昨年のBishopでのThe Mandara V12の完登から１年。 2015年のWORLDCUP Boulderingでの４度目の年間チャンピオンはThe Mandalaとの出会いがあったからといっても過言ではないと思う。ひたすらひとつの課題と向き合い、自分と向き合う時間の素晴らしさと大切さを教えてくれた。今までのわたしのクライミング観を変えてくれたあの場所に戻りたい。
The Mandalaを完登した日から、すでに次にトライしたい課題はひとつ。むしろそれしか思い浮かばないほどに惚れ込んでいた課題がある。The Swarm V13/14。岩のスケールはもちろん、だいすきな小さいホールドを握りしめ、横に綺麗なラインの入った筋を登っていく課題だ。だが、わたしの最高グレードであるV12よりもはるかに難しい。頑張るしかない。 その前に今年は、Bishopへのツアーの前にテキサス州にあるHuecoTanksという岩場への短期遠征を計画していた。今までいったことのないエリアでのクライミングはもちろんだが、HuecoRockRodeoという岩場での大会に参加することが１番の目的である。毎年世界中から名だたるロッククライマーが参加しており、毎年かっこいい写真や動画をみて、いつか出てみたいと憧れていた大会だ。そして今年もRockRodeoには世界中からトップクライマーが集結していた。大会の採点方法はとても単純で、決めたれた課題にポイントが付けられており、上位６課題の合計ポイントで採点する。１日の中でより多くの高難度をたくさん登った人が優勝する。 WORLDCUPで共に戦っていた友達のAlexPUCCIOが課題の案内や課題の説明をしてくれたおかげでたくさんの難しくて面白い課題をトライすることが出来た。V10までしか完登することはできなかったが、登れそうなV11やV12の見つけることが出来、またすぐにでも戻ってきたいと思える素晴らしいエリアだ。また、コンペでは地元のAlexPUCCIO、ドイツのJuleane WURMに続き３位。初めての外岩の大会、しかもHuecoRockRodeoという伝統ある大会で入賞することが出来、Bishop前に自信をつけることが出来た。もちろん次またRockRodeoに出るときは優勝目指したい。 そしてBishopに到着。 まずTheMandalaに挨拶に行き、昨年と同じ岩でウォーミングアップをはじめる。全く変わっていない景色の中で、１年間の自分の変化を思い返す。自分は果たしてクライマーとして強くなり、成長して戻ってこれたのだろうか。Huecoでの１週間に加え、Bishopでのツアーは３週間。長いようで短い。わたしはすぐさまTheSwarmをトライすることにした。全く歯が立たなかったらどうしよう。もちろん不安は尽きないが、それ以上に憧れの課題をトライできることが嬉しくて、苦手なアプローチも大きなマットを背負って小走りした。いよいよトライ。想像はしていたけれど、難しい。ホールドの保持の悪さ、足の乗れなさ、複雑な体の動き、距離。すべての難しさが今まで自分が触った課題のはるか上をいっていた。これがV14の世界なのか。１手目が止まり、核心である２手取りと４手目取りを何度もトライするが、何回かのトライで体力が限界になってしまう強度だ。３週間で登れるのだろうか。 わたしは１番の目標であるTheSwarmをトライしつつ、EvilutionというV11とA maze of deathというV12をトライした。A maze of deathは得意系ということもありすぐに登ることが出来た。Evilutionは、エリアの入り口に位置する、おそらくBishopで１番大きな岩のど真ん中を登る課題。あまりに岩が大きく、そして上部に核心があるということもあって、ボルダーなのに岩の上には支点があり、ロープを使ってトップロープで上部の練習をした。課題のダイナミックさと上部の怖さもあり、昨年はトライする勇気もなかったが、今年こそ。下部はあっさり越えることが出来、問題の上部。おそらく８mくらいだろうか。怖くて思いっきり動けないし、手足に力が入らない。しかしこんなところで立ち止まっている訳にはいかない、意を決して思いっきり捨て身の１手を振り絞り、震える声で小さく叫ぶ。夢中でしがみつき続け、高さ15mほどの岩のてっぺんに立った。怖さと嬉しさで思わず涙腺が緩む。今までだったらこんな挑戦出来なかった。この場所はいつもわたしに成長のチャンスを与えてくれる。 たくさんの課題で成長を感じつつ、TheSwarmに戻る。気が付いたらあっという間にツアーも終盤になっていた。今日こそは、今日こそはと思ってトライするものの、一向に核心がとまらない。何度も課題から逃げたくなり、新しいプロジェクトを探そうとしても、惹かれるものがない。最後まで腹をくくってこの課題に全てを捧げよう。しかし最終日のTheSwarmの核心の２手目が止まることはなく、時間切れ。目標が達成できなかったという敗北感と自分の無力さを感じながらの帰国となってしまった。 今の自分のベストを尽くしたけれど、足りなかった。しかし、自分は昨年よりも強くなっていたと信じ、めげずにまた挑戦し続けるしかないのだと思う。今回の悔しさをバネに、また日本に帰って１から頑張ろう。こんなにも強くなりたいと思わせてくれる環境と課題に感謝し、そしてその機会を与えてくれたTHENORTHFACEに感謝します。 今年も来てよかった。 そして、また必ず強くなって戻ってきます。 たくさんの応援ありがとうございました。

It has been a year since my ascent of The Mandala (V12) in Bishop last year. I can say for a fact that my encounter with The Mandala is what led me to be crowned the year-round World Cup Bouldering champion in 2015 for the fourth time. It taught me the importance and beauty of patiently tackling a single problem as well as facing myself. I wanted to return to the spot that gave me a new meaning to climbing. Since the day I sent The Mandala, there was only one problem that I wanted to challenge next. I was so attracted to it, I couldn’t think of any other problem to tackle. It was The Swarm (V13/V14). The huge problem requires me to cling onto my favorite small holds and climb along the beautiful horizontal line in the boulder. But it’s way more difficult than the highest grade V12 that I’ve climbed so far. I just had to give it my all. But this year, before my Bishop tour, I had made plans to go on a short tour to a rocky stretch called Hueco Tanks in Texas. It was not only an area where I’ve never climbed before, but my No.1 objective was to compete in