This is a name I came up with for the towers and faces sometimes poking out of the back of the woods at the back (west) of the campsite. Viewed from across the river, they look like this:

Roll your mouse over it to see crag names. Click a name to jump to the crag description.

Number	Crag Name (Click to Get There)
1	Oyayubi Iwa
2	Te no Hira Iwa
3	Otonosama Iwa
4	Tanuki Iwa
5	Kitsune Iwa
6	Saikou Roof
7	Sanka Monogatari Slab
8	Hotoke Iwa
9	Kaminari Iwa
10	Amida Iwa
S	Suishou Slab

---

Oyayubi Iwa - The Thumb

The pinnacle in the woods left (south) of the upper campsite has always struck me as more of a circumcised dick than a thumb, but there you go. A small crag with more than its fair share of quality routes.

The clearest path leads into the woods from the track leading off left from the car park past a washstand and a cluster of rentatent platforms. Follow this to a faint ridge, then up to the crag. If it takes more than 10 minutes, you're lost. Other paths lead up from the lower campsites and across from the higher campsites and things can get confusing. The first two routes are on the slab to the left of the pinnacle. This slab was once known as Koyubi Iwa - The Little Finger - and possibly still is.

Gogatsu no Yuki - Snow in May	5.10c***	18m
A very good slab climb that should become more popular now it's got real bolts. Best climbed in one pitch.
Start at the bottom left of the slab. Make a couple of slippery moves to reach a good pocket, then climb up and right to a flake. Stand on this, then pull into a scoop. Pull out of this onto the rib (crux) and go up to a big ledge (possible belay or lower-off). Make a steep pull onto the top (right) slab using good flakes then go up and left to a lower-off.

Surprise Ending	5.10b*	9m
A variation finish to Gogatsu no Yuki. The surprise appears to be that someone's nicked the bolts.
Start on the big ledge two-thirds of the way up Gogatsu no Yuki. Move left onto the slab and climb it to the top, using the left arete and flakes in the slab. Ab off a tree or drop down and use the lower-off of Gogatsu no Yuki.

Meanwhile, on the Thumb itself...

Ten Made Agare - Climb to Heaven	5.12a**	30m
The thin crack down and right of Ogawayama Layback is good, well-protected and clean, but rarely climbed. Small wires and cams needed.
Start on the large boulder down and right of Ogawayama Layback. It may be better to belay in the gully down and right of this. A desperate sequence gains a good flake hold in the crack. Easier, but less elegant, moves lead to a lower-off. The even more rarely climbed continuation is 5.11b.

Za Kante - The Arete	5.12c	10m
The arete right of Ogawayama Layback. Incomplete and rarely climbed.
Step out right from the trench of Ogawayama Layback and climb the arete to a traverse leading back into it (Ogawayama Layback, not the trench).

Ogawayama Layback	5.9****	20m
A proverbial classic, though it should be renamed "Ogawayama Jam". Most people omit the top pitch, but it's well worth topping out. Take any number of Friends 1-3 and expect a queue.
Pitch 1. 5.9 Start in the remarkably convenient trench at the foot of the striking corner. Layback a couple of moves, then climb on glorious jams to a belay under the big roof. Pitch 2. 5.8 Make a rising traverse left under the roof to a big ledge (possible belay). Climb the centre of the final wall and pull left over the overhang. Hang around and enjoy the position, then ab off.

Za Raito - The Right	5.10a*	11m
An exciting variation top pitch to Ogawayama Layback. Rarely climbed.
From the top of the corner, step out right on small holds to reach a break with a decidedly dodgy looking block. Swing quickly right round the arete and continue to the top in a good position. Ab off.

Platonic Love	5.12c**	10m
The arete to the left of Ogawayama Layback on its left. Balancy and scary.
Step off the big block onto the arete. Layback the arete and crimp the face to a spacious ledge and lower-off.

