On my skills
I used to travel a lot on business. But it was no fun. That was not the best way to use my English skill, witch is so hard earned... working through my young best years.
Now I go climbing abroad and my English skill helps me to get around and to make friends, I am so happy that my skill literally helps me to be happy. I am happy since I earned this happiness by my hard work. I was lucky too, but hard work yes. English and climbing. Both. I was led to come here, and was so rewarding.
In retrospect, I spend my past 8 years on climbing and mountaineering. Now I am above the level of most hikers, not yet to the level I wanted to be, but somewhat I can be independent in the wilderness. A lot of confidence came from reading contour lines on a map, spending a lot of time reading and preparing maps, I am good at contour line reading, so I am no more scared of getting lost in the mountain. I also have camping skill, snow, ice climb, rope work, etc. This is done by going to the mountain a lot. I used to go 128 days a year for hiking and craging.
The other skill, English is much more hard earned, it started as young as I was only 10, I started to listen to English radio. I was not good at school though, I know what I want. It was not test score or passing the exam, it was the skill to make myself understood. So I sticked to it. I am very happy every time people complement my English, since it is the skill not TAUGHT. I learned all by myself.
On David
David, a Canadian, and I met in Laos, and he was climbing with his baby son and Thai wife all family together and I felt it is so nice of him, taking all of his family out in the wild life. I think it takes maturity of a man to bring and include the family to do outdoor activity since he has to work extra hard to make this happen.
I posted in FB a photo of the guidebook of Taiwan as one of the destination I like to visit, and he responded so quickly. I was delighted so of-course I was going. I go craging every weekends here in Japan.
One of my friend had lend me the guide book so I can study the crag before I go. That was miracle too. So there were two miracle even before I go!
On Cragging
The problem of cragging in the unknown crag is that you don't really know which route to climb especially when you are not free climber and don't read such climbing magazine of some famous routes... I know some friends of mine are going after some famous routes. Like in the other day, right before my tour in Taiwan, we went for "Master's roof 5.12" in Yahazu mountain, which I will never be interested in by myself, unless otherwise my friend wanted to go there.
Also, each crag has it own nature. For example, Long Dong crag is easy face climbing with a lot of chances to put a cam or a nut as your protection. It is by the ocean so it does not really make sense to bolt, which easily goes rusty. The crag has a lot of overhangs that a rope can get on the rock surface, if we put up a rope so it is not really good to do top-rope on regular style, it better to belay your second from the top, i.e. at the anchor and rappel down together or bringing rope guard is better.
I learned these things visiting several of small crags in Kyusyu, since back in Yamanashi I was always with experienced climber who knows the place, so only recently, half a year now, I stared to visit a new crag on my own.
Usually in climber's community, if someone put up rope on someone else's max grade, he or she will lend you the rope for toproping, so you can try your best at your utmost grade safely. But this crag is better to lead climb. Rock surface is rough and it is easy to be cut. The local guide QX said he had twice of falling by the cut of rope.
So, Long Dong is like a best place for you to learn how to set a trad protection, cams and nuts with very easy face climbing. The rock here has a lot of cracks, horizontally too, for the protection to be set. I regretted that I did not bring my nuts. But to be honest, there are too many choices of setting cams. I did the same route 3 times, Staircase 5.4, and every time I climbed, different cam setting I did.
On The Bivy climbers guest house
The Bivy is quite nice!
https://thebivylongdong.com/
I was so happy to stay here walking distance to Long Dong. The owner couple, Kelly and QX is a climbing guide of Singapore, so the mainly the guests are Singaporean customers of them, but they are also nice to someone like me just dropped in. I saw Iron san's thank-you note on the wall.
I have the other friends who has climbed Long Dong crag but he stayed in Keelung, a closest town. In that case, a car will be very useful.
On car
You don't really need a car as long as you stay in the Bivy and just climb but if you like to do the other stuff like sightseeing，a car will be nice.
