ROCK CLIMBING (Magazine) 007

A compilation magazine featuring a series of articles by people who’ve been “7’d” on the rock—a must-read for every climber. Whether you’re just starting out, a seasoned pro with over 20 years of experience, someone who’s only ever climbed at a gym, or someone planning to try outdoor climbing for the first time—this is a literary climbing magazine we want everyone who enjoys climbing to read.

[Contents]

・Stories of the Rock, Part 7: The Miracle Beneath the Moss and Ashura / Tokio Muroi

・The Plateau—Kanmanboron / Naoya Naito

・Yuka Kobayashi = Free Climber #6 / Yuka Kobayashi

・Paul Preuss / Toshiyuki Kikuchi

・Stories of Pioneering / Wataru Nakajima

・Pakistan: Charaksa Glacier, East Face of Beatrice, Part 3 / Yusuke Sato

・Toyamagawa River: Kingfisher, 2nd Grade / Imashi Hashimoto

・Saku-Yugawa, “Tōmyō” (5.13d/14a R, 30 meters) / Satoru Hagiwara

・Yakushima Bouldering Pioneering Log: Hiroki Sasai × Dai Oyamada

・The World’s Largest Canyon: Canyoning in Taiwan’s Qiaokan Creek, Part 4 / Ryoji Onishi

・Is a Hierarchy Necessary in the Climbing World? / Yujiro Goda

・Stars on the Rock: Christian Griffith

・Shantaram / Niccolo Ceria

・OZ ROOF Project / Ippei Tajima

・Hueco Tanks Today / Toshiaki Takeuchi

▼Excerpt from

ROCK CLIMBING The primary reason for
launching this magazine was to celebrate the “diverse nature of climbing culture.” Even when facing the same rock, every climber has different goals and values. However, the prevailing trend seems to be moving in the opposite direction—toward narrowing that diversity down to a single standard—and climbing media around the world are driven by a results-oriented, numbers-first approach.In the discussions about climbing culture I once heard from my seniors—like a father’s lecture around a campfire—there were various yardsticks, values, and perspectives. As a novice climber present at those gatherings, I learned about different worlds through words and photographs, felt a sense of excitement, became immersed in the allure of rock climbing, and it became my way of life.Wouldn’t it be a tragedy if the culture of rock climbing were to become indistinguishable from other sports driven by a ranking system?

In this magazine, the editorial team has carefully selected climbers to contribute serialized articles. While the contributors are primarily active top climbers excelling in various disciplines, we have also invited individuals from diverse backgrounds—including writers, corporate employees, and lawyers—who engage in rock climbing from their own unique perspectives.These articles will primarily serve as a platform for sharing achievements as measured by each author’s own standards, past experiences, cultural reflections, and insights that may benefit the future of the climbing community, among other topics. We hope this magazine will help disseminate and raise awareness of such diverse dreams within the climbing world, preserve them for future generations, and contribute to fostering a broader public understanding of the climber’s way of life.To all our top climbers contributing to the serialized columns, and to our readers, we look forward to your continued support for many years to come.

Toshiaki
Takeuchi, Editor-in-Chief, ROCKCLIMBING Magazine