アイスクライマーだそうで、アックスはクォークだそうだ。アイスだけをやる人はテクニカルアックスの人が多いので珍しい。クォールはバリエーション用にしている人が多い。私はカシンのエックスドライだが、本来WI4,WI5までしか腕力的に登れないだろうと思っていたからだ。WI6も登るなら、ハンドル付きが有利だ。まぁ、クオークの人ならアルパイン系なんだろう。
氷の固さの話。カナダの氷で登るそうだ。そうか。カナダの氷は固いと聞いているんだが…。日本の氷は粘りがある水氷で、スクリューもよく効き、かなり安心の土台がある。カナダの氷はとんでもなく固いのだろうか、氷柱をアックスの一撃でワールドトレードセンタービルみたいに崩壊する映像が良く回ってくるんだが。日本ではあまり報告されない崩壊。そういえば南面のアイスを登っていた男子、氷が崩壊して骨折していたな。
それから、リードについて。リードする課題は慎重に見極めないと、固いアイスに腕力吸われる系になる。固くても傾斜が緩ければ、女性向である。かっちゃんと登っていた時は4、5級は私がリードし、5,6級はかっちゃんのリードで安定して登れたんだが。その人は、女性がフォローでリズムを作る、とか言っていて?だった。リズムはリードしか作れない。フォローはさっさと登ってきてねってだけだ。しかもマルチが前提になっているようだが、当然最初はゲレンデなので、リードもフォローも必要のないトップロープを裏からはれる所に行くのが互いの安全のためだ。それができない場合は、ガイドのクライミングに参加。
GCHも経営者が変わって、デート用、出会いようの場、となっているのかもしれないので、それで行く気になれないってのもある。まぁどちらにせよ、今シーズンはラオスも、アイスも終わってしまい、11月から3月までがシーズンである。あとは、日本で登る、フリークライミングの時期だ。
というわけで、いろいろ悩ましいが。日向神に来るという外人がおり、なんだか私が英語のガイドを書いたせいかもしれず申し訳ない気がする。
この時期に日向神に来るくらいなら、城山とかのほうが…。城ケ崎は終わりだし、小川山はまだだから、まぁ関東なら城山かなぁ。三つ峠もまだ冬期登攀だし。
A Disjointed Conversation: My Skepticism as a Climber
I’ve been in touch with someone who calls himself a climber over the last couple of days, but our conversation feels completely out of sync. Something just doesn't sit right.
He says he’s an ice climber and uses Quarks. That’s unusual; most dedicated ice climbers go for more technical axes. Usually, people keep Quarks for alpine or variation routes. I personally use the Cassin X-Dry because I know my physical limits—I figured I could only lead up to WI4 or WI5 with my arm strength. If you’re tackling WI6, an axe with a dedicated handle is a clear advantage.
Then there’s the talk about ice conditions. He mentioned climbing in Canada. I’ve heard Canadian ice is notoriously brittle and hard. In Japan, we mostly deal with "wet ice" that has some elasticity; screws bite well, and the base feels relatively secure. I wonder if Canadian ice is truly that extreme—I’ve seen footage of pillars collapsing like the World Trade Center from a single strike. That kind of total collapse is rarely reported in Japan, though I do remember a guy on a south-face route who broke a bone when the ice gave way.
When it came to leading, he seemed confused. You have to be meticulous about choosing your lead lines, or you’ll get pumped out by the hard ice. If it's hard but low-angle, it’s manageable for women. When I climbed with Kacchan, I’d lead grades 4 and 5, while he’d steadily lead 5 and 6. But this guy said something about "the woman setting the rhythm as the follower," which made no sense to me. The leader sets the rhythm; the follower’s job is just to clean the pitch and get up quickly. He also seemed to jump straight to multi-pitch. For a first outing, you’d obviously go to a crag where you can set up a top rope from the back for safety.
He also mentioned sightseeing while climbing abroad. Sure, everyone does that to an extent, but when I was in Laos, rest days were for actual rest—getting massages, being alone, or reading in a cafe. That’s how I met David, a Canadian climber. He was a dad traveling with his family, and since his wife didn't climb, we were perfect partners. If a male climber is just looking for a "climbing date," I’m out of the equation anyway since I’m married.
I hear GCH (Green Climbers Home) has changed management and is becoming a bit of a "dating spot," which is another reason I’m not keen on going. Regardless, the ice and Laos seasons are over now (the window is November to March). Now it’s time for rock season in Japan.
It’s all a bit complicated. There’s a foreigner coming to Hyugami soon, and I feel a bit guilty—it might be because of the English guidebook I wrote. Honestly, if you're coming to Japan this time of year, Joyama would be a better bet. Jogasaki is ending and Ogawayama hasn't started yet. In the Kanto area, Joyama is the move. Mitsutoge is still very much in winter climbing mode






