Climbing Hard in Okayama - Yosedake, Kawakami-cho

For those of you who didn't know, I like climbing. There is nothing better for pure enjoyment and challenge, and its very worthwhile way to spend a beautiful late summer afternoon. It appears to be a global truism that the folks you meet climbing are some of the most interesting, capable, good-hearted people you will meet anywhere. They tend to have a healthy amount of guts, an appreciation of nature, and a sense of adventure. Thusly did I meet a couple badass guys who love to climb, Tetsuya-san and Shuji-san, who are both familiar with the lay of the land. They helped me to realize that my neck of the woods here in Takahashi is primetime for quality crag.

So we tore up some routes with the simple names like Overhang Easement, Easy Face, and the Dongo. These pictures are from the 5.10 Easy Face, which we dubbed the Ironic Face because we found it to have a good bit of challenge. I intend to take the liberty of giving these routes English names, because in America the route names tend to be a bit more creative. The Kawakami-cho area of Takahashi, and this is practically my backyard,  is replete with some of the best single pitch climbing I've encountered and according to this website and map there is plenty more all over the place. As you can see I have quite a bit of exploration to do. Allow me to explain why climbing is so much fun.

For one thing, its risky. Anytime you go out to the crag you are potentially risking your health, even your life. Safety is paramount when you climb and you take the precautions you can. Even so, gear can break, belay accidents can occur, climbers fall, wind or lightning can come from no where, and the rock itself can break and sabotage your climb. If you pay attention and take the necessary precautions you are generally alright, but a certain risk in inherent. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say. Since you decide to venture, you stand to gain.

You use your hands, your feet, your wits, and your willpower to vertically navigate some of nature's most beautiful handiwork. It takes equal measures of technical skill, nerve, and guts. You invariably face the natural human fears of falling, or heights, and overcome them. You defy gravity, and affirm your physical and mental health. There is always more, and you can always push yourself further, and climb something harder. Your only limits are those you place on yourself.

Climbing has innate value in and of itself as a recreational, enjoyable activity. Additionally, it has value as a life metaphor and can teach you more broadly applicable lessons as well. You know your goal. When you scope a route you know where you want to go, but its not clear exactly how you get there. You formulate a basic plan from the ground, deciding how to ascend, what might be a good area to take a short rest and a chalk up, and how to navigate your way up the rock face. As you get closer to your goal there are nuances of the the vertical landscape that make themselves apparent. Things you could not possibly notice until you were right on top of them. Plans change when you get better information. Things you counted on, literally, turn to dust in the palm of your hand. You continue your flow, adapt, keep moving forward, and always have to do what seems best at the time. There is a time for patience, and a time for decisive, explosive action. You need to be able to do both, and have the sensitivity to know when the time is right for either.

I like metaphors just as much as I like climbing

Before long you get where your going. You look back, and see that you have come a long way, and you are able to view things from a new, elevated perspective. If you ever decide to take that route again you have valuable foreknowledge. You can advise others on what they might encounter at certain points in their ascent. You've developed by going through with the process.

All the philosophical metaphors be damned, climbing is just plain fun.