Climbing History
A selected history of climbing and mountaineering through the climbers, climbs and media.
4233 Climbers
8183 Climbs
21830 Ascents
Featured
Kakusei | 8B+ Boulder problem at Ogawayama
One of the hardest slab problems in the world. The impeccably smooth Fukano Slab ("impossible slab") was one of the last great problems in Ogawayama bouldering, initially solved by Toshimichi Kusano's Zutsu (8B), which starts centrally and traverses off left.
After many seasons of effort, climbing ground up and without a pad, Tokio Muroi filled the remaining lines on the slab Bansosha (8B) and Fuminsho (8B), before turning his attention to completing the obvious straight-up finish to Zutsu. He eventually succeeded in the wintery depths of December 2007, creating Kakusei – an achievement that went largely unnoticed outside Japan.
The problem came to wider attention in 2023 when other problems made claims to be the world's hardest slab and Yuki Miyashita's 2021 video of his extraordinary efforts to repeat the climb was discovered.
The line was subject of some controversy in Japan c.2020 after repeats were claimed where the climber drifted onto slightly easier ground to the left. It was later clarified by first ascensionist Tokio Muroi that a sloper on Zutsu was out. It’s not known if all the repeats before the clarification followed the strict line. [1]
References
One of the hardest slab problems in the world. The impeccably smooth Fukano Slab ("impossible slab") was one of the last great problems in Ogawayama bouldering, initially solved by Toshimichi Kusano's Zutsu (8B), which starts centrally and traverses off left.
After many seasons of effort, climbing ground up and without a pad, Tokio Muroi filled the remaining lines on the slab Bansosha (8B) and Fuminsho (8B), before turning his attention to completing the obvious straight-up finish to Zutsu. He eventually succeeded in the wintery depths of December 2007, creating Kakusei – an achievement that went largely unnoticed outside Japan.
The problem came to wider attention in 2023 when other problems made claims to be the world's hardest slab and Yuki Miyashita's 2021 video of his extraordinary efforts to repeat the climb was discovered.
The line was subject of some controversy in Japan c.2020 after repeats were claimed where the climber drifted onto slightly easier ground to the left. It was later clarified by first ascensionist Tokio Muroi that a sloper on Zutsu was out. It’s not known if all the repeats before the clarification followed the strict line. [1]
References
Pics + Vids
Featuring 10599 pictures and videos. Try searching for a climber, climb or summit to see pics and videos.
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Explore
Fancy a look around? You can browse by climber or by climbs, or you can check out some lists. For example
- All sport ascents of 9b or above
- British women who have climbed 7C or above
- British men who have climbed 8c or above
Podcasts
Featuring 4292 podcasts. Try searching for a climber to see podcasts with them, or check out some of these podcasts:
- Matt Fultz on The Nugget (2020)
- Bernd Zangerl on The Nugget (2023)
- Niall Grimes on Jam Crack Podcast (2023)
- Beth Rodden on The RunOut Podcast (2024)
Library
Featuring 16134 items in the library. Try a search to see what you can find, or check out these library items:
- Hard Rock: the Life and Climbs of Ken Wilson (2017) Film
- Alpine Journal 1969 108-122 Maden Logans (1969) Journal
- Southern Culm Bouldering (2013) Guidebook
Recent updates
First of the grade. 5 sessions, but only settled on crux sequence on final session. Aged : 13
Potentially a contender for the hardest technical boulder in the world? [1]
References
References
Legendarily the strongest of the 1970s-1980s Frankenjura climbers and boulderers. His particular style - he enjoyed working individual moves of routes, often on top-rope, with little interest in redpointing - means he is credited with few first ascents. Nethertheless he was one of the catalysts of the explosion in standards in German climbing of the 1980s.
References
Legendarily the strongest of the 1970s-1980s Frankenjura climbers and boulderers. His particular style - he enjoyed working individual moves of routes, often on top-rope, with little interest in redpointing - means he is credited with few first ascents. Nethertheless he was one of the catalysts of the explosion in standards in German climbing of the 1980s.
References
Legendarily the strongest of the 1970s-1980s Frankenjura climbers and boulderers. His particular style - he enjoyed working individual moves of routes, often on top-rope, with little interest in redpointing - means he is credited with very few first ascents. Nethertheless he was one of the prime movers of the explosion in standards in German climbing of the 1980s.
References
Legendarily the strongest of the 1970s-1980s Frankenjura climbers and boulderers. His particular style - he enjoyed working individual moves of routes, often on top-rope, with little interest in redpointing - means he is credited with very few first ascents. Nethertheless he was one of the prime movers of the explosion in standards in German climbing of the 1980s.
Legendarily the strongest of the 1970s-1980s Frankenjura climbers. His particular style - he enjoyed working individual moves of routes, often on top-rope, with little interest in redpointing - means he is credited with very few first ascents. Nethertheless he was one of the prime movers of the explosion in standards in German climbing in the 1980s.