Ode to a Sadistic Bouldering Wall...

Our university has a very convenient sports hall and gym, known as Gotenshita Memorial Arena [御殿下記念館], not only does it hold a swimming pool, as small roped climbing wall, but in the gym; with all the running machines, exercise bikes, yoga balls, horse-riding simulators (yeah, I know, sounds a little obscure, but it's very popular in Japan, free-weights, training equipment, there lies a small bouldering wall. Oh yeah, and the whole complex lies underground. In particular, under a football field (soccer or サッカー).

Now, the Gotenshita is very good value for money. You can either pay a day ticket; 500 yen (if you're a student of Todai [東大] OR, get your arse down to a photo booth, then go to the office and buy a one year pass for 8000 yen, or a half year pass (the price of which escapes me for economic reasons). So, your 40quid gives you the equivalent to unlimited access to the gym, sports halls, showers, swimming pool, climbing walls (IF you're trained to use them - or in my case, just chat to people who are allowed to use them and have key access and get in anyway), and training sessions in a variety of activities, such as: Yoga, TaiChi, Savat, Aerobic Kickboxing, Pool Aerobics....the timetable is pretty packed, and I can't really remember any more off the top of my head. Anyway, it's a great facility even if it's a little dusty and the architect had an obsession with concrete...but hey! I doubt I can get access to these kind of facilities anywhere else, for that price.

Enough about that. What I really wanted to talk about was the evil little bouldering wall in the gym room. When I first arrived and I enrolled to use the bouldering wall, I had a little play during the entirely Japanese induction, and the easiest few routes were a piece of piss... so, I'd usually warm up on the slope then head to the over-hanging part and play with that. Some really interesting problems. After a few months, for some unknown reason, the routes seemed to be getting harder. Odd, i thought. I've been climbing pretty regularly, AND my technique is getting worse?!....ahhhh crap!

Found out that periodically they change the angle of inclination of the wall. bastards. There's a rather innocent looking winch to the right wall of the bouldering wall, and a suspicious inclination marker taped onto the side of the wall. For the past 4 months or so it had been on105 degrees. which was not too bad, as the less-over-hanging side of the wall was definitely still do-able, and the over-hang was just more challenging.

I come back after several months of not bouldering, and try a few things I know I should be able to do, and fail a bit. Weeeeell....haven't been climbing for a while... that's why....errrr NO! I was more suspicious, when I tried climbing the routes I knew were easy, and they were really strained too. WHAT?!?!??! SO, I had a peek at the inclinometer thingy. 115degrees. 10 degrees extra was killing me!

I'm SOOoooooo going to have to practice my over-hang technique.