Yuji on fire! 'James Pearson reports from Pembroke on another special trip to a special place!!
Well that was a whirlwind! In just over 2 weeks we climbed a load of classics, on 5 different rock types, ticked a few hard things, drank a load of beer, and most impressively of all, didn’t see a single day of rain! These two weeks have been some of the best I can remember in the UK, not only for the weather, but for the company I shared them with. Yuji Hirayama is one of my teenage climbing heros, and the one person I have met to which “never meet your heroes” does not apply. Yuji and I have been on a few “expeditions” together during the last 6 years, and I’m lucky to be able to now call him a friend. He’s an extremely passionate and interesting person, not to mention an incredible climber, but it all lies behind his beautifully calm, somehow soothing exterior. In late 2013 he asked me if I could show him around the UK and introduce him to some of our “crazy” climbing. Yuji grew up Trad climbing in Japan and knows a lot about the UK climbing culture. He’d even visited the UK before during his early competition career, but refused to allow himself to venture outside for fear of compromising his comps. Now, at 45 years old, with a wife, kids, and a successful business, Yuji felt it was time to take a few risks! When one of your heroes asks you to be there for them, there’s only one thing you can say.
We drove across the country in torrential rain, just one day before our scheduled meeting. “Oh no” I thought, this is going to be a waste of everyone’s time! I texted Yuji to tell him to bring a rain Jacket and he replied in his usual 
optimistic way “don’t worry man, I’ll bring the sunshine with me”. I don’t know where he bought it from, but it was perfect and lasted for the full 2 weeks! I have never seen weather like it.
James committed on Something's Burning E9 6c...
We’d decided on Pembrokeshire for the first part of the trip, as I consider it the most “friendly” type of Trad. Basically, its like sport climbing with the bolts switched out for good wires, so with a little practice, a good sport climber can go a long way. Caroline was proof of this theory two years ago, when she climbed E8, ground up, as her 2nd ever Trad route. Yuji obviously did not disappoint, onsighting his first E3,4,5,6 and 7 without apparently noticing the difference!
In the last few years Pembroke has been really good to me, with a string of hard On-sights and Flashes up to E8. On-sightable Trad routes above E8 are few and far between (unless you are somewhat suicidal) and so when you find a good one, you really don’t want to throw it away. I’d tried to Flash a route called Muy Caliente (E10) a few years before, and although “throw away” is perhaps too strong a word, when I fell off the very last hard move, I knew that particular chance was gone forever. So when Charlie Woodburn put up a new E9 early last year, that was on the right side of crazy, I started to wonder if… maybe… someday…
When Yuji is around you can’t help but feel inspired, both by his amazing style of climbing, but also his way of being. The combination of this inspiration, and the confidence of feeling fit after a recent bout of training in France lead me to ask whether now might be the time. In comparison to Muy Caliente I had made practically no preparation for this Flash attempt, but sometimes logic and reason have to be put in the back seat, and those little feelings from inside be allowed to drive. With no knowledge of the gear and moves I asked Caroline to abseil down the line and find out all that she could. I climb with Caroline almost every day, so by now she has a pretty good idea of what I can and cant do. She also has an ever improving grasp on the weird and wonderful gear we Brits rely on to protect our bold routes, and she figured out the series of tiny micro-rocks, key-locked into pockets, and even found an extra piece that Charlie had chosen not to place. She told me she thought I could do the route and that it was not too bold, and from that point it was on.
I waited a couple of days for the right moment; a combination of tides, feelings and conditions. The time came and, with Yuji waiting and watching from the opposite cliff top, Caro and I abbed down into Stennis Ford together, and she showed me the gear placements and the holds from which I should place them, as well as some of the moves through the crux. I had everything I needed from Caro, now it was up to me to put it to good use. The tide was far out at the bottom of the Ford, but I decided to waste no time and get on the route right away. I arranged the crucial gear in order on my harness, ran through the moves one last time in my head, and set up along the route. The first 8m is effectively solo, which was a little intimidating but fortunately very easy. From good holds you then place 4 bomber wires, and these are the last good pieces you place until you join the E5 perhaps 10m above. Like Charlie I reversed from this position to the starting ledge, de-pumped, and then went for it in one blast.
I nearly lost it on the first hard moves, catching a far edge with my fingertips and just managed to stay on. I made a few moves up and over the roof, to the first micro-rock and a hold I thought I could rest upon. The wire seemed OK, provided the rock itself didn’t break, but I couldn’t rest on the hold and got more pumped trying. After a few halfhearted shakes, I gave up and committed to the 2nd crux. I was almost off this one, another skin of my teeth job, but managed to catch the hold, pull in, and fiddle in the 2nd tiny rock. I was a lot less happy with this one, as even when key-locked in place, the no.1 Rock pulled right to the edge of the pocket and the slightest movement sent it rattling around the hole. With no time to worry, I went for the next move before realizing I was overwhelmingly pumped on my right arm and would never make the big cross. Out of desperation, I tried to match the small edge, and by swapping my fingers one by one, I was able to change hands, and realized I could perhaps place the extra ”backup” gear that Caroline had discovered. A shallow no.1 Superlight may not sound like much, but in that position it is everything. With 3 rocks instead of 2, my heart rate relaxed, my pump decreased and I could continue the route. In a few more moves I found myself at the infamous dyno, with a quickly tiring right hand. The foot position felt awkward, but there was no time to change, and so looking at the final hold, I jumped!
During the move I would have put money on me falling. Strangely I felt no fear for what might happen when the ropes came tight, just disappointment that another one had been wasted so close to the end. My hand reached the hold and my body swung, the sharp jug digging into my skin. I kept swinging, feet shooting out wildly behind me, but my hand stayed in place. The swing stopped, I was still on! I whooped a cry of Joy when I realized, and then tried to pull myself together for the remaining bold E5 to the top! I was so very happy to climb Something’s Burning, and even more so to be watched by Yuji. I like to think that he in return took some motivation from that, as a few days later he made his ascent of The Big Issue, another E9, and for the first time (as far as I know) placing all of the protection on the lead. With Carolines repeat of Mercia Wall (E8) already in the bag, we left Pembroke with very big smiles, and set off for a little tour of some of the UK’s best Trad. During the following week, there were new discoveries, hard repeats, new routes and big falls. So many good memories come to mind, but I have to say that swing on Somethings Burning still tops them all.
It’s the surprise that makes it truly special. From bottom to top it was a full on fight, a real battle, and one that on almost every move I thought I would loose. Its amazing how we can overcome so much if we just put our mind to the task and dig a little deeper. Tiptoeing that fine line between success and failure somehow makes everything that bit more vivid, and it’s the memories of times like this that will stay with us for life.
Yuji enjoying the UK trad scene at Nesscliffe...
