Dai Koyamada frees Okuro, 8C boulder at Mt. Kasagi in Japan

Despite his 47 years of age Dai Koyamada shows no sign of letting up, on the contrary, and two days ago the legendary Japanese climber managed to take down his big project at Mt. Kasagi in Japan's Gifu prefecture.

The boulder, now called Okuro and tentatively graded 8C, climbs a steep roof to reach a series of terrible slopers; the crux revoles around sticking the sloper and slapping out wildly leftwards to yet another poor hold. Core strength is of essence and keeping the toehook firmly in place proved tricky.

Koyamada had previously described the problem as "is a rare, good line so I want to try hard." After spending two days preparing the landing he tried the project for two seasons before his send in cool night conditions. The ascent was, in his own words, "a miracle", but those who know Koyamada's pedigree and his training ethos know that nothing could be further from the truth.