Buying Outdoor Gear, Ikebukuro

We were looking for a place to buy outdoor gear in Tokyo, and were hoping that we wouldn't have to trek all the way down to Harajuku [原宿] or Shinjuku [新宿] for ICI (Ishii) Sports, or the big sports shops like Victoria or L-Breath* (which are rather pricey, but there are lots of these; some specialising in golf, or ski...in Jimbocho [神保町] Ochanomizu[お茶の水], and since we had just been to Calafate (nice for climbing gear and some more specialised mountain wear, like packs and clothes) in Mejiro [目白] and not found a very wide selection of stuff we figured that Ikebukuro must be big enough to have a decent outdoors shop in it somewhere...

Anyway, I used my incredible Japanese skills at the 'Toshima [豊島] Tourist office' near the East exit of Ikebukuro JR station, on the off chance they knew of a outdoor shop somewhere nearby. As luck would have it, the lovely lady behind the counter pointed us to TWO! The closest was on the same (East) side of the station that we were on and not very far away! hurrah! The other was an L-Breath...bahhhhhh.... So we headed off in the direction in which she pointed us...we climbed the stars to the 2nd floor et voila! a decent sized outdoor wear shop and it seemed to have a decent enough selection of stuff and even a climbing gear section.

It's here:
2F Inside 'D-Box', 1-43-6 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013 [〒170-0013, 東京都豊島区,東池袋1-43-6 D-BOX内2F] If you are interested.

*L-Breath seems to be a sister store of Victoria (a sports goods monster) and specialises/focusses on outdoor stuff...mainly being clothes and equipment...well mainly clothes. less of the equipment.

Font 2008

On the 25th of April, fresh from London, we headed to Fontainbleu for a bit of bouldering with Greg, Ronan, Romain and Jesus. I didn't climb much, and when i did climb it wasn't very good either, instead I spent most of the time dozing in the sun lying on rocks; watching lizards and caterpillars...

Look a procession of 70 catapillars!!!

Greg and Jesus sitting on a rock Greg showing his orange feet...

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.

A very cool café

Rei had insisted we do some form of climbing on Sunday, and luckily for me rain was forecast; which meant that I didn’t have to drag myself out of bed at silly-o’clock to get me down to Yugawara. So, to satisfy Rei’s urge to climb we went to Pump2 instead…

When we got to the wall, Rei proclaimed that she would climb 10 tens (5:10’s); she seemed very excited about this. I think she’s just trying to kill me…I just gone climbing on the Wednesday before for the first time in about 2 weeks and I was crap! So I wasn’t really expecting to be able to do much today but see how long it would take me to wear myself out.

Anyway, Rei bounced up and went into her mission with all her energy…we did 5 and to celebrate the halfway mark we had a little break. Up in the rest area, from where there is a nice viewing window to watch all the people doing the viciously high overhangs on ‘tsunami’ from a comfortable position, we had a nice little rest and our usual animated discussions in English attracted some attention as per usual but this time from someone we actually knew. After a little chat we went back to the business of climbing…

Five climbs later and we were both quite happy to get away from the wall…And Rei had been told that a band that she liked were playing at a café half way between where we were and Shinjuku, so we headed off to the Café.

We walked in the rain down a narrow road, lined with little shops, in a very nice little town. Finally we found the entrance to the café besides a book shop, the signs took us winding behind the shop and upstairs to the roof. The metal stairway opened up into an outdoor lounge area. The rain drizzled through the straw-matting which sheltered the space. Directly opposite, you could see the more solid structure of the main part of the café. As you enter, the hatch to the kitchen would be seen through the ordering window. The band was at the furthest wall in the small, dimly lit room. On the bare sheets of wood which were screwed on to the walls were a mixture of brightly coloured paintings of tropical scenes and artistic sketches. The whole room had the perfect atmosphere for the music which followed.

We were just in time to get a small table at the edge of the room, which someone had just vacated, and we perched ourselves down on the dark wooden oblongs that served as seats. There were only about 12 people in the room, including staff, and the café was pretty much full. Rei got down to the serious business of ordering us some food…climbing is hungry work…and not long after she sat back down, the music started. There three in the band, a cellist, guitarist and the lead guy was on a tiny guitar (I don’t know what they are called) and doing the singing too. His voice was perfect, fitting with the chorus from all three instruments and the atmosphere of the café. Obviously the songs were all in Japanese, so understanding what he was actually singing about was practically impossible for me, but the music impressed me nonetheless. The second song, saw the cellist change to a flute and the front man pick up a Sanshin (similar to the Shamisen) Japanese instrument made of snakeskin…(apparently home to the Okinawa region, where snakes are rife and thus the easiest source of animal skin for music making).
Our burgers arrived, and they were delicious! My BLT was perfect and before I knew it Rei had magicked hers away. Anything other than rice is good, after 8months of the stuff everyday.