China Girl	5.12a*	10m
A filler up the face between Platonic Love and Maginot Line.
Not sure if this starts off the block or the ground. Climb almost direct on very fingery holds to a lower-off.

Maginot Line	5.12a***	10m
A slightly longer, but still harsh arete. There's a pun in the name, but it doesn't work in English.
Climb easily to gain the arete proper, then layback and crimp to a lower-off.

Crazy Jam	5.10d****	20m
A gritstone route, miles from home. The crack goes straight through the rock to become Ogawayama Layback on the other side. It provides some interesting sound effects. More precisely, you will, for the people on Ogawayama Layback. Take lots of Friends 1-4.
Start under a small overhang. Layback round this to reach sinking jams. That's supposed to be the crux. For me, it was the hideous off-width section above that's marked as 5.9 in the Japanese guides. Squirm up this to reach real holds. Move right and pull up to the top. Ab off.

Te no Hira Iwa - The Palm

Macron I	5.10b	13m
Start at a slim slab on a terrace in the gully left of the big green slab. The main pocket takes a Friend 3, but it's right next to a bolt.
Use a semi-flake and pockets to reach a faint dike. Move up, step left round the top blob into a gully-type thing, then flounder to a terrace. Ab off, climb another route or walk off. Spoilt for choice.

Endless Summer	5.10c*	22m
Award yourself an extra star if you ab down and clean this first. Two if you can get somebody to do it for you. I cleaned and climbed it in August 2000 and had a fine old time.
Start just up and right of Macron I. Climb the carpeted slab right of a tree-filled groove (or the groove itself) to a good flat foothold above the first bolt. Now climb the arete on its right side past an interesting variety of bolts to a tree at the top. Sling but no hardware.

Fighting Macron II	5.10d*	15m
The slab left of the upper arete of Endless Summer. Take Friends 2-3.
Start on the terrace above Macron I in the centre of the slab. Gain and mantel a thin break and traverse right almost to the arete. Make a thin pull to a second break then follow the slab past disjointed cracks to a tree at the top. Very sustained till the second break.

Love is Over	5.10d*	18m
The slab left of Fighting Macron II. Very nice if/when clean.
Start on the terrace above Macron I. Pull up to the thin break, then move left to a dike. Up and left past a tree stump to a dike, then climb the slab in a direct line to the top.

Otonosama Iwa - The Lord

Imujin Gawa - River Imjin	5.11d****	15m
A superb crack pitch up the steep streaked wall. Take a rack.
Start on the slope below the face. Tricky moves up the initial crack lead to a tasty pull right into the second. After good move up this, the crack fades and the face rears up. Go up then reach out right and mantel onto a ledge. Lower off. (There are two more pitches - the easy slab behind the lower-off, then a 10d crack on the left, but nobody ever does them.)

Super Imjin	5.12b***	20m
A direct finish to Imujin Gawa. And a pig of a move, too.
Where Imujin Gawa swings right, climb direct by thin moves to a lower-off.

Amazon II	5.11a*	30m
The face left of Imujin Gawa (not the streaked corner - that hasn't been claimed yet). Rarely climbed.
Start on a narrow ledge across to the left of Imujin Gawa. Climb easily to where the face steepens. Pull up, then go right and up to the top and a lower-off.

XXXmin Route - XXX Route	5.7*	30m
A three-pitch dawdle that lands you in a nice spot. Take a rack.
Pitch 1. 5.7 Climb the big flake/crack curving right to a terrace. Pitch 2. 5.7 Walk down and left then step up into a big recess. Swing up and left on a wonder jam (Friends) then follow the easiest line to the top. Pitch 3. 5.7 Pick the easiest line up the lower wall (follow the bolts, even) then meander diagonally left to a terrace and bolt belay (up and right).

The next two routes are best gained by walking up the gully behind the crag. Skirt the crag till you hit an ancient fixed rope by a notch. The steep clean slab above you is Ninja.