Hueco Rock Rodeo, an outdoor bouldering competition. Each year, prominent rock climbers from all over the world gather to compete. It’s a competition I dreamt of competing in, after seeing awesome pictures and videos every year. This year was no different. Top climbers from around the world gathered at Rock Rodeo. The scoring system is simple. The boulder problems each have points, and the total points of the top six problems are taken as the total score. The climber who climbs the most number of difficult problems in a day is the winner. My friend Alex Puccio, who has competed in the World Cup with me, guided me through the problems and explained them to me. Thanks to her, I was able to try many difficult and interesting problems. I was only able to send V10 problems, but I came across V11 and V12 problems that I believe I can climb. It was a magnificent area that I want to go back to right now. In the competition, I finished third after local climber Alex Puccio and German climber Juliane Wurm. Being able to finish in the top three at the prestigious Hueco Rock Rodeo, which was my first outdoor bouldering competition, gave me the confidence to head to Bishop. Of course, the next time I compete in Rock Rodeo, I’ll definitely aim for the top of the podium. I arrive at Bishop. First, I visit and say hello to The Mandala, before warming up at the same boulder as last year. In the unchanged scenery, I look back at how I’ve changed during this past year. Have I improved and been able to return here as a much stronger climber? In addition to my one-week tour in Hueco, my tour in Bishop was for three weeks. It seems long, but short. I immediately decide to try The Swarm. What if it’s way over my head? I was filled with worries, but more than that, I was excited to finally be able to attempt a problem I longed for. I usually dislike the approach, but this day, I carried my huge mat and trotted to the boulder. It was difficult, just as I had expected. Bad hand holds, lack of foot holds, complex body movement, and distance. None of the past boulders that I’ve climbed, compared to the difficulty level of these elements. So this is the world of V14? After holding still during my first move, I attempted to reach for the 2nd and 4th holds many times, but it’s so intense, I reach my physical limit after just a few attempts. Can I really send this problem in three weeks? While attempting my No.1 goal The Swarm, I also tried Evilution (V11) and A Maze of Death (V12). A Maze of Death was my style, and I immediately made it to the top. Evilution is located near the entrance of the area and is probably the biggest problem in Bishop which requires you to climb through the center of the boulder. The boulder is so huge, the crux is located in the upper area and even has anchor points on the boulder, so I practiced top roping the upper area. Because this problem was too dynamic and I was terrified of the upper area, I didn’t have the courage to try it last year. But this year, I was determined. I conquer the bottom half rather easily, but now the upper half awaits me. It’s probably about eight meters high. I’m too frightened to move dynamically and my arms and legs feel weak. But I couldn’t stand still here, so I desperately reach toward the next hold and shout in a small, quivering voice. I continue to cling on with my life and finally make it to the top of the 