Boulder problems

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

[1] https://note.com/rockandcode/n/n5510ab78f582

Jonas Winter:

The sitstart was one of the most famous projects in font, tried by some of the worlds best boulderers until Michiel Nieuwenhuijsen made the first ascent starting on two slopers 1,90 Meters apart and proposed 8c.

A day later Manu Cornu repeated the line using another hold for the for right hand, because he does not have the span for Michael's beta and proposed an upgrade to 8c+

I definitely think Manus starting position is harder than the version of the first Ascent and mine, but font legend Nico Pelorson grabbed the third ascent using this beta and suggested an downgrade from 8c+ to 8b+ 🤯

My beta will only add to the confusion, as i dont do any move the same way as the others.

Using two slopers at my maximum span (191 cm) I come into a hard, really fun dyno to the final jug, which is further and harder than the dyno you do in the 7c+ jumpstart (I did not find a way to get in the position of the original last dyno using my beta for the sit).

Giving my opinion on the grade is hard, as I climbed a completly different sequence than the 3 ascensionist before me. [...]

So for me, it is just obvious that this Boulder, like many others, is a totally different challenge for different bodysizes and putting a number on it for everybody makes no sense and often is misleading, when judging an individual effort.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/DGgYNWNNkgK/

One of the most iconic and compelling highballs in the world. Initially graded 8C, but now considered a contender for the world's first 8C+ boulder.

The peak of old school, vert micro crimping? One of the hardest problems in the UK when it was established and rarely repeated to this day.