Wow what a vacation! I just got back from my camping/rock climbing trip to Ogawayama. Getting there itself was quite the adventure. I got up slightly later than I intended, and missed first my local train into Shinjuku, then just missed the express train as it was starting to pull away from the station. Like an idiot, I ran after it for 20 or 30 feet with my 20kg bag full of tent, sleeping bag, climbing gear and food. It certainly wasn't how I envisioned the trip beginning.
I caught the next train, which was full of people with similar ideas as me and my companions: getting out of Tokyo for a few days, so I got to stand for the first 1.5 hours. I met up with Patrick and Ayako from the outdoor club at the next major stop, and we arrived at Shinano-kawakami (try saying that 3 times fast) together. After that, we took a bus to get closer to the campsite, but were still about 45-60 minutes away. We walked about 1 km, and then hitchhiked the last leg in the back a service vehicle. After arriving in the campsite, setting up camp, we went out to find some climbing places.
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| From Ogawayama |
I said in my last post that Ogawayama is the premier climbing spot in Japan, and there is good reason for that: there is tons of rock, everywhere you look. Only some of it is bolted, and some used to be in good shape, but now features rusty bolts or rock covered with moss and fungus, making it unclimbable unless you are spider-man. And for beginners like two of the people on the trip, and even for people with experience (but still lacking certain skills or strength like me or Patrick), there are maybe only 30-40 routes that are real options, which is still twice the number of most other places. The problem for us that first day, and in fact everyday, was finding which areas featured good climbing for us, and actually finding those areas.
Unlike Yugawara, Great Falls, or even Harrisonburg, the climbing areas of Ogawayama are spread over 20-30sq km, so just getting from the campsite to a likely climbing spot often proved difficult. Sometimes we'd walk past the entrance of a climbing trail, or end up farther downstream or upstream of our intended climbing spot.
Anyway, continuing the day's trend of misfortune, on the very first climb (a lead 5.11, by the way), I fell while trying to reach the 4th bolt and twisted my ankle. Later in the day on a different rock, I fell while trying to lead a 5.10d and twisted the same ankle. Although it hurt, it didn't seem too bad, so when we finally found a nice 5.8, I climbed that with no problems. By the time we got back to the camp, I could barely walk and was almost crying from the pain. I was afraid I had broken my ankle, and I couldn't remember any sprain that had hurt that much. The worst I've done to my legs is hyper-extend my knees a few times, but that shuts you down immediately. I've never had an injury that felt OK while I was using it, then suddenly starts hurting when you aren't using that body part anymore.
I soaked my ankle in the bathroom sink in cold water for 30 minutes, took 800mg of Ibuprofen, and wrapped it in the remains of an old T-shirt which I sacrificed for my ankle.
The next morning I still had a limp, but I could walk, so I went with Patrick and Ayako to a beginner's rock 2km from the camp down a road. They both climbed 4-5 times each on slightly different routes before I felt comfortable climbing on my ankle. No falls, and only slight pain. We then went back to camp to meet another member who had decided to arrive a day late. (Actually, we ate lunch, and unsuccessfully tried to find another climbing spot, then came back to met her.) By then, it was 4PM and we went back to the beginner's rock before returning to camp and making dinner. I believe it was that evening that a Japanese man and woman approached me and asked if I'd like to be a model. Yes, me a model. The guy said he was an assistant photographer for a magazine, and they were looking for experienced climbers to shoot for a climbing theme. Anyway, I gave him my contact info, so we'll see. The pay sounds good, but it is during my normal working hours. I could actually skip my normal work, be a model for a day, and still come out ahead, but not by very much.
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| From Ogawayama |
So ended our second day of rock climbing. Our 3rd day was amazing. We headed for a spot which someone in the camp office had said was good for beginners and climbed the hell out of it. We began with Gama Slab, a long-ish stretch of rock that has a heavy less-than-vertical tilt to it, so with good climbing shoes you're basically walking up a steep incline. Still fun, but not very challenging. Right next to that, there were about 10-15 more routes, 5-6 of which we attempted, including a tricky lead 5.10a-d(can't remember the exact grade) and a freakishly long and dirty lead 5.10a. The lead 5.10a was 30m long, and we had a 60m rope: just enough to let me come down from the top. I led both of those climbs, and established anchors at the top so Patrick, Ayako, and Michi could top-rope them. We lost Ayako that day, as she had to return to Tokyo, so it was down to 3 again.
The final day, we went to a spot near Gama Slab which Patrick and I had scouted the previous day. There was only one route that looked doable, so we did it. Patrick found access to the top from the backside, and set up a top-rope for us. This was really nice, because I don't think I could have led it, at least not the first time.
Below is a video of me climbing it (5.10a-ish) for the 4th and last time. When Patrick says "Nice move" that is because I just made a nice move: the hand holds in that area are not very big and not very comfortable to hold, and I practically did a pull-up on them. This is probably the most fun route that I climbed: not so difficult that I couldn't even start/finish it, but challenging enough that it is interesting and I can feel a pleasant ache in my arms afterwards.
After that, we returned to Gama slab and climbed one of the routes which was occupied for the whole time we had climbed there the previous day, and I led that climb, so the others could top-rope it. After that, Michi and I closed down camp, and hitchhiked all the way back to the station with this retired science teacher who first took us to his house and gave us coffee and lettuce, in addition to giving us a geological history of the area, which is apparently known as the Japanese Yosemite.
Above: Michi and I eating raw carrots on the train. I guess most Japanese people think eating raw carrot is weird, but we like it.
So that was my trip to Ogawayama.
Cheers,
