Mt.Menpoko in Sobo katamuki Mountain Range in Miyazaki : Dai Chousei Route

 This is the record of 16th April in 2018.

The day was bright sunny and we were so excited.

6 am we got up, 8 am we started.

Start is a camp site called "Shisi gawa camp" (鹿川キャンプ場)

I was very glad I know how to see the difference between climbers vague trails from actually well stepped hiker's trail... it is a way more vague...

When I was not yet confident enough, I used to hike all the peaks in the mountain range so I will know the escape route when I am lost and stuck. That was the preparation to the serious climbing but these days I feel more confident to try on any new crags without doing hiking homework.

This place resembles Kanmanboron, a famous granite route in Mt. Mizugaki in Yamanashi prefecture... it is the granite stone paradise in Japan...

But much smaller scales... I saw a small stream and nice woods, a half an hour walking you are already in the foot of climbing rock... it was much shorter than we expected so we did a little exploring...

These area seems to have no access issue since they actually have trail signs to show the way to the climbing routes.

We went to further on, since we arrived earlier than we thought, and found a beautiful big fall...

There was an interesting rock called "Paken iwa" so we enjoyed scenery a little...

This place is a large granite which seemed like Mizugaki and Insubong.

 This is the climbing route from the bottom.

 Big fall...

I wanted to come back with my husband for just hiking...

 Interesting shape of the rock.

 You can see the size of the rock.

 This photo is the sight from the top, since I could not take a photo while I was climbing...

 Also from the top.

You can come to the same place without climbing, just hiking, so it is shared mountain like El cap with hikers.

The peak gotten by climbing feels much more than the peak gotten by just walking.

How difficult may be more important in happiness??

 Another top.

 Pink flower tree... was so pretty.

This is the stream we crossed on our way back...















on Climbing...
1st pitch: Me lead. I said I'd lead, since it is the easiest pitch, also had the first bolt in my sight... but I could not see my second bolt... so bolt is just a matter of ... I don't know the proper word but useless. Never fall is the word.

But the slab was easy, and I felt if it is Insubong, it will be just a approach, not a route.  Korean climber are lazy so many never bother to use ropes... it useless when you don't have proper bolts anyway.

So I must lead this easy... still I was scared since the bolt too far means free soloing...
My rope was soooo heavy so my belayer must have been very scared and he must have been crossing his finger for me... very tight belay.

I was sooo scared so I was very very quick to up climb, to the bolts... in slab, you better not to hesitate.

2nd pitch: My partner led... he is 5.12 climber but still very careful, it is a slab so climbing skills does not matter much, the friction of your climbing shoe matters.

3rd Pitch: my lead climb.  The rope work is easier in this switching system... we are so happy about it.  I put my small cam in the flack in the beginning but it seemed not strong enough... still may be better than nothing??? I always take my protection whenever I can. I am fighting against my laziness to skip the pros. Actually climbing gets harder when you have to set the pro.

The pitch was a large traverse, so this means also you can not afford to fall.

4th pitch: also traverse. my partner led.

5th pitch: Big big traverse, me leading... I was surprised there were only two bolts this pitch... it is already far from the ground but still.. only 2! also the bolt quality was questionable...

6th pitch: my partner led. The end of the "beautiful traverse". This is the hardest pitch in this climbing route.

We decided to connect two routes so we go up the peak by climbing...

7th pitch : is just a band walking the traverse walk... this traverse is just connecting two routes so much easy so I became a bit lazy, I did not use two draws to make rope smooth to run, so the rope became a way too heavy because of the friction... a good lesson, think about rope and friction always! Belaying my second was a way hard since the rope was heavy due to the rope drag.

8th pitch: Actually the 1st pitch of another route... 5.6 slab it says... my partner took the lead since he saw me scared. Very very far bolts it seemed.  I felt 5.10a due to the bolt distance.

