Japanese bouldering and trad climbing phenomenon Toru Nakajima recently made the first free solo ascent of Japan's highest waterfall, Shomyo Falls (350m) in Toyama. Sawanobori is the Japanese art of climbing a mountain river to its source, involving scrambling up gullies, ravines and waterfalls. As a sport, sawanobori has been practised for over 100 years, but rivers have long played a crucial role in Japan's mountainous jungle regions as the paths of least resistance for transit. Waterfalls are also sacred places in Japan, believed to be the dwellings of gods.
I'd seen the previous video on Sawanobori and thought "that's not for me".
So watched this one thinking, ok, bit risky, wet, possibly cold, etc.
Then he did that "splash crux", FM that looked crazy, more like "torrent crux". Difficult to see the actual angle and size of holds but even so, that was a fair bit of water (and not steady flow) that was landing on him.
Seriously though that was harrowing f*cking watching for anyone who's had the feeling of beeing caught out on an esoteric Lakeland scramble in the damp.
At that point I really WAS wondering whether he was shod in ordinary Air Tommies or whether he'd slashed the soles to give himself a bit more grip in the wet (going to the equivalent of F1 `cut slicks' or intermediates, although full wets wouldn't have been out of order!)
The hype machine was being wound up by "Team America" around the time of his visit so his exploits here went more under the radar than they should have
It's tricky with the translation, but I interpret that he looks back on his grit ascents as risks he would no longer view as acceptable ('young blood'). This is pretty much what I felt at the time. Outrageously audacious ascents by a talented climber. But the sort of thing that could never be sustained for any length of time before coming to serious grief.
Fri Night Vid Finding Focus - Life Behind The Lens of a Climbing Photographer
This week's Friday Night Video is a portrait of a prolific climbing photographer from Wedge Climbing. Sam Pratt is well known in both the outdoor and competition scene but if you haven't heard of him, you've likely seen...