The band went on to play some Spanish music, also sung in Spanish, which was impressive, with not even a hint of a Japanese accent. And there was a truly brilliant performance by the guitarist during an acoustic solo, which involved a blur of finger movement over his strings.

They had some really attention grabbing songs, which I’m sure would have been catchy too, if I’d understood them. An awesome band in a cool café…

Joyama

It's silly-o'clock again and we're trying to make our way to Shinagawa station to catch the 6:40AM Tokaido train to Mishima...I'm barely awake and once more wondering why I like climbing so much, vaguely contemplating taking up a more stay-at-home hobby, like crotchet or something.


Greg and I find a very tired looking Annalisa ambling up the train station; apparently she didn't sleep since last night because she was up all night at a dinner party (fondue) and when she got home had just enough time to pack her climbing gear and head out to the station to catch our train. When we got on the train we all shoved our bags away then collapsed on to seats to have a sleep. Bill got on at Yokohama, we all had a good little chat to welcome Greg back for his little holiday in Japan, then I got on with the business of sleeping. At Mishima, after a good two hours on the train we had to change to a different line, which was aweful for me because I'd gone into the station on my pasmo card (like the oyster card) and couldn't get out on it. There was a long confusing argument with the station people to work out what we had to do to get me my ticket to get the connecting train. It was all a bit rushed, but we got it in the end. There were some amazing views of Mount Fuji from the train which passed through the flat flood plains of a very wide valley with protuding rocks on either side.

After a taxi ride and a short walk...I say 'walk' I mean a mini trek by wayway standards... and in about half an hour we're at the bottom of the climb, with about 30 other people. It seems that a whole group of friends from a climbing wall have turned out today for a proper outdoor climb. On the bright side we have company at the bottom of the rock and they are all top roping the bottom pitches, so we get ourselves on the multi.

Annalisa and Bill on the 2nd pitch of the multi....this wasn't even the 'small' roof that Bill had been going on about! dammit...I *hate* over hangs...

Greg abseiling (rappelling) off the climb...after he had dropped his belay device off the wall; which, luckily, one of the other climbers had caught.

Apart from the amazing view (and company, of course) there were a lot of very hairy black catapillars all over place... I found a few on my climb itself...mocking me and my inability to climb...and there was an entire bush, at the bottom of the climb, completly infested with the things...

After all the strenous climbing, we headed back to Tokyo, with some beers...at the station, there was a very cunning free, open air onsen thing...very convenient for soaking those tired feet! genius...

climbing excursion

So, it's Friday the 4th of May; Green Day, and what better way to celebrate than getting up at 5am to go to Yugawara for some climbing.

The train is packed by the time it gets to Odawara, and apparently Rei could hear annalisa and I and our animated conversation from a whole crowded, moving and rattling, separated-by-a-solid-glass-door carriage away. ooops.

Today is no ordinary climbing day, we have a very special guest: his name is Max, and he's 6 years old. He is the son of another climber, Mark; and it would seem that they feed their son on amphetamines, because he is the most hyperactive entity that I have ever encountered. If only we could harness the energy, the worlds impending energy crisis would be solved. Unfortunately, the best we could do was put a child harness on him to stop him; but we'll work on it.

This is Max, at the calmest state he mustered all day, staring wistfully into the distance, just before he started saying how easy all the routes were.

Rei belaying

Yugawara in the summer...


Annalisa at the top of a 10b (I think) looking very happy!

Annalisa decending, with the hyperactive monkey dancing up a 10a.

After witnessing people disappear round the corner to some harder climbs, Max got route envy, where everyone elses climbs looked far more fun and interesting than the ones that he had been climbing; and insisted that he climb the easy looking routes that we were struggling on. So, we tied him in and hauled him up. This 'climbing' lark is soooo easy he thought, i don't know what these weird overgrown people are talking about*...

Max the 'ridiculously photogenic' Rupert smirking on a 10a

Rei leading a nasty 10b

Mark was telling us how they think the grades at Yugawara have gone up one notch, due the the severe erosion of the surrounding soil; which makes you start a good meter below the intended height of when they set the climbs.