15-meter-high boulder. I’m moved to tears from both fear and happiness. In the past, I wouldn’t have been able to take on this challenge. This spot always blesses me with the opportunity to develop into a better climber. I continued to climb many problems and realized how much progress I’ve made. Then, I returned to The Swarm. Before I knew it, the tour was coming to an end. Every day, I’ll tell myself, “This is the day” but I couldn’t go past the crux. Many times, I was tempted to quit and search for a new project, but none of the other problems intrigued me. So I convinced myself to devote everything I had to this problem. Unfortunately, on the final day, before I could hold still on the 2nd move of the crux, time ran out. I felt powerless as I headed home, enduring a sense of defeat of not being able to achieve my goal. I did do my best with everything I had, but it wasn’t enough. I think my only option is to continue challenging without giving up, believing that I’ve become stronger than last year. I’ll turn my disappointment into a stepping stone, return to Japan, and start from scratch. I want to show my appreciation to the environment and problems that motivate me to become stronger, and to The North Face for giving me such opportunities. I’m so glad I came this year. I promise to become a stronger climber and return again. Thank you for all your support.

2/10～3/7までテキサス州にあるHueco Tanksとカルフォルニア州にあるBishopという岩場に行ってきました。 僕自身初めての海外ツアーで、しかも約1ヶ月間という長期間。出発前からこんなにも長期間の海外生活に馴染めるのか、その中で成果を出すことが出来るのか、とても不安でしたが、新しい挑戦をすることで自分にとっての大きな成長があると信じ、思い切ってアメリカ行きを決めました。 まずはHueco Tanks。毎年開催されている伝統的なHueco Rock Rodeoというコンペに参加してきました。このコンペにはアメリカだけでなくヨーロッパやアジアからも世界のトップクライマー達が集まってきていたのでとても驚きました。コンペの第一印象は、皆がとてもフレンドリーで雰囲気がよかったことです。ウォーミングアップから一緒に回ってくれたアメリカのAlex Puccio選手には課題の選び方やムーブまで丁寧に教えて貰いました。Alexは、フィジカル的なクライミングの強さはもちろんですが、初対面の自分にも気さくに接してくれる人間性にとても尊敬しました。 Huecoでの成果は、 Mojo V10 FL Liene V10 FL Power Of Sirence V11 FL Diaphanous Sea V12 FL Tequila Sunrise V11/12 FL Left Martini V9 FL Rogered in the Shower V11/12 自分は今までフラッシュトライ(1回目のトライ)が苦手でしたが、今回は多くの課題をフラッシュすることが出来ました。表彰台立つ事は出来ませんでしたが、最近少しずつ岩場に適応できるようになってきたかなと成長を感じる事が出来ました。優勝者のヤコブシューベルト、準優勝者のヤンホイヤーはワールドカップだけではなく岩場でも圧倒的な強さで入賞。今回は一緒に登る機会が出来なかったので次機会があったら一緒に登り、たくさん学ばせてもらいたいなと思いました。コンペという時間の限られた中で、高難度の課題を打ち込む時間がなかったのが心残りです。今回Huecoでたくさんのトライしたい課題を見つけたので強くなってまた戻りたいと思います。 そしてカリフォルニア州ビショップへ移動。 HuecoとBishopでは街の雰囲気が全く違い、フエコの大自然の比べてBishopは街自体がこじんまりとしていてすごくアットホームな街でした。また岩の種類も違うため数日は簡単なグレードで岩の感触を確かめながら少しずつ慣れていきました。Bishopの岩は大きくラインもかっこよくて、皆が最高だと言う理由もわかりました。 岩の経験値の少ない僕は最初岩のコンディションの違いに全く気付かず、前半は昼間の温かい時間帯に登っていました。岩には一番いいフリクションの時間帯があり、しかも日中の日の当たり方などによるため岩によって別々です。そうするとやはり高難度の課題で躓き始めたため、後半は14時頃からアップし17時から登り始めたりしました。初めて夜中にライトを使ってのナイトクライミングは岩のフリクションが昼間と比べると格段によくなり、より良いパフォーマンスを発揮できました。Bishopで最も印象に残っている課題はSpectre V13とMandala SD V14とDirect North V14。Spectreは150度もある強傾斜で3手の遠く悪いムーブをこなし最後に2級程のスラブをこなすV13。 特に核心のムーブはかなり距離のある一手のため身長の低いので凄く苦労しました。僕の身長は170センチで、僕と同じサイズの人達は核心の一手を足を切って止めているのですが、うまくいかず3日間打ち込みした。3日目に止まった時は、自分の体幹をフルにつかいピンピンに体を伸ばしギリギリ核心を止めることが出来ました。その後のスラブも難しいので最後まで本当に緊張感のある戦いでした。Mandala SDはMandala V12に更に3手を加えたV14。Mandalaのスタートにリンクする一手がかなり距離もあり足もツルツルで悪かったです。最後のリップ取りまでで数えるとかなり手数があるのでよれました。 Direct NorthはDirectionと言うV13からV8に繋がるV14。この課題はリップまでで8メートル、そこからスラブが5メートル程続きます。登れたトライはV13のパートでムーブが上手くいかず「これはダメかな」と一瞬頭をよぎりましたが、後半のV8の核心に来た時に何となくこのトライで落ちたら今日は登れない気がし、前腕は疲労が溜まり今にも落ちそうでしたが、とにかく全身を使い必死に登ったことは忘れられません。最後のスラブパートは難易度で言ったらそこまで難しくは無いのですが、落ちたら確実に骨折するほどの高さの中でのナイトクライミングは精神力が磨かれました。 