Yuji Hirayama

Yuji Hirayama

Yuji Hirayama at TEDxTokyo 2009
Personal information
Nationality Japanese
Born (1969-02-23) February 23, 1969
Tokyo
Height 173 centimetres (5 ft 8 in)
Weight 65 kilograms (143 lb)
Retired from competitions 2007
Website ameblo.jp/stonerider/
Climbing career
Type of climber Sport climbing
Highest grade
Known for
  • First man to onsight 8c (5.14b)
Medal record
IFSC World Championships
1991 Frankfurt Lead
1999 Birmingham Lead
1993 Innsbruck Lead
IFSC Climbing World Cup
Winner 1998 Lead
Winner 2000 Lead
Updated on 13 May 2013.

Yuji Hirayama (平山ユージ), born on February 23, 1969 is a Japanese rock climber, specializing in lead climbing competitions. He won two Lead World Cup, in 1998 (first Asian climber to win the title),[1] and 2000.[2] He is also famous for various speed records on El Capitan.

Biography

In 2001, Hirayama made a climbing tour in the U.S. with the French climber François Legrand.[3]

On September 29, 2002 Hirayama and Hans Florine climbed The Nose in 2:48:55, setting a new speed record.[4]

In 2003 he made the first ascent of a proposed 9a+ (5.15a) called Flat Mountain.[5]

In 2004 he hit the headlines when he onsighted the 8c (5.14b) White Zombie. This ascent represented the first 8c onsight in history.[6] On 2005 Aug 10, Tomas Mrazek had the 2nd 8c onsight, Pata Negra at Rodellar in eastern Spain.[7]

In 2007 his Nose record was broken by the German "Huberbuam", Alexander Huber and Thomas Huber. The two brothers climbed The Nose on October 8, 2007 in 2 hours, 45 minutes and 45 seconds.[8] On July 2, 2008, Hirayama and Florine retook the record in a time of 2:43:33.[9] Then on October 12, 2008, they lowered the record to 2:37:05.[10]

In 2008 he has put up and repeated hard boulder problems, such as the third ascent of Uma V14 at Shiobara, and the first ascent of Ginga V14 at Kanoto.[11]

In 2010 Hirayama opened "Climb Park Base Camp", a climbing gym in Saitama prefecture, Japan.[12]

In 2012, he freed a multi-pitch route called Pogulian Do Koduduo in the Mount Kinabalu National Park in Borneo with one pitch in 9a.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Rankings - UIAA Climbing Worldcup 1998 - MEN lead". ifsc-climbing.org. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "Rankings - UIAA Climbing Worldcup 2000 - MEN lead". ifsc-climbing.org. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  3. ↑ "Sansoz, Legrand and Hirayama in America". planetmountain.com. 14 April 2001. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "Hirayama and Florine set new Nose record". planetmountain.com. 2 October 2002. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  5. ↑ Jeff Achey. "Flat Mountain". climbing.com. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Dougald MacDonald. "Yuji Onsights 5.14b". climbing.com. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "Mrazek onsights Pata negra 8c!". planetmountain.com. 13 September 2005. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  8. ↑ Luke Bauer (9 October 2007). "Huber brothers break speed record on the Nose, twice". alpinist.com. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Eric Perlman. "The Nose goes quicker". climbing.com. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  10. ↑ "Yuji and Hans Speed Up The Nose – An El Capitan Dispatch from Yosemite, CA". climbing.com. Larry Arthur. Retrieved 23 May 2013. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ↑ "Yuji Hirayama Still Has the Power". climbing.com. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  12. ↑ http://www.b-camp.jp/
  13. ↑ http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews1.lasso?l=2&keyid=39707


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