Emi Takashiba Sends Pulse 5.14a, Q&A
Emi Takashiba sent Pulse at Cheakamus Canyon north of Squamish, it was the first 5.14a in Canada ever climbed back in 1995 by Jim Sandford. It comes nearly four years after Alannah Yip made history and became the first woman to send it. In 2017, Takashiba became the first Youth C climber to ever be Canadian champion in lead, speed and boulder during a single season. It was the same year that Yip was the triple crown winner for open. In 2020, Takashiba climbed Division Bell 5.13d, another classic line on the Big Show where Pulse is. Other hard Squamish routes she’s repeated include Young Blood 5.13a and The Seam V9. We touched base with Takashiba about ticking her first 5.14 below. Be sure to follow her on Instagram @emi_takashiba.
When did you first try Pulse?
My first attempt on Pulse was near the end of August 2020. I had just finished Division Bell 5.13d earlier that day, and figured that I might as well give Pulse a shot. I made it all of four draws with a lot of falls before I decided to come down. I came back in September to give the climb a more serious attempt, and by my third or fourth session I was able to do all the moves. It definitely helped to have climbed Division Bell first, since the two climbs share the same upper half.
What was the crux for you?
I had a lot of trouble with two of the moves pretty early on in the route, at around the fifth draw. The first was moving off of two pretty small crimps to a fingerlock, and the second was moving off of the fingerlock and into an undercling. I wasn’t able to consistently stick the move to the fingerlock until maybe my fourth session of this year. It took a little while for me to start to trust that the fingerlock wouldn’t rip my finger out of my hand.
Would you want to compete in the Olympics one day?
Most of my goals at the moment are focused on outdoor projects, although I definitely still love competing. For now, I haven’t considered too many long-term goals since I’ll also have to figure out how to balance university with my training in the future.
Are there things that you’d like to see change in the climbing industry?
Personally, I’ve been lucky enough to have primarily positive experiences with the sport of climbing. The climbing community isn’t perfect, but an effort is definitely being made to be more diverse and inclusive.—gripped