9th pitch: my partner led since it was more difficult than the one before...  the climbing line was not straight so more dangerous. The rope gets tangled easily when lead climber is the same person so we became careful about tangled rope, it is a nightmare when you don't have a rope when you are on slab!!

10 th pitch: a easy traverse. the rope was dragged so was very heavy.  Used a rock as a substitute for draws...

11th pitch: the only crack route, very short one point crack, may be 5.9 or so. My partner free soloed, I was roped.  The rough stone surface made our hands bloody.

This is the end! The top was so much like Mt. Kinpo I used to hike in Yamanashi... there are some holes that rain made...

We enjoyed a great view from the mountain top and we went down using hiker's trail... this trail is easy to get lost..  we followed animal track a few times by mistake, we were not watching carefully because we were so struck with a beautiful view...

we started to climb at 10:30 and at the top 15:00 and came back where we stared at 17:30, the camping site where we parked.

Related site( outside this blog but you can see the photos)
http://kac90.sakura.ne.jp/report/2019/1020mennbokoiwa/index.html
https://yamap.com/activities/4353471

Kamikaze Bomber & Japanese climber's mentality

■Kamikaze Bomber & climber's mentality

I was so surprised that old and famous, also very respected and established climber developer had mentioned about Kamikaze bomber when he described the concept on the climbing routes he had created... the place was notoriously far bolted crag (you can reach to the climbing area within one hour, so it can not be an alpine route...)

He said, if the climb is RCCII 5th grade, in 50 m climbing bolt should be 1 bolt, and if 4th grade, 2 bolts, if 3rd grade, 3 bolts. 

What's RCC II grade? Of course!  Click here.
 http://nozakimakoto.hatenablog.com/entry/2015/01/08/173637

RCCII grade is Japanese grade that is only used in Japan, 5th means = you can not walk, you need hands, 4th=5.2-5.4, 5th=over 5.7 by definition. 

However in reality, the climbing is not this easy, since local climber tend to give grade easier, i.e., they say 5.7 when actually in international grade, it is 5.9. 

So by many people's opinion, the route's the easiest climb was 5.7 or so... since Japanese start to use rope at 5.7 or above, so this crag is 5.7(or above slab) and the bolt is 25 m (or 17 m away...at most) .

One of the old climber told me, " You know it was worse, before it was 40 m apart...". 

So they think it is improved and compromised...

But who wants to climb 5.7 and "death possible" route??? 

5.7 is a way too easy compared to today's climbing standard, modern climber are climbing much difficult route than 5.7, meaning 5.9 is beginner level, 5.12 intermediate, 5.13 or above is considered skilled... so no one likes to climb easy 5.7 with risk of life...

Of course the first developer's style and intention had to be respected, perhaps, preserved, but this is not enjoyable nor attractive. The "Easy-but-far-away-bolt" route is least enjoyable route, to be very precise. If it is ever justified, it is when you climb at the first ascent.

If you are a today's average free climber or sport climber who enjoy climbing for fun, not for adrenaline rush, showing how bold you are to the others or some crazy heroism, such as to show how death wishing you are like in Kamikaze pilot..., you don't enjoy this kind of routes.

So this is the great gap between new generation and old generation...  Old generation insist on that,  it is "our tradition". Is it so???

I had a big question so I went to check about it to Nagasaki and visited war memorial museums too.  

And my conclusion, is "yes", it is in us, but that is the exact cause which led all of Japanese citizen in a bad consequence in WWII. So we should not repeat the tradition. 

I had already done this scary route led 1st, 3rd 5th pitches and were very scared...(my record is here:  https://allnevery.blogspot.com/2020/07/mtmenpoko-in-sobo-katamuki-mountain.html : Japanese
https://allnevery.blogspot.com/2018/04/blog-post_42.html)

My experience of climbing in Laos had involved no scare like this... in Japanese route, you can be killed even with best belayer, and no matter what grade you climb, even though you are a 5.14 climber, you can fall in 5.7 since it is outdoor, tiny bugs or a snail or whatever.... can scare you or things could happen...

