First Female V14

Posted on 22. Oct, 2012 by in News

Huge congratulations to Tomoko Ogawa for being the first female to climb a confirmed V14, Catharsis in Shiobara, Japan. I met Tomoko a number of years ago after setting Sendfest in SLC. The problem was climbed by Daniel Woods on Feb 14, earlier this year, who confirmed the grade, calling it “soft 14″. The problem looks amazing, and was first put up by Dai Koyamada in 2005, who developed most of the hard climbing at the big cave in Shiobara. It sounds as though she spent a number of years trying the problem, and it is an amazing effort. Very well done!

5 Responses to “First Female V14”

  1. Ian Walters

    22. Oct, 2012

    Jamie,

    What are your thoughts on long-term projecting, especially at the outer-limits of bouldering? At least two of my most meaningful climbing moments (and grade breakthroughs) were related to drawn-out, intentional commitments to problems. The grade of Tomoko’s incredible ascent aside, I think her devotion to this boulder speaks to a moderate disconnect I sometimes feel between climbing media on the one hand, and personal-growth-through-extreme-projecting on the other. I mean, thank god for the Dawn Wall. But why aren’t I reading about boulderers and their love affairs with problems, and the mental and emotional warfare that often governs this caliber of accomplishment? Is it because, for the most part, success or failure on such a mutant-level boulder boils down to just a question of fitness? Or is such a thing really just too subjective and nuanced to be effectively repackaged and marketed? What strikes you personally about a three year project?

  2. Ronnie

    22. Oct, 2012

    I can’t believe some of the comments that are going on in the 8a.nu forum thread. This is downright impressive!

  3. Michael Rathke

    22. Oct, 2012

    Gnoiss

  4. Lucas Goren

    23. Oct, 2012

    Ian – http://martinkeller.blogspot.com/2012/04/fa-of-der-mit-dem-fels-tanzt-chironico.html

    One of the better stories of perseverance out there.

    Props to Ms. Ogawa on an incredible send.

  5. Ian Walters

    24. Oct, 2012

    Ahh, rad! That was great. Thanks, Lucas.

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