また最終日にトライしたThe Swarm V13/14は、初めはずっと2手目が止まりませんでしたがやって行くうちに乗り込んでいる足の位置や逆のフリーな足の位置ホールドの握り方、止めた時の身体の振られなど色々な感覚が繊細になって行き少しずつ高度を上げていく事が出来ました。今回は登る事は出来ませんでしたが、最後でかなりよい感触をつかむ事も出来、自分に色々な事を気付かせてくれた課題の一つです。次こそは絶対に登りたいと思います。 今回のツアーを通して今までV12が自分の最高グレードでしたが、V13更にはV14を登りグレード更新する事が出来ました。そしてV12をフラッシュして、フラッシュグレードを更新できました。また岩の感じ方や登り方、今までの人口壁でのトレーニングでは気づく事の出来なかった部分を気づき、フィジカルと同じくらいメンタルの重要性を感じ、自分はクライマーとして未熟でこれからまだまだ成長できるなという可能性を感じました。 今自分はコンペを中心に活動していて、まだ岩場の経験も少なく世界的な成果を出す事は出来ないけれど、もっと実力をつけて岩場でもコンペでも成果を上げられるようなトップクライマーに成長して行きたいと思います。

From February 10th to March 7th, I went to two rocky stretches: Hueco Tanks in Texas and Bishop in California. Not only was it my first overseas tour, but it was also nearly one-month-long. Before leaving, I was worried whether I could adapt to living overseas for such a long time and whether I could accomplish something during that time. But I told myself that a new challenge will help me grow substantially, and made up my mind to fly to the United States. Firstly, Hueco Tanks. I competed in the prestigious Hueco Rock Rodeo competition held every year. I was surprised that this competition not only attracted top climbers from the United States, but also from around the world including Europe and Asia. My first impression of the competition was that it was a very friendly atmosphere. American climber Alex Puccio was with me from the warmup and took her time to kindly teach me how to select problems and what the best moves are. I greatly respect Alex for being a strong physical climber as well as an individual who communicated with me in a friendly manner, even though it was our first time meeting. My accomplishments in Hueco were as follows. Mojo V10 FL Liane V10 FL Power Of Silence V11 FL Diaphanous Sea V12 FL Tequila Sunrise V11/12 FL Left Martini V9 FL Roger in the Shower V11/12 I was never good at flashing (climbing on the first attempt) problems, but here, I was able to flash many problems. I unfortunately didn’t make it to the podium, but still, I felt that I’ve improved and recently been able to adapt to the outdoor bouldering environment one step at a time. Both winner Jakob Schubert and runner-up Jan Hojer showed that they’re not only overwhelmingly strong at the World Cup, but also in outdoor rocky stretches. I didn’t have the chance to climb with them this time, so when I have the opportunity, I want to climb with them and learn a lot. Since I only had a limited time during the competition, it was unfortunate that I couldn’t devote my time to tackle difficult problems. During my visit to Hueco, I’ve come across many problems that I’d like to try, so I want to become stronger and return here. I then headed to Bishop, California. The atmosphere of Hueco Tanks and Bishop are completely different. Unlike Hueco Tanks, which is a vast wilderness, Bishop is a small town with a cozy atmosphere. Since the types of boulders are different, during the first couple of days, I climbed lower grade boulders and gradually adjusted to the difference by checking the rock texture. Boulders in Bishop were bigger with cool lines, and I knew why everybody regarded Bishop as the greatest place to climb. Since I haven’t had much experience climbing boulders, at first, I didn’t realize how the rock conditions change, and during the first half of the tour, I was climbing during the daytime when it was warm. Rocks have certain periods of time when