New climber trying to protect themselves by getting a higher climbing skill, like trying to get a better climbing skill, since if you don't fall, you really don't need a rope. (actually this is "the" situation...rope useless,  so literally the climbers climbing these routes are same as climbing free solo) but you never get rid of fear... since the risk is not actually covered by being a 5.12 climber to climb 5.7 route... the risk is something else that can not covered by climbing skill itself, even rope does not cover the risk, if the bolts are too far...

There has been the death accidents in this crag too, and it is a beautiful white granite hills... like in Insubong, but it is the least enjoyable, also unreasonable crag ever I met. 

Why it became so? Because guys wanted to death withing style, and that is what gives adrenaline dose to them...

Certainly not for me!

Related articles:
Sobo Katamuki Mountaine Range
https://allnevery.blogspot.com/2019/02/sobo-katamuki-mountain-range.html  

Nagasaki Tour; To check why Japanese climbers are death wishing

Nagasaki Tour

I wanted to go to Nagasaki for two reasons...

No.1 was to see, the consequence of WWII... Japan had rebuilt the country from literally wreck... then 80's flourish came, and the lost 10 years we say, young people were kicked out of the job market...in sake of saving dad's generation's jobs... then another 20 years void came... the local businesses were left go out of business...instead Global companies came. This made every town of Japan look similar... Ion Shopping mole, Convenience stores, Chain restaurants instead of traditional local restaurants... same in Hotels... so the local city had lost its character...for trip-wise, it is sooooo boring...

Just few month ago, I met Nikki from Detroit, who had just moved to Fukuoka, in a few block away from my place, and this time, me and Nikki, and Lisa from South Africa, who were visiting Nikki went to Nagasaki to see, Atomic bomb museum... so taking my foreign friends are No2 reason, since it is my obligation as an English speaking Japanese to guide them to the history, also introducing to a balanced view of what happened in Nagasaki.

To my surprise, the atomic bomb museum was re-created to give less impact of how miserable the war victims were, like the people walking with their burned skin hanging... and to go into the water dying... 

I had a such a mental shock when I learned about these facts when I was in Junior high-school... but there were no such display anymore in the museum... I thought the exhibit became sooo mild... in a way, laundered... so Atomic bombing seem small... than actually was.

After viewing night view from Inasa yama... we went to a local standing bar, and sad thing was, a man was trying to convince me that in WWII, Japan was trying to save South Asian Countries from colonization from the West... That is true, but you can NOT ban violence with violence, can we?

So I learned there are strong mentality in young Japanese male citizen that they still think Japan should play a policeman in Asia... arrogance in us. 

In my point of view, those countries are capable enough to think what's best to their countries... also, nowadays they are the one flourishing not us...  

The black and white thinking... such as any EAST is good and any WEST is bad...  kind of thinking... is too childish... There are good Americans and bad Americans, just like there are bad Japanese and Good Japanese... you can not divide people in two by color or where you belong...

The worse is that  Japanese people blame the westernization for misbehavior of fellow Japanese. But in my observation, it is originating from our own.

Japanese male female relationship is somewhat weird.. women are expected to let her happiness second of men... men seem to think its the way it is... just like kids expect their mom to put him first... I feel awkward about this while I climb with Japanese young man...i.e. I am always belaying and there is no return belay to me from them... ? I am not your mom, is my word. But they seem not to notice.

Those kids became young man, and the young man became the matured man and they all seem to do the same... perhaps, the Japanese army in the WWII had the same mantelity... they can put their own ego first and they can put the other people's happiness second... that's the habit... so no one thought it is the wrong doings... the consequence? The Atomic bomb and the suffering of 40 to 50 years after the war... still "male"(in western, "the while male") put their merit first and flourish at the cost of young people and woman (in western "minority") sacrifice in our society. 

We haven't changed a bit.

This is what I learned in my trip to Nagasaki this time.

