Staff member Hiroto Uechi shows an example of how to conquer a complicated route. (Photo by Shoji Kudaka)
Before trying my hand at bouldering, climbing a wall like Spiderman seemed to be something only talented athletes could do. After an hour testing my grip strength and stamina at a local rock gym, I left with a different impression of the sport.
Look Rock Bouldering Park provides space for both beginners and experienced boulderers to practice their skills in Okinawa. The gym is only three minutes away from Gate 3 of Kadena Air Base and the main gate of Camp Shields.
If you are new to the sport like I am, you may wonder what the difference is between bouldering and rock climbing.
Rock climbing can have a broad meaning, but one key element referenced by many sources is the use of gear. According to Avec Sport, a UK sport gear brand, rock climbing typically “uses safety gear such as ropes, harnesses and helmets,” whereas bouldering is “done at lower heights, and does not include the use of ropes or harnesses.”
Look Rock Bouldering Park is geared to bouldering. Although you don’t use safety gear, a soft ground runs side by side the walls for climbers to land without getting injured.
During my visit, owner Chihiro Iwami and staff member Hiroto Uechi guided me through my introduction to bouldering, which went way beyond just hopping on the rock-shaped grips and pulling up.
It’s a sport that challenges your body and mind.
According to Iwami, each wall has its own rule. The wall I was working on required climbers to only ascend using the holds of the same color. The starting point was indicated with an S mark and the goal at the top was marked with a G mark.
This wall for beginners and kids was 3.5 meters high, which was one meter shy of the wall for advanced bouldering. Peppered with holds of several shapes and colors, the wall reminded me of Tetris. Climbing felt like playing a video game in real life.
(Photo by Shoji Kudaka)
“When you start, you need to grip the starting hold with both of your hands and your legs should not touch the ground,” Iwami said.
“When you reach the goal, you need to keep the position for three seconds,” he continued. “You can use holds of whichever color hold when you come back down. Just make sure you come down safely and avoid jumping off the wall.”
With all the basic introductory rules, I took a stab at climbing.
I chose yellow, the easiest beginner color as identified by a wall chart posted near the wall. There’s also a grade conversion chart indicating what level each color corresponds to in the American grade system.
The yellow holds did not pose any serious challenge and took about 20 seconds to reach the goal.
When I moved onto the blue holds, which were the second easiest next to yellow, however, it all changed suddenly. There were some differences in the shape between yellow holds and blue holds, the blue ones were either more round or smaller, making them harder to grab. But what really set them apart from the yellow was the position of each.
Even to lift myself past the initial point was a struggle. As I reached for the next hold, I lost my balance and my body was torn between the first and second holds. It seemed that these blue holds were positioned in a way that required some guessing to conquer.
After several failed attempts, Iwami stepped in and gave me a hint.
“At first, this is more of a game to test your balance. To move up, your hand needs to let go of a hold. So, you need to consider how you can keep yourself in balance, grabbing a hold with only one hand. One thing I say to folks is to form a triangle. Keeping yourself on the wall by three contact points is crucial,” he said, advising me to try putting my weight at the center of the triangle’s base.
Iwami also shared another trick, which is to use the side or the surface of the wall as a hold. By hooking my foot on the side of the wall, I could finally lift my body.
As I hung on the wall, a revelation dawned on me: The game was physically demanding, but finding the right route took a lot of thinking, making it feel like a puzzle as well.
Thanks to Iwami’s advice, I managed to complete three routes.
Toward the end of my session, I felt confident trying the taller, advanced wall. This one looked a lot bigger and was packed more densely with colorful holds of all shapes and sizes. The wall also had varying degrees of climbing space, including a slight tilt forward and a section with an overhang to mimic what a climber might find in a cave or off a cliff.
After working the wall for beginners, I was losing grip strength and my feet were aching. But somehow, my hands grabbed hold with much less difficulty. It felt like my muscle memory kicked in.
After several attempts, I managed to complete a blue course on the vertical wall, but had nothing left in the tank to continue after that.
Iwami said that the first attempt at bouldering can be difficult, but that climbers do it smoothly the second time around.
With all my grip strength pretty much gone, I listened to Iwami and my hands could still feel the grip of each of those blue and yellow holds.
Spending an hour at the gym turned out to be quite refreshing physically and mentally. Now I’m thinking about doing it again.
Owner Chihiro Iwami (right) and staff member Hiroto Uechi (left) help customers by giving advice. (Photo by Shoji Kudaka)
Things to know
GPS coordinates: 26.35987, 127.80088 (behind Sun-sea DIY store)
Hours: 1 – 10 p.m. (Mon. – Fri.), 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. (Sat., Sun., holidays) *Closed on Wed
Fees: One-hour session costs 700 yen (approx. $4.76). Two-hour session: 1,200 yen for adults (15 years old and above) and 1,000 yen for children (under the age of 15).
*Rental shoes are available for 500 yen.
