Rokudo 8C and four 8B+'s in a week by Nomura Shinichiro

Shinichiro Nomura has had an extreme week doing Rokudo 8C and Meikyoshisui 8B+ in Toyamagawa as well as another three 8B+'s: Oxalis and Geisha in Okutama and Tokoyo in Ena. In total, the 159-cm-tall has now done nine 8C's. He has previously said that one goal for him is to make moves that are said to be impossible being short, in order to give hopes for those who don’t have long reach. Asking him for personal grades of the boulders he did, he thinks 7C+ for Oxalis and 8C for Tokoyo although both are 8B+. Interestingly, Nomura has 1.5 hours to the nearest bouldering area but four hours to any good one with hard boulders remaining.

Geisha (8B+/V14), 2nd ascent
It took two hours to make it. This route is originally Ryuichi Murai’s project and I sent it just after Ryuichi did the FA. In this line, we need both crimp and pinch skills, so it’s great different challenges.

Oxalis(8B+/V14) 3rd ascent
This is the route that Dai Koyamada just recently made the FA of. The requirement to send matches my climbing style, so I just needed about 15min. The crux is a tremendously hard gaston move. Depending on being good at gaston moves or not, the feeling of the difficulty would change a lot. It is located by the riverside, so it’s always slippery thus really stressful.

Meikyoshisui 8B+/V14
It is one of the great roof boulders in Japan. The first half of the boulder to solve is about a V13 roof, followed by a V10 mantle which becomes the crux as well. Anyway, the huge scales and the composition of the route is really awesome, so I’m happy to send it.

Rokudo 8C/ V15, 2nd Ascent This line shares the start of the lower part of Meikyoshisui. A few hours after having done Meikyoshisui, I sent Rokudo as well. Dai Koyamada accomplished this boulder for the first time in 2016 and at the same time, it was said to be the hardest boulder in Japan. As for its reputation, it looks really difficult so I thought I couldn't have done it. However, I could do it, hence I am so excited.

Tokoyo 8B+/V14
It took four days. For me having a short reach, I really feel like it’s impossible. I have been considering and training how to use my reach effectively, and these activities result in the success of improving my technical and physical terms, which leads to the top of Tokoyo. The ascent would be the happiest things ever in my climbing life. It is not more to say so.