UKC

On the recent BMC International meet in Cornwall, visiting Japanese climber Toru Nakajima made several impressive ascents.

Here we see him climbing solo on the technical arete of Storms Over Africa - E6 6b.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=55152

In reply to UKC News:
Hi UKC News,

Not wanting to put a dampener on what looks like an excellent visit by some fine young climbers, but I do have to make a couple of facts clearer. Firstly Andy did not do the first ascent of 29 Palms in any style of ascent. He knows this as we had this discussion below the route over the years he was top-rope practicing the line. I made the first ascent with rurps and blades/replaced with drilled out unfortunately fatter stainless, Mike Owen did the second ascent with these pegs replaced I repeated my route without any pegs or use of the holes when smaller cams became available. I did not use the holes for holds or protection. Congrats to Toro on his ascent.

Secondly, Tears of a Clown has not had a second ascent as far as I know. All ascents have gone up Ace of Spades to the break and then stepped left. Tears' goes left off the small ledge "immediately" and makes the crux move to the break. The gear is only a wrong way around small nut on the ledge, and is very rippable. Ground-fall potential. Going up and then left misses out the crux of the route and the E7 grade.

Great article though and good to see Cornwall in your news page.

All the bet
Mark

In reply to M. Edwards:

Apologies: I meant to say "Toru" of course.

In reply to UKC News:

Wow, cool to see little old Cribba on a bigger stage.

Bit of a dull video though.

we all know Mark Edwards style of ascent down here, maybe Andy longs wasn't too far off the mark???

In reply to Southern Man:


In what way was that dull. It was totally gripping. Especially at 1:37. The kid is superb and its great to see Cornish granite in the news.

In reply to eggburt1952:

This is not the time or the place. Especially rich seeing as you're hiding behind a non-profile.

In reply to UKC News: I'm sure he's stalking me all the way from Japan! Me and wifey watched him cruise Gaia (E8) and practice Meshuga (E9) last year.....now after we've spent our first weekend in at Bosigran and Chair Ladder in years, he's back!
Really, reallly chuffed to hear he's been over and sampled, in my opinion, some of the best climbing that UK offers.

In reply to M. Edwards:

"By 1987, Mark Edwards was reaching the highest levels of technical achievement. Sennen's Black Zawn area produced his 29 Palms, a technical masterpiece"

From the CC Bosi guide of your old best mate, Des Hannigan, no less!

Hope all's well with you and the family, Mark.

In reply to UKC News: ]

The real question is has the hanging arete in the foreground been climbed?! Looks insane!

In reply to Will Hunt:

Agreed. That prow looks amazing.

In reply to jonny2vests:

don't mean to be funny, but isn't this entirely the time AND the place?

Congrats to Toru, that looked awesome, E7 with Jet lag surely!

In reply to Will Hunt:

It has, insane is right!

Pre-Marital Tension E8 6c, one of Mr Edwards' above.

In reply to M. Edwards:



Second that, Mark. I wish Cornwall and your stunning routes got more attention (I think most level headed and historically knowledgeable people immediately recognized the "mistake" in the opening sentence of the third top tick). They certainly deserve heaps of attention. I've spent many a glorious day climbing easier lines in the neighbourhood of your outstanding routes. Another place I wish I could program into my jaunt belt.

Cheers, Karl

In reply to jonny2vests:

I was probably a bit unfair there. Just that I love Cribba and it's such a beautiful place, just a shame not to show the route in context. Fair play to the guy for getting the footage though, after all, he's probably just his mate or something.


The kid is superb and its great to see Cornish granite in the news.


No argument there

In reply to Silum:

No, sod off and make your own thread if you want to bitch about something that is in no way relevant to this topic.

In reply to Southern Man:

Fair enough, not been to Cribba, I'll have to take your word for it.

In reply to UKC News: More on this story here:

http://www.javu.co.uk/Climbing/News/index.shtml

In reply to jonny2vests:

here here, bloody non profilers! anyhow, anyone who knows mark, and has followed his immense contribution to british climbing,(along with his dad), especially down kernow, can ignore the idiots that allways seem to know better! i remember watching him climb `The Red Rose`, before someone mutilated it, his talents were such, that cheating is not something he`d ever need to do! thats enough of that now however, or he will need a bigger hat! hello mark if your reading, Glyn the photographer is me brother, long time no see, hope all is well.

In reply to jonny2vests:

K, let me know when I can come back.

In reply to UKC News:

Hi again,

Just a further small point. The description to Storms Over Africa reads:

Storms Over Africa E6 6b
The arete is sustained and very bold. Climb the slanting crack (Toru clearly does too, and is unavoidable) to join the arete. Layback directly up using small crystals on the left to stay in balance. (Note: It is only the left of the arete is mentioned. The description then goes on to say in brackets...) (It is possible to use a thin crack just left of the next route (Boysen's Cracks) to finish; this reduces the grade to E5 6a)

Clearly Toru has climbed the E5 6a variation in the video. Storms Over Africa stays on the left of the arete all the way to the top.

Note also: The peg at one third height was eliminated by me when I repeated my route soon after making he first ascent.

All said, I really enjoyed the video of Toru on this arete, he is a talented climber and I hope he will return to climb the other aretes to the left... Question Mark and both sides of the Pre-marital Tension arete too.

I thought I should mention the above, just for historical accuracy and help your very good report. Thanks again.

Mark