セカンドレイプ的な… 男性との健全な関係性を築くという課題？？？？

セカンドレイプ的な…　男性との健全な関係性を築くという課題？？？？
そういえば、ですが、中学のころ、普通に２段ベッドで寝ていたら、誰かが私のお腹を触っていて、目が覚めました…　
見ると、弟の同級生が私のお腹を触っていた！
で、上の段で寝ていた弟を起こして、
姉ちゃんピンチ！
と起こしたのですが…弟（当時1３歳）が子供すぎて頼りにならず…え～何が問題なの～状態でした…
だって夜中に家に他人がいるんだよ？？？
今ねえちゃんがセクハラされてピンチなのに…　しかも犯罪レベル…！！！
弟が頼りにならない…という事例でした。
私がクライミングにおいて、健全な関係を男性のパートナーと構築するのに困難を感じているのは、明らかな問題だと思います…
しかし、この問題は、日本人の男性との間にしか起こらないのです…。
ラオスに行ったとき、トニーは私を助けに来てくれたのでした…イヤイヤ登らされる関係から…　新保さん、いい人なのでしたが、共感力低すぎ、私が嫌がっているのに登れ、って‥（汗）
最近、回ってきた動画で、アメリカの女性議員が男性議員にビッチ呼ばわりされた事件がでていましたが…私が受け取った山岳会でのセクハラは、要するにセクハラしてきたオジサンのおご家族がそれだけ我慢してきている、同じ痛みを年がら年中受けているって意味なのです…
男性たちよ…私にセクハラするって言うことを反省するより、どれだけ身近な女性たちが犠牲を強いられているかということに思いを馳せなさい…って感じでした。
私にセクハラしてきた…同じテントで寝ているのに、”浮気したい”とか”お金がないから浮気できない”とか言ってきた人…
同じことを娘がされて、それでいいんですかね？？？？
私は強力な女性ですから、そんなことされてもやり返すだけですけど…
世の中は私みたいなパワフル女性は少数派で普通は泣き寝入りです…
多分娘さんも・・・・・・

私設インタレストグレード

■　私のインタレストグレード評価軸

この価値軸で、自分のクライマーとしての進化を計れる　５段階評定

１）人との絆で登れたか？　例：メンター
２）地域愛で登れたか？　例：笠置ロック
３）特定の山との因縁を解決できたか？　例：メルー
４）ひたむきな努力を傾けたか？：　例：ドーンウォール
５）生と死の意味に迫ったか？　例：フリーソロ
６）クライミング史の進化に寄与したか？　例：剣点の記
７）チャレンジは十分あったか？　例：アイガー北壁
８）未知への冒険はしたか？　　例：７イヤーズインチベット
９）無駄な死を避けたか？　例：八甲田山
１０）登るとは？という永遠の問いを問い続けたか？　例：クレイジーフォーマウンテン

この評価軸を心に持ちながらクライミングしていると、多様なクライミングの価値を創造していけるかも？

私設インタレストグレードです。

クライミングの価値

クライミングの価値

１）人と人の絆型　例：メンター
２）地域愛　例：笠置ロック
３）特定の山との因縁　例：メルー
４）ひたむきな努力：　例：ドーンウォール
５）生と死　例：フリーソロ
６）人間史の進化　例：剣点の記
７）チャレンジ　例：アイガー北壁
８）冒険　　例：７イヤーズインチベット
９）無駄な死　例：八甲田山
１０）山に登とは何か？という永遠の問い　例：クレイジーフォーマウンテン

他にあるかなぁ…

山岳会で起きた様々な嫌なことの原因を解説

■　山岳会で起きた様々な嫌なことの原因

は、人々がレッドやオレンジ、アンバーのパラダイムにいて、私がグリーンのパラダイムで長年生きてきているからだと思いました…。

※　それぞれのパラダイムがどのようなものかはこちらに解説があります。
　　　https://amzn.to/3hnR6Zb

■　主な事件
俺一高事件　→　学歴自慢　レッドパラダイムの人
セクハラ事件　→　アンバーパラダイムの人
いいとこどり事件　→　アンバーパラダイムの人
コンパニオン事件　→　アンバーパラダイムの人
沢でロープなし事件　→　レッドパラダイムの人
仲間意識事件　→　アンバーパラダイムの人
言う通りしないならもう君とは登らない！事件　→　レッドパラダイムの人

