Makoto Yamauchi and Ritsu Kayotani are two climbers from Japan that you perhaps have never heard of. The two are currently in Finland trying Burden of Dreams, the world’s first V17 (9A) and arguably still the most difficult problem on the planet. Yamauchi and Kayotani have been making rapid progress during their visit, and very well might be the next two ascensionists of the boulder.
Before arriving in Japan, the pair trained on a plastic replica of Burden. Other climbers have used this tactic in the past, including Aidan Roberts, Will Bosi, and Stefano Ghisolfi. Yamauchi and Kayotani both topped the plastic version of the problem, as did their friend and comp-climbing star Tomoa Narasaki. Having completed the replica, the pair are now both in Finland live-streaming their attempts on the real thing.
It has only been two days, but their trip is going incredibly well. On their first day, Kayotani flashed the famously difficult first move, which is probably the first time this has ever been done. He was also able to get to the final hold his third attempt, a near send, but didn’t stick the final clutch. Both he and Yamauchi were able to do all of the moves within only a couple of hours on their first day on Burden. You can watch their livestreams from their first and second days on the problem below.
Burden of Dreams was opened by Nalle Hukkataival in 2016. Located in Lappnor, Finland, it took Hukkataival nearly four years to send the problem. It wasn’t until April of 2023 that Will Bosi got the coveted second ascent. Simon Lorenzi followed with the third in December of that year. Two other climbers have also topped out the problem: Elias Iagnemma in March of 2024 and Sungsu Lee in May of 2025.
Everything about Burden of Dreams is difficult. The holds are small and face in awkward directions, requiring very specific finger and thumb positions. The moves are long, especially the first move and the final one to a three-finger crimp, necessitating powerful, dynamic movement. And the foot holds are lousy, demanding an immense amount of body tension and balance.
Hukkataival’s beta is what most people think of when they think about the beta for Burden of Dreams. He used a five-move sequence to move up the short, 45-degree overhanging face. But Lorenzi, Iagnemma, and Lee all used unique beta on the problem. Kayotani innovated some new beta on the replica, clutching the final hold with his left hand instead of his right. You can read about the many betas of Burden of Dreams here.
Makoto Yamauchi and Kayotani Ritsu on Burden of Dreams (Day 1)
Makoto Yamauchi and Kayotani Ritsu on Burden of Dreams (Day 2)
AloJapan.com