it has lots of friction. Since the sun hits each rock differently, friction also differs among each rock. Because of these conditions, I found it hard to tackle difficult problems, so during the latter half of the tour, I warmed up at 2 pm and began climbing from 5 pm. When I climbed for the first time at midnight using lights, I found the rocks had greatly increased friction compared to the daytime, and I was able to perform well. The most memorable problems in Bishop were Spectre (V13), Mandala SD (V14), and Direct North (V14). Spectre is a V13 problem that has a difficult 3rd move on a sharp 150-degree surface which is hard to reach, and ends with a level 2 slab. The crux move is pretty far to reach, and I struggled a lot since I’m short. My height is 170 cm, but other climbers the same size as me would conquer the move by flagging, but I couldn’t, and tackled the move for three days. When I finally managed to cling on the third day, I used my entire core, stretched my body as far as it would go, and barely stopped my body from swinging. The slab after that was also difficult, so it was a nervous battle until the very end. Mandala SD is a V14 problem that adds three moves to the V12 Mandala. Mandala starts out with a bad hold that’s pretty far apart and the foot holds are slippery. A great number of moves were necessary to reach the top lip, so my core became unstable. Direct North is a V14 problem with a line that starts from Direction (V13) and into a V8. There are eight meters to the lip, and then a five-meter slab from there. I sent the V13 part, but struggled with the moves. For a brief second, I thought maybe I can’t do this, but when I reached the crux of the latter V8 part, I felt that if I fell on this attempt, I wouldn’t be able to send it today. Fatigue was building up in my forearms and I could’ve fallen off at any moment, but I will always remember how I used my entire body and desperately made it to the top. The difficulty level of the final slab isn’t that much, but it’s high enough to break my bones if I fell. Night climbing definitely polished my strength of mind. I attempted The Swarm (V13/14) on the final day. At first, I couldn’t hold still on the second move, but the more I climbed, the more my body became sensitive to my stance, where to position my flagging leg and which hold to grab, as well as how my body swings when I grab onto a hold, and bit by bit, I was able to climb higher. Although I couldn’t send it this time, I was left with a good feeling on my last attempt. This problem helped me broaden my perspectives. Next time, I’m determined to make it to the top. Before this tour, the highest grade I’ve sent was V12, but I was able to send V13 and V14 problems to break my record. I also flashed a V12, breaking my flash record as well. I learned more than I could ever learn from training on indoor climbing walls, such as how different rocks feel and how to climb them. I realized that mental strength is just as important as physical strength, and that although I’m still an inexperienced climber, I have enough potential to improve even more. Currently, I mainly take part in competitions and because of my lack of experience with outdoor boulders, I’m unable to produce results on a global scale, but I’m determined to train myself into a top climber who can achieve great results in both outdoor boulders and indoor competitions.