他の人と登ると怒る件　→　レッドパラダイムの人
相手が成長すると自分が不安事件　→　レッドパラダイムの人
人工壁に行くとねちねち怒る師匠　→　オレンジパラダイムの人
登れるクライマーは嫌いなんだよね、という師匠　→　アンバーパラダイムの人
すでに払った会費を返却してもらうのに恩着せ　→　アンバーパラダイムの人

あの子はモノにならない事件　→　オレンジパラダイムの人

というので、これからはうまく対処できそうだ。

ーーーーーーーー
レッドパラダイムにいる人
・他者の感情に気が付かない
・自己中心主義に疑いがない
・上下関係に疑いの心がない
・残虐性に疑いの心がない　恐怖と服従のパラダイム
・恐れに動かされている
・力と逞しさをよりどころにしている
・敵か味方か？
アンバーパラダイムにいる人
・成人の半分
・家父長制を当然として受け入れている
・支配と独占
・男女差別を当然として受け入れている
・自民族中心を当然として受け入れている
オレンジパラダイムにいる人　
・グローバル企業にいる人、企業経営者
・未来に生きているので、現在に感謝しない
・エゴを失う恐れから成功へパラダイムシフトができない
・アカウンタビリティが重要
・正しい正解はない世界という理解
・イノベーション、実力主義、アカウンタビリティ

■　今の私の居所　グリーンパラダイム
・非営利
・人が財産
・公平、平和、協力、コンセンサス　　
・流行を追わない
・ビレッジ志向　
ーーーーーーーーーー

グリーンパラダイムをクライミングでは布教中でしたが、私がアルパインの伝統を受け取るには、アンバーやレッドのパラダイムの人にも沿ってみないと受け取れないわけで…受け取っている間にグリーンパラダイムを伝播しそこねたのは、単に自信がなかったためです。

自信復旧に取り組みます。

選手と子供に同情

■選手と子供に同情

達成のみを褒賞とするオレンジパラダイム…というのが、スポーツクライミングの世界にありがちです。

オレンジパラダイムだと、オリンピックで優勝などの達成があるまでキリがない。クライミングだと世界最高難易度を登るまで、全員が敗者です。

（成功）ＯＲ（挫折感を抱えてメンタルを病んで退場）か？のどちらかの解しか用意されていない世界に、”頑張れ”の掛け声で、子供を追い込むのは、いかがなものか？と思っていました。　

■　フリークライミングとスポーツクライミングの違い

一応、ご存じない方のために言うと、フリークライミングとスポーツクライミングは異なるものです。

フリークライミングから文化的要素を除外し、達成感の喜びだけを抽出し、極度に安全化したものが、スポーツクライミングです。スポーツとしての要素だけのクライミング、と言う意味です。

子どもたちには、文化的側面も、知的なゲームとしてのクライミングの楽しさも、両方を味わえる環境…せめてグリーンパラダイムな世界（多元的な世界）を残してやりたいものです。

クライミングを日本に広めているつもりで、挫折感を抱え、その克服に一生を費やすような大人を大量生産しないようにしたいものです。

■　他スポーツでも多くみられる前例

バレエの世界では、上記のような過ちが多く、３歳などの子どもからバレエを習った人の９割は、三羽の白鳥（つまり主役でない役）で自分の限界を感じ、バレエを辞めた後は、一切バレエとの関係を持たないです。つまり、バレエとの関係を断つ…が、挫折を表現していますね。