Yokisenu Present - An Unexpected Gift	5.10a***	10m
Off-width Hell. Strangely popular. Take at least one monster Friend. Whether you belay at the base of the crack or in the gully below Ninja depends on your second's willingness to balance across a dead tree to a precariously wedged chockstone.
Pull into the cleft, drop into squirm mode, switch off, and hope you're at the top when you switch on again.

Ninja	5.14a**	20m
A keepsake from Stefan Glowacz round on the back face of Otonosama Iwa. For all we know, this could be an excellent route. It certainly looks nice enough. Looks a doddle, actually. Three ascents to date (since 1987). Talk of it being 'only' 13c turned out to be just talk.
Ask somebody who knows, then lower off.

The short steep face just up and right has a project.

Tanuki Iwa - Raccoon Dog Rock

Tsukiyo no Tanuki - Raccoon Dog by Moonlight	5.10d*	55m
Dodging the roof on Pitch 3 is way harder than the rest. Take a rack and treat the rock with suspicion.
Pitch 1. 5.10a Start at a corner near the right edge of the crag. Climb the scruffy slab to the corner. Climb this and the face above to an overlap, then pull over to a bolt belay. Pitch 2. 5.8    Traverse left, move up, then traverse back right to another bolt belay. Pitch 3. 5.10d Climb the easy crack behind the belay to an overhang, step left and pull over to another bolt belay. Ab off.

Gekkou - Moonlight	5.11c*	15m
Gloomy and uninspiring.
Start up and left of Tsukiyo no Tanuki below a bolt ladder leading up and then right. Climb the steep initial wall then continue less strenuously to the belay at the end of Pitch 1 of Tsukiyo no Tanuki. Lower off.

Tororo - Grated Yam	5.12a**	23m
Powerful moves on painful and sometimes crunchy rock up a very impressive line. This and Working Face were part of a competition.
Start below an impressive bolt ladder right of a corner. Climb through a series of ever-increasing bulges to a lower-off.

Jinenjo - Wild Yam	5.11b	18m
Easier but much looser. Take small cams.
Climb the pleasant-looking bolt ladder left of Tororo to a lower-off above a ledge. Loose and dangerous. And harder than it looks.

Working Face	5.12b**	13m
A smaller face about 20m left again and on a smaller scale.
Climb the centre of the face to a lower-off. One of those "strenuous and delicate" jobbies (and the rock's good).

Kitsune Iwa - Fox Rock

Ogurasan ha Ogurasan - Say Ogurasan, Not Ogurasan	5.12a*	20m
Incomplete. Take a rack.
Haven't seen this yet.

The South Face

Nanryou Inari - South Ridge Sushi	5.10c*	20m
Hard to find and of dubious worth. Take a set of Friends. (Inari sushi, if that's what the name refers to, is the sushi you get packed into brown tofu envelopes.)
Climb the slab left of the corner (optional wide crack on the left) to a ledge. Make a steep pull using a good flake to get into a bolted groove. Neat moves up this lead to a series of big steps and the top. Ab off.

The West Face

Yota Kitsune - Fox on the Rum	5.11b*	17m
A meandering line with a couple of neat moves.
Start a few metres left of Nyandorii, just right of a cleft. Climb easily for a few metres to where the angle steepens slightly. Zig-zag between the oddly placed bolts to a final steep section and the top. Lower off.

Psycho Roof Area

Fun Fun Fun	5.10b*	50m
Perhaps once. The traverse on Pitch 1 is way harder than the rest. Take a rack.
Pitch 1. 5.10b Start at the lowest point of the crag. Climb the scruffy slab to a crack on the right. Climb this to a short bolted dike on the right. Hand-traverse right and pull up to a stance. You can foot-traverse at 10d if you want. Pitch 2. 5.8    Traverse left to a crack and climb this to a tree belay. Pitch 3. 5.7    Traverse left to a chimney and climb this and the slab above to the top. Ab off.

