I just returned today from a 3-day trip to Joyama. I organized the event through the outdoor club, but the first meet up was really a mash-up: I sent everyone an email the night before changing the meeting time, so one member left 2 hours early, while I accidentally showed up even later than I had wanted to. In the end, everyone took separate trains to Mishima, where we all met up. From there, we took a taxi to go grocery shopping, then rode it up to the top of the hiking trail, where we camped.
This was "real" camping: no toilet, no running water, no electricity.
Anyway, that first day we did manage to find at least one probable climbing area, and we also ran into a group a climbers who gave us a photocopy of part of a decent guidebook, which we used throughout the rest of the trip. After cooking dinner, we went to bed early.
The second day was hair-raising, for me at least. I partnered up with Michi and I on-sighted (a climbing term for successfully climbing a route the first try) a pretty easy route. It wasn't shown on either of the guides, so I'm not sure what it is actually rated. Meanwhile, our two other club members decided to climb a wall that was clearly too difficult: there was almost no possibility to get to the top. Stupidly, I switched places with one of them, and helped them get a little higher up this impossible wall, then went back and climbed with Michi for a bit. Again, stupidly, I went back to the impossible wall and got even higher up before getting too tired/scared. At this point, I had a bunch of gear stuck on the wall: at least 2 quickdraws, which is about $40 worth of equipment. After walking around for a bit trying to find a way to the top that didn't involve climbing, we gave up and I preceded to do some really stupid dangerous stuff because I didn't want to lose $40. In the end, nobody was hurt, nobody died, and I only had to leave one 'biner on the wall (which didn't really matter because it was a 'biner I'd found an another rock climbing wall last year), but I was really shaken by it all the same.
After another good dinner and early-to-bed-early-to-rise routine, we went to a different wall which had been recommended to us on the very first day. It turned out to be just perfect, for me at least. Still jittery from the day before, I top roped the first two climbs, then switched to lead climbing, and on-sighted a 5.10a, and two 5.10b's. In the gym, I frequently top rope 5.10a, b, and c's, and have successfully completed some 5.10d's on occasion. but lead climbing outside is a different beast, at least for me. For one, on certain parts of the wall, you can get acute attacks of agoraphobia because suddenly it is just you and the rock, and this gi-normous sky: you've climbed above the trees, and it feels like you could fall off the edge of the world. Second, you've got the wind, the dust, and the fungus and mold that make climbing outside interesting. Last, is just the fact that you're lead climbing: until you clip into the next bolt, if you fall you're going to fall back to the previous bolt. Maybe it is only 1 meter or 2 meters, but it can be dangerous and is definitely scary.
The rest of the day, we spent looking for the next climbing area, and spent at least an hour first going down an incredibly dangerous rope trail, then, after discovering that it ended in a 20m descent straight down a cliff face with only a rickety rope ladder for safety (and everyone carrying a heavy pack of climbing gear), backtracking to the main path.
That night, we were running low on water, gas for our cooking stoves, food, and energy, so me and Michi decided we'd head back after breakfast the next day. Our climbing partners hadn't had quite enough, so they decided to head to the coast to see Jogasaki, which Michi and I went to last November. On our way back to Tokyo, we stopped by an onsen, which was amazing. After sleeping on a mat for 3 nights, constantly carrying 15kg of climbing gear up and down a mountain, and not showering for 3 days, a good shower and a long soak in the hot water just melted the tension and knots from my body.
So, I'm back in Tokyo. Tomorrow we're still on vacation, so Michi and I plan on heading to where else but an outdoor sports shop. She still frequently has to borrow pieces of climbing equipment (and would like her own), needs new hiking shoes, etc, and I'd like to pick up a special brush to clean my rope, and maybe some more slings, and a 'biner or two.
Cheers,
