Yuji Hirayama Sends Time Machine, a New 5.14c

Japanese climber Yuji Hirayama has been at the top of his climbing game since the mid-1980s and he just took to Instagram to announce his most recent new route: Time Machine 5.14c.

“There are many of my old routes from 1987 and 1988 here in Gozeniwa and those routes give to me lots of inspirations just being here and just climbing here,” Hirayama said. “And those routes are express a lot of messages from 80s and even I feel like it’s from young Yuji.

“And today with my new route Time Machine will express a lot what we are doing today and Time Machine will bring you to my generation forever.”

I just want to announce the name of my new route. The name is “Time Machine 8c+,5.14c There are many of my old routes from 1987 and 1988 here in Gozeniwa and Those routes give to me lots of inspirations just being here and just climbing here. And those routes are express a lot of messages from 80s and even I feel like it’s from young Yuji. And today with my new route “Time Machine” will express a lot what we are doing today and Time Machine will bring you to my generation forever. 1 pic, view from the others side of Time Machine. 2 movie, 2017 June One of my beginning of linking attempt. 3 pic, trying hard but always dealing with my knee. 4 movie, moment of red point after 22 months of effort. さて先日登ったプロジェクトの名前を決めました。 名前はTime Machine, 8c+ 高校生の頃通った御前岩で再び本格的に登り始めたのは2015年の暮頃からでした。30年近い月日が経っていましたが、目の前のボルトやスリングは当時のまま、懐かしいと同時に当時の開拓を思い出し十代の自分や当時の景色を来る度に感じることができました。そこには未成熟なクライミング界ではありましたが、今の自分にはない熱い情熱が存在し、一本一本のルートから放たれるエネルギーがリボルト作業を通してメッセージのように伝わってきました。ラインどり、ボルト位置や間隔、全てがアグレッシブで必要最小限で自然との妥協点を見つけ出しているようでした。手打ちで打ったと言うことや高校生でお金がなかった、とかいろいろあるとしても、僕らのクライミングに対する理想の高さが随所に垣間見れたのは事実です。そんな3年半程の間、そのように過去の自分に出会ったり仲間を思い出し、昔の僕らから沢山のメッセージを頂いているようでした。そんなルート達は2017年暮に御前岩が開放されてから沢山の皆んなにも感じて頂けるようになりました。そしてぜひ、この1年10ヶ月の想いや自分からのメッセージをこのTime Machineを通して感じて頂ければなと思います。 1.キャスリウォールから 2.2017年6月 3.膝との付き合いをしながら核心練習 4.2019年3月22日完成 #new50’s #gozeniwa @thenorthfacejp @blackdiamond @beal.official @climbskinspain @climbparkbasecamp @boulderpark_basecamp @basecamptokyo @thenorthfacecup @basecamp.import

A post shared by Yuji Hirayama (@stonerideryuji) on Mar 25, 2019 at 6:51pm PDT

Hirayama has been sending hard routes around the world for over 30 years. In 2009, he ticked the famous Cobra Crack 5.14b in Squamish for the route’s sixth ascent. “Wasn’t bad for an old trad climber,” he said.

But many will remember Hirayama’s early days when he was a cutting edge comp climber, like when he won two Lead World Cup, in 1998 and 2000. But even before then, he was climbing hard cracks, like The Sphinx Crack 5.13b/c and Cosmic Debris 5.13a back in 1986.

Hirayama has also held speed records on The Nose, like in 2002 when he climbed it with Hans Florine climbed in 2:48:55. Then in 2003, he sent Flat Mountain and proposed 5.15a.

In 2004, he made headlines when he onsighted White Zombie 5.14b, the first 5.14b onsight in history. In 2007, his Nose record was broken by Alex Thomas Huber. The two brothers climbed The Nose on Oct. 8, 2007 in 2 hours, 45 minutes and 45 seconds. On July 2, 2008, Hirayama and Florine retook the record in a time of 2:43:33. Then on October 12, 2008, they lowered the record to 2:37:05.

In 2008, Hirayama made the first ascent of Ginga V14 and made the third ascent of Uma V14 at Shiobara. In 2010, he opened Climb Park Base Camp, a climbing gym in Saitama prefecture, Japan.

After his repeat of Cobra Crack, Hirayama told planetmountain.com, “Canada is great! This was my first visit here, the landscape is beautiful and I met lot’s of really nice people. Squamish is interesting because there are so many different types of climbing: trad, bouldering, sport and multi-pitches.

“The rock is solid granite and it felt so fresh to be in the wild forest. Apart from the Cobra, during my stay I also carried out the first on-sight ascents of the trad routes Zombie Roof 5.13a and Flight of Challenger 5.12c. When the weather was bad we travelled to Vancouver Island, where I did some first on-sights of hard sport routes such as Dinosaur Highway 5.14a, Globe Trotters 5.13c and Moment of Silence 5.13c.”

Hirayama and Honnold in Japan