University of Texas at Austin
- Baylor University
- Southern Methodist University
Climbing exp.
Outdoor Ascents
- Lead
- Red Point: 5.13Ds
- Monty Python’s Flying Circus (01/11/2016)
- NamPhaPaYai, Saraburi, Thailand
- Mago Colibrí (01/09/2018)
- Reina del Sur, Cueva del Chonta, México
- Monty Python’s Flying Circus (01/11/2016)
- Flash: 5.13A
- La Guerrera Cósmica (01/04/2018)
- Reina del Sur, Cueva del Chonta, México
- La Guerrera Cósmica (01/04/2018)
- On-Sight: 5.12Ds
- Solstice (05/04/2018)
- Solstice Cave, Last Chance Canyon, New Mexico
- Couch Potato (05/06/2018)
- Hueco Cave, Last Chance Canyon, New Mexico
- Solstice (05/04/2018)
- Red Point: 5.13Ds
- Bouldering
- Red Point: V9s
- Ace of Spades (03/23/2019)
- The Sternum Boulder, Stone Fort, Tennessee
- Dragon Turns (11/11/2024)
- Andrew Area, The Gunks, New York
- Ace of Spades (03/23/2019)
- Flash: V8s
- New Religion Sit (02/11/2017)
- The Gunks, East Spur, Hueco Tanks, El Paso
- Bunion Blow (03/12/2022)
- Gus Fruh, Cave, Barton Creek Greenbelt, Texas
- New Religion Sit (02/11/2017)
- On-Sight: V8
- 8 Bawl (04/20/2025)
- Hot Springs Hotel, Gunks, New York
- 8 Bawl (04/20/2025)
- Red Point: V9s
Multi-Pitch Ascents
- El Potrero Chico, México
- Yogi Unchained (4 pitch, 5.10c) On-SIght: 12/19/2020
- Off The Couch (7 pitch, 5.10d) On-Sight: 12/20/2020
- Estrellita (12 pitch, 5.10b) On-Sight: 12/26/2020
- Yankee Clipper (14 pitch, 5.12a) On-Sight: 01/01/2021
Korean National Team Training Camp
- Seoul, Korea: 12/2016 - 01/2017
Participated in an off-season winter training camp led by IFSC Bouldering Champion Jongwon Chon, focusing on spray wall bouldering, calisthenics, and finger strength training to improve power endurance and overhang techniques. Applied these skills in the following season, culminating in a 5th place finish at the USA Climbing Collegiate National Championships.
Featured Athletes: Jongwon Chon, Sungsoo Lee, Sol Sa, Minyoung Lee, and Seongmin Eom
Routesetting exp.
Commercial Setting
- Austin Bouldering Project
- 07/2017 - 10/2019
Satisfied over 5,500 members and average 100+ day pass users with consistently graded creative boulders from V0 - V12 with extensive safety protocols to ensure quality control of the business flow of the gym.
- Gregory Bouldering Wall at UT Austin
- 10/2015 - 05/2018
Supervised incoming rookie routesetters on responsibility of becoming setters on safety and fundamentals of setting to further create a fun and safe working place for the university faculties and students.
- Austin Rock Gym
- 08/2016 - 10/2016
Competition Setting
- Southwest Boulderfest
- Austin, TX: 09,10/2017 and 09,10/2018
At the largest bouldering competition in the region, produced high quality, creative, artistic, safe, but most importantly fair boulders for the competition of over $10,000 cash purse that has categories from youth to open to ensure no injuries but only fun experience.
- UT Austin Intramural Bouldering Competition
- 11/2016
Routesetting Clinics and Guest Setting
- 06/2019 - 10/2022
Hosted routesetting clinics for emerging routesetters at several climbing gyms in Korea, providing exposure to modern setting practices and industry standards. Delivered presentations on core topics such as fundamentals, safety, theme and idea creation, hold selection, forerunning, grade calibration, and consistency. Led practical sessions by setting routes alongside participants, offering hands on guidance while ensuring strict safety protocols. Received highly positive feedback from attendees, who reported significant skill growth and expressed strong interest in hosting future clinics.
Wookeun Setter Showdown
- 10/2016 - 04/2018
Founded series of private themed bouldering competitions that brought in top tier climbers from different states that led to unique fun experience to over 60 participants of competitors combined.
USA Climbing - Route Setting Certificate Level 1
Other exp.
Menos LLC Co-Founder / COO (link)
- 09/2019 - 06/2025
Menos, meaning “less” in English, is a zero-waste, upcycled rock climbing shoe company co-founded after spending significant time within Mexico’s climbing community and recognizing limited access to climbing shoes among local youth despite abundant access to outdoor climbing. We collected discarded climbing shoes from Texas and revived them by resoling them with recycled automobile tires in Monterrey, México. The refurbished shoes were sold in Texas, with a portion distributed to youth climbing programs in Monterrey in partnership with Escalando Fronteras to expand access to the sport.
Vertical Caving
- Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea: 12/2015
Completed a technical vertical caving expedition in a team involving vertical cave anchor system, technical rappelling, and aid climbing that resulted in the discovery of a 250 meter vertical cave in Sobaeksan National Park.
Taekwondo 4th Degree Black Belt
- Korea: 2000 - 2011
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