Rei Kawamata completes the 5th dan/V14 climb of "Takaki Goza"

Climber Rei Kawamata climbed the 5th grade/V14 "Takaki Mikura" at Mizugaki Boulders in Suwama Town, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture .

Kawamata posted the following thoughts on his Instagram:

" I was able to climb the high throne, which was my homework. I had been stopping by on my way home from somewhere for a while, but I had been stuck there for a long time, so I'm happy I was able to climb it. I was really bad at it,...
It was really cold today❄︎

Posted by: rei.kawamata

On the difficulty of climbing

In climbing, each route has a number called a "grade" that indicates the difficulty.
For example, in Japan there are the following classifications:

• ~ Level 6 (for beginners) → Large footholds and handholds make it easy to climb
• Level 1 to Level 4 (for intermediate players) → The grips are small, so strength and technique are required
• First dan to third dan and above (for advanced climbers) → Quite difficult, even professionals may not be able to climb it

People tend to think that climbing is about "you can climb if you have strong muscles," but in fact "balance," "movement ingenuity," and "endurance" are also important. The more difficult the route, the more you need to use your body and your brain, not just your muscles.

If you'd like to try it for yourself, you can do it safely at your local bouldering gym.