Saikou Roof - The Excellent Roof	5.10d***	45m
Getting dirty low down, but still excellent. Take a rack.
Pitch 1. 5.7    Start at the lowest point of the crag. Climb the scruffy slab to a crack on the right. Climb this to a traverse left to a stance. Pitch 2. 5.7    Traverse back to the corner. Climb it for a few metres then go left again to a stance. Pitch 3. 5.10d Traverse back to the corner again and climb this to the roof. Traverse left under this, then climb direct to the top. This pitch is notorious for rope jams.

Bypass	5.11b*	12m
An uninspiring toprope problem that no-one can be bothered with. Originally bolted (and possibly rebolted in 2001).
From the top of Pitch 1 of Saikou Roof, climb a flake leftwards, then pull up the steep face to the stance of Pitch 2 of Saikou Roof.

Southpaw	5.11c**	12m
An alternative Pitch 3 for Saikou Roof.
Climb to the roof, as for Saikou Roof, but then pull right using a thin handcrack, and follow this to the top.

Kasama no Pinkie - Kasama's Pinkie	5.10c***	13m
A short route with good moves up the disappearing crack on the left of the buttress. Could do with being longer. Take a set of Friends for the crack.
Climb the tasty jam crack steeply at first to a mantel onto the slab. Where the crack ends, clip the bolt, kiss it goodbye and scrape up the slab to a lower-off on a bendy tree. Top-ropers might want to back this up with a Friend in the crack behind.

The next three routes climb the slab left of the gully. Most of the bolts were replaced in summer 2003.

Sanka Monogatari - Mountain Hut Story	5.10d*	23m
Interesting moves low down and a bold finish.
Climb the slim groove on the right of the slab past bolts and ancient pegs till it is possible to pull left onto the slab (crux). Climb up to a flake (wobbly Friends), then go direct up the (once) cleaned line to a lower-off.

Nadeshi	5.11a**	19m
The centre of the slab, gained from the right.
Start just right of Sanka Monogatari. I think you're allowed to pre-clip the first bolt by leaning in from Sanka Monogatari. Neat, steep moves lead onto the slab and a scratchy smear gains a good flakehold in the overlap. Pull over and make a thin move up to a flake. Follow this boldly to the next bolt, then climb slightly left to a small ledge. Ab/lower off the worst anchor at Ogawayama.

Shiraito - White Thread	5.10c**	16m
The pleasant slab left again. Crux low down.
Start at a shallow corner. Climb this, then pull left into a more prominent corner and pull over a bulge onto the slab (or go straight up the slab - harder). Continue almost direct to the lower-off of Nadeshi.

Saikou Roof Kengaku Route - Saikou Roof Inspection Route	5.9*	16m
The dirty slab left again. The line doesn't appear to be fixed. There are long-forgotten continuation pitches up the slabs and cracks behind the belay.
Start in the centre of the mossy slab left of Shiraito. Join the bolts (if you can find them) by a wandering line to a break. Continue almost direct to a terrace. Ab/lower off.

Amida Iwa - Amida Rock

Amida Kuji Route - Spuds In	5.8**	95m
A long wandering line that has its moments. The top corner is the best bit. Take a rack. (This may have been affected by a rockfall.)
Pitch 1. 5.8 Start on the right, at the lowest point of the crag, by a block embedded in the roots of a huge conifer. Climb the dirty slab rightwards to the top of a dirty crack. Step left to the main crack and climb direct past a bush to another steeper crack. Pull through on good holds to an uncomfortable belay on two small trees. A dirty variation climbs the (bolted) slab just left at 5.10b. Left again is a filthy 5.9. Pitch 2. 5.7 Traverse left to a crack (under the scar left by the block embedded in the tree at the start!). Climb this and the slab above to a flake. Follow this left and continue to belay on a good ledge. Pitch 3. 5.7 Climb the slab behind the belay till forced out left under a roof. Gain a crack, follow this to its end, then climb the slab easily to the top. Walk down and left to the next buttress. Pitch 4. 5.8 Climb the central corner to a good flake. Use this to start a traverse right to notch, then go up to a tree belay. Ab off. The righthand groove can be climbed to join the traverse midway at 5.9.

