Mt.Mizugaki Crack climbing & first time onsight

stier to the top 5.8

■　The fist time

There is a first time for everything.

For me, this time it was my first time crack climbing onsight.

I am so happy and surprised!

I haven't learned how to set protection yet, …yet I carried 2 sets of cams and did this climbing... without even warming up.

It's been 10 months I have been putting my efforts on crack climbing... it is a small success.

The honorable route is "Stair to the top 5.8" 10m.

■　have been...

I have started to learn crack climbing at the climbing school, Kazumasa Yoshida, the 14 climber who established some records in the climbing history.

Then I was climbing 5.10a top rope but it was not stable.

After that school, in April, I had a chance to climb crack in Yukawa... it was a very cold day and my stomach ached, while I was on belay... but that time I think I have learned basic crack climbing.

me climbing

Later on, at Ogawa yama, I have tried a few crack routes and then it was difficult and had fallen several times, still I felt it was better than the last year.

purin purin 5.9

I think it must be finger power, I have no face climbing power at all, that is why I like crack climbing.

If there is no crack climbing at all, I would have stopped climbing at all I think.

So until this onsight, my success so far, was pink point of "Ogawa yama layback 5.9".

I wanted to red point this same route... but I haven't gotten a belayer.

she is doing wide 5.10c

This time it is not RED POINT, it is  ONSIGHT!!

Onsite is better than a red pointing so I am very happy with it.


■　Runout

But I have still things to overcome... how to set cams, properly.

There was a 2 pitch multipit route called "Kataha ashi", the 1st pitch is 5.7 and the second pitch is 5.10b. So I thought it might be easy for me to lead climb the 1st pitch.

The route is 20m slab with crack on your right side so there is no bolts.  But I can onsite 5.9 slab so I would be able to lead climb 5.7 slab.

I did... but it was so scary with run out.

It is because I haven't learned how to set protection properly... I used too many cams at the beginning.

I haven't learned which cam to use...

In the end I had only one cam which was 0.5 size BD camerot.

The crack was not deep enough to set a cam, but if I don't it would be 10 m runout so I set it anyway... it was really nothing...

that means I can not allow myself to fall.... thankfully the rest of the slab is not hard at all so it was all right.

I was sooo glad I have trained myself with slab climbing too.

■　2nd pitch

The 2nd pitch was difficult it seemed... my partner had lead climbed but he decided not to climb.

1st pitch 5.7

■　Celebration!

I have shared my joy of being able to onsite this crack with my husband at dinner, we've gone to local Sushi restaurant which we like, because one of the sushi chef there understands climbing.

I had added some good sake too!

Route:

Stair to the top 5.8 crack onsite

Purin Purin 5.9 crack TR No tention

Came rock crack 5.10a TR

Kataha ashi 5.7, 5.10b   5.7 onsite