At Hinokage Boulder in Hinokage Town, Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture,
Climber Toshiaki Takeuchi has successfully completed the 5th grade V14/15 "Bailout."

Takeuchi posted the following thoughts on his Instagram:

" I went on a trip to Kyushu at the beginning of the year. There were lots of rocks I wanted to climb, and after climbing four in a row and taking a day off due to rain, I finally managed to climb Bailout, which looked like it would be possible to do, on the last day.
It was freezing cold, the rocks were slippery, my fingers were skinned and bleeding from the attempt, the problem was a full package consisting of two parts, I was so numb I couldn't even tell what I was holding onto on the top three steps, but I managed to reach the top by climbing on the very edge.

Also, on the second day of the tour, he completed the V12/4th Dan climb of "Antigravity."

Posted by: toshi__takeuchi

Wearing: Iggy Pants, Beige

On the difficulty of climbing

In climbing, each route has a number called a "grade" that indicates the difficulty level.
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 sometimes cannot climb

People tend to think that climbing is about "being strong," 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 want to try it for yourself, you can do it safely at your local bouldering gym.