Dog Flake	5.8*	60m
The big flakeline on the left of the crag. Now quite dirty, but it still goes. Take a rack and make sure you've got some bigs.
Pitch 1. 5.7 Start at a crack where the crag starts disappearing into the hillside. Climb up and out right to a flake. Follow this to an overlap. Follow the overlap left until it is possible to pull through and climb the slab back right to belay below a groove. Pitch 2. 5.8 Climb the groove (crux) then pull out onto a slab. Go up and right to another flake and follow this pleasantly to the top. Walk off to the left, facing in.

The bolted line pulling left out of Dog Flake has a lovely top slab that looks great from the campsite, but you have to climb a 15m carpet of moss to get there - maybe that's why it hasn't been publicised. There was some new route activity up here in 2006. A 3-pitch route was climbed up right of Amida Kuji and 3 one-pitch routes (from the left 5.10d, 5.11c, 5.12a) were climbed up near Dog Flake - more details later. If ever.

Hotoke Iwa - The Buddha

No Return	5.10c**	20m
The wide flake/crack on the left.
Pitch 1. 5.10a Pull onto a terrace then climb the big flake/crack curving right to a ledge. Pitch 2. 5.10c The short sharp finger crack behind the belay.

Banana Crack	5.11d****	20m
The beautiful central crackline. The first pitch has been declared a 'Foothold Free Zone'.
Pitch 1. 5.11d Pull onto a terrace then climb the impressive, steep finger crack in the centre of the face to a ledge. Pitch 2. 5.10c The short sharp finger crack behind the belay.

Kaminari Iwa - Thunder Rock

Kaminari Michi Crack - Thunder Road Crack	5.9*	17m
The scruffy, slanting cracks in the left side wall of the first slab. Take a rack.
Start under the cracks. Climb over blocks to gain the main crack and follow it to its end. Pull right and climb easily but carefully to an anchor on the slab on the right. Ab off.

Goro Goro - Rumble!	5.11b***	16m
Excellent moves up the superslim slab.
Start below the chimney and pull left onto the slab. Make a creative, crabby pull over the first overlap and a tricky smear over the second. Finish with neat moves up the top slab to a lower-off.

Houdai Chimney - Battery Chimney	5.8*	16m
The body-grating chimney between Goro Goro and Mizuumi no Densetsu. Hard V Diff on Stanage.
Climb over blocks into the chimney proper. Back-and-foot up the chimney to a good foothold on the right arete. Move up to a rectangular block wedged at a disconcerting angle (the cannon that gives the route its name). Pull round this on its left and move easily up and right to the anchor of Mizuumi no Densetsu. Ab off. For a more logical but slightly harder finish, pull left after the rectangular block and finish up the top slab of Goro Goro.

Mizuumi no Densetsu - The Legend of the Lake	5.11a**	17m
The next slab along is very enjoyable.
Pull onto the slab from the left. Make a hard move up then climb the centre of the slab to the top. Lower off.

The next two routes start on the next slab along. This is reached by crossing a short "bridge" of cut trees and branches. Be careful!

Shirakomaike ha Shirakoma no Ike - Say Shirakoma no Ike, Not Shirakomaike	5.10c**	17m
The next slab along is undercut at its left side.
Climb the undercut left arete to a hard pull over the overlap. Finish on good holds up the left edge of the slab. Lower off.

Kimpusan ha Kimpouzan - Say Kimpouzan, Not Kimpusan	5.10a*	15m
The crack in the right side of the slab is scruffy but enjoyable. Take gear up to Friend 2.
Start at a couple of trees at the base of the crack (belay advised). Pull onto the slab and clip a bolt, then follow the crack to the top. Lower off.