Dai Koyamada (, born 23 August 1976) is a Japanese rock climber and known as one of the leading boulderers of his generation who established some of the first-ever boulder problems at . He has also established and repeated, some of the hardest sport climbs in the world.
Early life
Dai was born on 23 August 1976 in Kagoshima Prefecture and started climbing in 1993.
Climbing career
Competition climbing
In 1996, Koyamada won the Japanese National Championship. This is the event that allowed him to become a professional rock climber. Four years later in 2000 Koyamada left the competition climbing circuit because he realized "The real nature of my climbing resides in crags".
In 2004, Koyamada came to international prominence when he travelled to the Hollow Mountain Cave in the Grampians National Park in Australia, and created several new extreme bouldering routes that were considered to be amongst the world's first-ever at the grade, most notably Sleepy Rave, and The Wheel of Life. Both have seen their grades softened to and respectively. Later in 2004, Koyamada traveled to Switzerland and repeated Fred Nicole's Dreamtime on November 9,
On October 15, 2005, Koyamada repeated the famous sport climbing route, Action Directe , in the Frankenjura, Germany and proclaimed it harder than any other route that he has climbed. In a 2017 interview, Koymada called his ascent of Action Directe as "the outstanding turning point in my climbing career".
On April 4, 2017, at the age of 40, Koyamada climbed a new personal best with the first ascent of the boulder, Nayuta in Gero, Japan.
Notable ascents
Boulder problems
:
:* Nayuta (那由多) – Gero (JPN) – 4 April 2017 – FA
:* The Story of Two Worlds Low Start – Cresciano (SUI) – 22 March 2012 – Following an internet controversy contesting Koyamada's hand positions to start the boulder problem in 2010, Koyamada returned to honor his name and establish his own, more difficult low start.
:
:* Idea (イデア) – Horai (JPN) – 8 February 2010 – FA
:* Karamu – Japan (JPN) – 28 April 2009 – FA
:* Epitaph – Hourai (JPN) – 20 January 2009 – This first ascent took him over a year to complete, and he says it's the most beautiful line he has ever made the first ascent on.
:* Euphoria (ユーフォリア) – Yatsue (JPN) – 20 March 2008 – FA
:* Bongo (ボンゴ) – Frankenjura (GER) – 28 October 2007 – FA, 40+ move roof climb.
:* Angama – Fontainebleau (FR) – 24 October 2006 – FA, Traverse
:* Hyper Ballad – Shiobara (JPN) – 31 March 2006 – FA
:* Hydrangea – Shiobara (JPN) – 22 April 2005 – First ascent by adding a sit-start to his Hydra (V13/8B, FA on 2004 December 20).
:* Dreamtime – Cresciano (SUI) – 9 November 2004 – Although Dai has logged this ascent as V14 it was considered V15 at the time prior to broken holds.
:* Hull Shea Nation (ハルシネーション) – Horai (JPN) – UNKNOWN – FA
:
:* Agartha – Toyota (JPN) – 12 April 2011 – 8B+(V14) first ascent.
:* Big Paw – Chironico (SUI) – 13 November 2010 – At the time of ascent considered 8C(V15) but has subsequently been downgraded.
Redpointed routes
:
:* Action Directe – Frankenjura (GER) – 15 October 2005 – Dai proclaimed it to be his most difficult climb yet.
:* Hugh – Les Eaux Claire (FRA) – 1 November 2002 – first ascent (FA) by Fred Rouhling in 1993.
:* Logical Progression – Joyama (JPN) – 27 November 2001 – first ascent (FA) of 9a (5.14d) sport climb.