On Camping
Camping in a car park is possible but food selection is limited. Shower and toilet is not so convenient. There is no supermarket nearby.
On Food
There are not much in Long Dong, we have a Seven-Eleven and it is pretty much of everything. There is sea-food restaurant in walking distance but a bit expensive.
Also Kelly told me there is a Bento place but I did not find it in this time.
But you know, we, climbers, all live on 7-11 when we head off to cragging so what is the matter?
On Routes
For me, it was just drop in the crag and see what's tempting, is the way to go this time, as I did in the past few months in Kyusyu... new crag means you don't really know what to climb. or you climb whatever it comes.
So I did a lot of research but the research update was needed after arrival. Since there anchor can go rotten. So there is a list of updates on anchor condition. There is a print-out in the Bivy so I marked "solid anchor" and "Questionable anchor" on my guide book at my first night.
Day 1
As soon as I get off from the bus, I accidentally met David and Wan, and I was so happy to see them. We had a dinner together but it was sooo windy and stormy!
Day 2
I thought the weather is bad enough not to climb. We all went for Bitou.
Later on, I learned my judgement was right when I saw QX was doing ropework with his customers, since it is what I do when I teach a beginner.
The scenario he was using was to bypassing the knot when you are on belay. Rock fall made a climber unable to do anything on his/her own. So belayer only has to take care of the situation. This is the scenario I use to teach my partner too.
We have much more to learn for example what if your second falls in the overhang and he/she can not go back to the wall? A climber need to know prusik climbing and the belayer needs to know howling.
Day 3
I really needed to see the crag otherwise I will be so poorly prepared so I went for exploring which I do all the time, with my climbing mate lately... we both do not know the crag at all in Kyusyu so sometimes we can not find it... we will spend so much time on just looking for it.
I did my exploring enough to know what is like Long Dong and I felt it is like Jogasaki in Japan in bigger scale. No place to bring 1 year old in rainy day. There were two caves and it can be fun to camp there but no water supply. The second cave can be cold since it is windy all the time.
I had a lunch and it was soooo good, may be because I was sooooo cold? Best chicken soup.Tasted like real chicken broth.
Day 4
First climbing day. Tao joined and I was happy to get to know him. He is a Thai who lived in the U.S. since his high-school, so he is more American than Thai, like I am more Americanized than average Japanese. Also he was more experienced climber, he has gotten the climbing education in the U.S. I could see his experience so I felt safer. It is always better to climb in 3 people than just 2. Because you have extra hands to help.
This day, I climbed nothing but I did understand that Tao is a patient good belayer. It felt like I climbing in Japan, somewhat you are supervised.
Day 5
Good climbing day! I climbed my aimed routes, staircase 5.4, first thing in the morning and ofcourse on sighted. I will never feel scared in this grade but I am not sure on 5.9 in Long Dong.
Usually 5.8 is the grade beginner starts, but here, everything is wet. So I was extra careful this time. Greed is no no in the crag. I always feel I want to do more lead but at the same time, I would need more experience to go above my regular grades.
The real crack climbing was Disco Fistcrack 5.10a. The best struggle of this time.
We climbed as much as we wanted. so it was almost dark when we are done.
Day 6
I did my share of 5.7 lead and I was happy and I wanted to check how I did about the cam placement.
Tao climbed a long the easiest 5.10a in the crag in Music hall, Movie Dick, and I cleaned it as a second. I could not do last one move so I hanged in the rope and prusiked it for one meter. Then I was OK.
This was best day.
Day 7
Rain again in the morning, but David was coming to crag in the afternoon so we went to School gate again and we climbed there. I saw QX and I said well this is best we can do.
This time, rope got stuck 3 times! Nice to bring 2 ropes always.
Day 8
Going back home. We went to see the Long Dong trail and found the entrance to multi-pitches in Grand Auditorium.
I flew back to Japan 16:55 flight and David and Wan drove me to the airport. That was nice.
I am now in Fukuoka, rains time to time like when I was in Long Dong... no luck in this weekend neither it seems.