Go Climb Something!!!
No matter where the journey takes you, do not forget your camera and climbing shoes.
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Life On The Move
New Mizugaki Boulders
It seems that at least two times a month I have a title that in some way is related to this title. But it is true. Almost every time Jack and I go out we find new rad boulders. This time it was Jack who found the boulders while I was in Hawaii. When I came back to Japan and called him the first thing he wanted to know was if there were any new FAs on the Arch. The second was that he found some killer boulders at Mizugaki. I was not surprised due to the simple fact that that area is laden with perfect, large, untouched granite. Just see what Nalle and Jason say about Mizugaki.
This past Monday I met up with a New Orleans climber, who was in Japan on vacation, and headed to Mizugaki to meet up with Jack. Monday is a daddy-day-care day so I had Gavin in tow as well. We arrived to the parking lot with perfect conditions. Actually as midday rounded out it was a bit warm. We hiked the 2 minute hike in and set up the pack-n-play for Gavin and we started to clean granite. Jack had previously cleaned a problem that he thought would be very tough, but only turned out to be V6. I shouldn’t say it so nonchalantly, it turned out to be my project in this area.
The first boulder we cleaned was one that seemed to have easier problems on it. The boulder cleaned fast because of the quality of the stone and played on a fun V2 that moves through a low traverse to a crack that shallows out to a shark fin, it’s namesake. After warming up and trying to keep Gavin occupied we started on Jack’s problem next.
Jack’s problem moves through some small sloper crimps to a long dead point move that goes at a stiff V5. The moves after follow a shallow crack to a rounded crimp match. from there you throw out to a sloper side pull with no feet. Does it sound like fun yet? The crux is a scary, dirty mantle 12 feet off of the uneven ground. I was only able to made it to the rounded crimp. Jack sent after a couple of tries.
There are about seven climbable boulders in this unnamed sector and the two problems I mentioned are by far unique in terms of moves and features that would warrant three stars at any bouldering area.
I am planing on heading back this Sunday, but of course I will have to wait and see about the crazy Japanese weather as of late.
Thanks to Jack and Anthony for popping off a few photos of me.
Go Climb Something!!!!
