New V15 for 46-Year-Old Legend
Dai Koyamada, one of Japan's top boulderers, has been making headlines for 30 years. His most recent first ascent is one of his finest
Dai Koyamada has made the first ascent of Mugen, a new V15 in Hinohara, Japan. The 46-year-old legend climbed his first V15 in 2003 with the first ascent of Byaku-dou. On a rope, Koyamada sent Action Directe 5.14d in 2005, Hugh 5.14d in 2002 and made the first ascent of Logical Progression 5.14d in 2001.
In 1996, Koyamada won the Japanese National Championship. He spent four years competing before retiring, saying, “The real nature of my climbing resides in crags.” Before he retired, he placed fourth in a lead world cup. In 2004, he travelled to Australia and repeated every problem at the Hollow Mountain Cave (HMC) in the Grampians, problems put up by Fred Nicole and Klem Loskot.
He then made the first ascent of The Wheel of Life V16 in 2004. In Switzerland, he repeated Dreamtime, which was the first V15, but it was later down-graded to V14. In 2017, he made the first ascent of Nayuta V16 in Gero, Japan.
He spent five days building the landing platform for Mugen before starting to project it. “One thing is clear: this problem is great,” Koyamada said. “One of the best problems in my life.”
Amenohabakiri V15
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