Max up a tree.

Max proved hard to keep in one place, and unfortunately, I was a bad example to the child. I scuttled up the side of the climbs; along a route which is actually scramble-able to a different lot of climbs. I tied myself in to a tree so that I wouldn't inadvertantly slip off and maim someone with my excessive mass and velocity, and so that I could lean over the edge and take photos. The second time I did this, with some apple for a snack, Max saw me and followed blindly; this wouldn't have been so bad, but he wasn't shoes OR a harness. I had horrible visions of him flying off the edge...Mark tied in Max's shoes and harness into one of the top ropes that we set up and I pulled them up. Max was then shod and harnessed, I then tied him to a tree, which is probably how he should be. So, we watched the climbing from the top, and then when Max got bored of this I untied him from the tree (error!!!) at which point he bounded off higher up the slope. Which meant I had to scuttle after him, before he threw himself off a rock out of sheer curiousity. Conveniently, there was a loop in his harness which acted as a handle so that I could restrain him from running off the very steep edge of death and doom. Energetic is an understatement, I was busy wishing for a very strong leash to attach to him to keep him in a more manageable radius and prevent him doing himself damage.

'Oh look! I can see Mark!' proclaimed Max

'Hang-on, isn't he your father?!' I retorted in mild surprise.

We finished our day of climbing by cooling ourselves in the river; which I had not been to before and was pleasently surprised by the existance of a pretty, fast-flowing stream.

Max busied himself with his death-defying feats, leaping from slippery rock to rock, which eventually led to him taking an unexpected dip in the river. In turn this led to him standing around in his knickers for the rest of the time...then a father's dilemma of whether to have a half naked child on the train or a shivering but decent child on the train back home.

A lopsided photo of the river.

*Entirely speculation

Some more photos of climbing in Krabi

Courtesy of Rei. Thank you Rei!

Me Climbing Wee's Present

Me climbing at the 1,2,3 wall...where I had been told that it was a really easy 5-, when it was actually a 6b. Bit of a nasty over hang for a start, but amazing juggy hand holds.

Annalisa

Rei and I

Tony and Isobel

Little Greg drank all the beer!

Shane

Humanality...the EPIC.

[i've been instructed to replace a certain word... i assume it deeply offended the person who asked me to do this... so just for you...]


On friday the 30th (my last day of actual climbing) i did some multi-pitching with some random guy called shane, who isobel met two nights before. we climbed something called 'humanality'.

Originally the climb is meant to be started by climbing 'tarzan' which is not even rock, but a large and very cool tree which seems to be growing tendrils. however, as we were making our way to start the climb we were stopped (very politely) by a guy called Bob, who tolds us how the tree was actually worshiped by the buddists and requested that we use the ladder instead. And, yes, there was a ladder. Apparently from the weddings which take place hanging from the rocks over Tonsai beach.

I led every pitch, and i led the hardest pitch thinking it was a 6a (it was actually a 6b+) i had to sit rest a lot on the crux but i eventually made it, which was cool. My efforts were even met by some cheering and applause by some people spectating from the comfort of the ground right by the bar. which was nice.

We took a rest after this pitch to take some photos, eat some rasins and drink some much needed water.



The Melting wall and Fire wall that we climbed the previous day. yes, it's called the fire wall for a reason. It was very hot. i had to lie down for an hour to recover from each climb.

View from the 3rd belay point of the long tail boats below us.

Veiw to the right of our little belay point.View of the the climb with the stalagtite that nearly conquered me.

The worst part, was on the pitch with a large stalagtite, because i had to transfer from the wall, backwards onto the stalagtite then back to the wall and i managed to climb too high, then i got sooo scared to leave the sanctuary of the stalagtite that it tooke me about half an hour to get back on to the wall again.