■　運動能力が低いとかつて判定された人の穴場

クライミングは、どちらかというと、他の運動で、まったくダメ烙印押された人が、自尊心を回復、というシナリオが多い活動です。

およそ男性らしくない、ひょろっとした（なよっとした？）体格の人に適しています（笑）。

”俺は男だー！”と野郎臭全開の人が登れない課題を、”何が難しいのですか？”と、吹き抜ける、そよかぜのごとく、サラっと登る、さわやか系男子、というのが定番です（笑）。

文字通り、体型も考え方もスマートな方、ぜひトライしてみてください。

杉野保さんのサイト移植先

https://cliff.climbing-instructor.jp/?fbclid=IwAR1ogDz7PBYgnZbthXQovde7r7Bf_jn7CZMf3Gloe__xmj9EeKiO15mVnpw

新月の願い事 日本に健全な市民クライミングをもたらす

■日本に健全な市民クライミングをもたらす

ラオスに行ったら、老若男女問わず、楽しく登るクライミングカルチャーがあって、カルチャーショックを受けた。

初めて６Ｂがオンサイトできたのだが、イギリス人の女性にビレイしてもらった。

でも前の年、各駅停車で行った６Ａの被り課題はやっぱり各駅停車だった…　

ラオスだと一人旅の若者が多く来ていて、４歳の女の子でも登れる。初めてクライミングに触れる人も登れる。法衣のお坊さんすら興味津々でやってきて、誰かに登らせてもらっていた。ごっつい体系の男性も６Ｂでひいひいの人もいる。

どっかぶりの人気課題にはヌンチャクがかけっぱなしで、当然のように残置してあって、チャレンジしても回収の心配はない。

誰の登りがちゃんとしていない、とかそういう互いのスタイルの否定しあいはない。トップロープでしか登れない初心者も登れるような最低のグレードがあり、５．２からある。

要するに、岩場に来るな！と整備のスタイルで、主張していない。日本の岩場は整備のスタイルが来るな！と語っているのである。来る人が減るもの道理だ。

心の広い、広いクライミングがラオスにはあって、そして、つましく質素で、デジタルはなく、牛が草をはむところと人間が登って遊ぶところは同じであり、人類皆兄弟どころか、動物界も皆兄弟みたいな環境だった。

楽園と言う言葉がぴったりだった。

English subtitle! Kasagi Rock : a Japanese bouldering movie

Local Film "Kasagi Rock"

This is highly recommend for any climbers outside of Japan to know what's like bouldering in Japan.

Now in Japan as in the other countries, the number of climbing gyms in the big cities are increasing but people are not quite understanding what's like real rock in the nature.

Nevertheless to say, the real rocks are in outdoors... boulders sit in the rivers that's why it's called boulder. Such a basic but with the language came from the west, as well as the activities, people has so many mixed ups...

So the main character of this movie, came to Kasagi's " Rock Festival", thinking he can play a rock'n'roll, but it was actually "bouldering" rock fes.... He was pleaded to climb by locals so he starts climbing, being attracted by a pretty girl in the town at the same time... and eventually, he grows as a person.

Meanwhile, it describes how Japanese country side are like, they are suffering from decrease of population, loss of industry, but with plenty of nature and good neighborhood feeling and also a long history... Kasagi is a mini town in Kyoto, but it describes what's like in Japanese crags are, in real life too.

I highly recommend to anyone who has no idea about what is like climbing and local towns relationships like... 

this local movie gives you a very good big picture.

クライミングのリスク管理項目 試案

１）事前情報　経験値を聞いても、経験ゼロをベースとする
２）慣れのチェック　高いところ怖い人は怖いし、岩慣れというのは確実にあります
３）見るだけで事前に情報提供　反応を見る
４）簡易体験　いきなりでない安全の高い場所でさせてみる　
５）情報提供　例：登るより降りるほうが難しい
６）模倣させる　
７）タイムリーに情報を与える　例：ロープにつかまるのは一人ずつ　例：ロープは全信頼はできないこと
８）振り返る