January 2025 Gozen Rock (Okutama, Tokyo) We covered the climbing of Yuji Hirayama and Ryoji Onishi. The climber was Ryoji Onishi, a well-known main setter for Yakurai WALL, and the belayer was Yuji Hirayama, who was climbing this route for the first time.We also heard about the Doppler effect. Introduction by Ryoji Onishi Yakurai WALL main setter, well known for his lungfish mark. This time, she came to this photo shoot wearing the original Yakurai WALL T-shirt. Thank you. He participated in the project for Yakurai WALL in Kami Town, Miyagi Prefecture from the planning and design stage, and was responsible for the design of the wall and the selection of the holds. It is due to his achievements that Yakurai WALL boasts a high level of perfection that is not found in local public climbing gyms. https://youtube.com/@yakuraiwall553?si=xNJ1JHtFW-T6YQIJ We have successfully completed many challenges by leveraging our climbing x Sawanobori climbing techniques and Sawa (Sawaya)’s extensive experience. From 2002 to 2016, he served as the manager of the climbing gyms “B-PUMP Kokubunji store” and “B-PUMP Ogikubo store”, and was active as one of the best climbers in Japan. He has a high level of skill in climbing 4-stage bouldering and route grade 14a difficulty, and has independently accomplished spectacular and adventurous climbs such as going up Tsurugizawa alone and completely going up the main stream of the Shomyo River from Shomyo Falls. (I heard this story right after going upstream, when my feet were so frostbitten that I couldn’t even put on my shoes.At that time, I realized that no one would be able to do this complete upstream of the Shomyo River for the next 50 years. I was amazed in my heart.) His activities are supported by a spirit of exploration into the unknown, and his book “Valley Climbing” uses his unique experience to thoroughly convey techniques, equipment, route selection tips, and the charm of the valley. . 28th Naoki Uemura Adventure Award In recent years, the stage of exploration and adventure has expanded both domestically and internationally, in search of unknown Gorges (gorges) that can be called blank spaces on the map. In February 2023, he successfully completed the first exploration of Seti Gorge, an unexplored canyon located in the Annapurna Mountains in Nepal. For this achievement, he received the 28th Naoki Uemura Adventure Award. This adventure was broadcast as an NHK special titled “The Devil’s Valley in the Himalayas – Challenging the unexplored region of the Himalayas”, giving many viewers the full story of their epic challenge. https://youtu.be/NH_oAkwACDg?si=uGtTdoocV2BAhL55 Mt. Kinka Earthquake Recovery Support “Treasure Island Project” Mt. Kinka had been developed with local friends before the Great East Japan Earthquake. Even after the earthquake, we actively participated in the development of climbing areas that also served as disaster recovery support, and many issues remain. https://youtube.com/shorts/9rw51c1FxTs?feature=share https://youtube.com/shorts/_5c46UYfzoY?feature=share Environmental DNA Mountain Area Monitoring Survey We have spared no effort in cooperating with environmental DNA mountain area monitoring surveys in collaboration with scientists, and have carried out environmental DNA surveys at the underground lake of Hito Exploration Cave in Iwate Prefecture and the Azusa River in Kamikochi, Nagano Prefecture. We were able to obtain ecosystem data that we had no knowledge of. https://youtu.be/vArrNTLpBTA?si=OowWqLcgmzcpgTYG https://youtu.be/JElBZROTFyQ?si=qXBmpEjfdMuwXnQs Climber Albert F. Mummery’s style is reminiscent of Mummeryism, and the gap between his stoic, soloist side, who seeks to unravel the unknown aspects of nature, and his carefree, gentle smile, creates an original climbing style. Introducing Yuji Hirayama, who will continue to attract the hearts of many people. Professional free climber Yuji Hirayama is a pioneer in the free climbing world, and has played a major role not only as a competitor but also as a leader in spreading climbing culture and teaching the next generation. We have continued to spread the appeal of climbing both domestically and internationally. In 1998, when he reached the pinnacle of competitive climbing, Hirayama became the first Japanese to win the overall championship at the Climbing World Cup, making him the top of the world.He then won his second overall championship in 2000. He also won first place in the annual ranking of the same year.These achievements are marked as historical achievements in the climbing world in Japan.In 2010, he established the climbing gym “Climb Park Base Camp”. . This gym, which can be enjoyed by everyone from beginners to advanced climbers, is loved by many people as a place to start climbing. Hirayama also welcomes more than 1,000 participants every year through the bouldering competition “One Bouldering,” which spreads the appeal of climbing to a wide range of people. El Capitan Achievements Going beyond competition, in 2002 he completed a speed ascent on El Capitan’s “The Nose” route in America’s Yosemite National Park. His record time of 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 5 seconds in 2008 was the fastest time at the time, making new history in the climbing world. (By the way, when I climbed the nose in 1986, it took me 4 nights and 5 days.) El Capitan’s other great achievements include the world’s first on-site try at Zarate (5.13c) and El Niño. It continued to shock climbers. Active as a commentator In recent years, he has also been active as a TV commentator at the World Cup and Olympic Games. In particular, it played a role in conveying the appeal of the competitions to viewers at the Tokyo Olympics (2021) and Paris Olympics (2024). His easy-to-understand explanations and passion convey the joy and depth of climbing to many people. They sympathized with the “Takarajima Project,” a regional promotion and social activity through climbing that supports recovery from the Mt. Kinka earthquake, and actively participated in the development of boulder and trad trails on Mt. Kinka. The documentary program “CONQUER THE ROCK ~Free Climber Yuji Hirayama’s Challenge~” and a four-person rock trip featuring THE NORTH FACE athletes Yuji Hirayama, Toru Nakajima, James Pearson, and Caroline Shabardini. “ROCK TRIP 2017 IN KINKASAN” became the driving force for making KINKASAN known to climbers all over the world. The spread of the Takarajima Project around the world is thanks to Yuji’s connections and personality. He also collaborates with local people in the local area, making efforts to popularize climbing and contribute to the community. https://youtu.be/yvT7lAAA_aI?si=YmGtpDa2zk6woqkX
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