So on the second to last pitch i was physically and mentally exhausted from that, and so was soo tired that i sat on every bolt on the last part of the climb. but i had to keep going, because we had happened to borrow a 60m rope from the pair of climbers who had gone up before us (we were sharing the ropes...me and shane took up a 60m, and the other couple took a 60m too so that we could share the abseil). so they were waiting for me to finish, and the sun was creeping up on them (they had little shade to stand in, and i was still stuck half way up the last pitch...absolutely exhausted) eventually i finished...and i abseiled down to where the other couple were waiting. then, shane, abseiled to us from the belay point he was at (so that he wouldn't waste time climbing the last pitch). the other couple then abseiled down to the ground, and i made shane go first. while he was abseiling, i was having a chat to the next pair of climbers who had been following us. the guy who had led the pitch was belaying very close to where we were doing our abseil from. and his seconder didn't seem to be climbing...complaining that there was too much slack (shane told me later he was actually having a spliff)...but i could see the belayer, and his rope was tight...so i figured their rope was stuck mid way. anyway, the seconder couldnt be arsed to climb (they looked as though they had 2 half ropes) and despite the guy who was belaying from the top point, not being too confident with abseiling, the seconder insisted in crossing over to our abseil rope to get down. completely abandoning his buddy to sort out the mess. (what a dick head) anyway once the evil lazy seconder was off the abseil rope (which he didn't even bother telling me he was off) i offered to abseil down to have a look, which involved a sideways abseil (i was still knackered from the climb and had been roasting in the full glare of the sun due to waiting for ppl to get off the abseil. i managed to get to near their rope by clipping a safely into a nearby sling and then forcing my way across to another bolt further off to the left by kinda traversing then clipping another cow tail into the wall to keep myself on the right side. I could see that one of the ropes had been back clipped (but the other was fine) but i couldnt' reach the clip to sort it out, so i had to haul myself up (which was very hard because i was soo tired) using quick draws to get myself closer to the higher bolt. then i kept shaking the rope until i freed both ropes for the offending quickdraw...so the guy could haul the rope up to abseil.

anyway i finally got down, ran into the shade and lay down on the floor to recover from the heat. not before ordering a coconut shake, then promptly collapsing on the floor in a heap, after removing my shoes and harness. which caused a bit of confusion when they couldn't find me to give me the shake. Anyway, it made the Thai guides laugh.

Little Greg's Adventure

Little Greg arrived at Krabi Airport full of anticipation of the week ahead.


After getting the Taxi to Ao Nanman Pier he patiently waited for a long tail boat out to Railay Bay. Once he got to the Bay, he set about to look for some accomodation...asking around for the best prices...after much searching and haggling he ended up on the east side with the Mangroves and cats...not to mention cool little bars.


He then walked back over to the West side, Sunset beach and sat on the sand staring out to sea, contemplating the climbing to come.


That night he watched a beautiful sunset...


The next day, he was eager to climb and so went straight to the wall at Diamond cave, which was very close to where he was staying. The rock was heaving with other climbers with their thai climbing guides, but they were all very friendly and they all chatted and had much fun. Little Greg, went on to show them all how it's done properly, and led a 6a+ for a little warm up. Here we see Little Greg making a clip on a lead rope. No top roping for Little Greg. Top roping is for wusses. He showed them that he might be small, but he could climb better than most of them!
After a good day's climbing, Little Greg went back over to Sunset beach, for a little swim to relax.

The next day, he went to try a different wall. Little Greg, wow-ed all the ladies with his grace on the over hanging wall at 1,2,3 wall. Here he is calmly posing for a photo hanging on one arm.

Later that evening Little Greg relaxed with a refreshing bottle of 7up.

Hanami and climbing!

Greetings!

Sunday was a day of looking at the plum blossoms in Yugawara whilst climbing...

It was a lovely sunny day, which made for excellent weather. We were practicing our skills for our upcoming trip to Krabi, Thailand! Muchos Thanks to Bill and his teaching skills and amazing patience.

All the photos below are courtsy of Greg...who isn't in any of the photos, on the account that he was on the operating end of the camera...


From left to right: Annalisa, Bill, Gero and Rei

oooooh look! shoes! how facinating...do you like my felix the cat helmet sticker...I think it's soooo cool...the best thing is, was that is was free... I was buying trash from my favourite 390yen shop (btw the lovely green T-shirt I'm modelling is also from the same shop in Harajuku) on saturday and they didn't charge me for it...mind you, better yet, I found a 380yen shop (wow and extra 10yen saving!!!) which sells rather nice clothing....Barginous!

Gero smoking yet another ciggarette...i counted he smoked an infinite number of ciggaretes ...although i'm not so good at counting, so my counting system goes: 1, 2, 3, many, lots....then InFinitY! Anyway despite his chimney-like properties i have to say that i've never been so impressed that one man could be so entertained by a single stick...which was mainly used to torment Rei...

Me, rope and plum blossom.

close up of plum blossom