The Internationals

Every parking space has a car parked in it, so we pull off to the side of the road. The scene is pretty much the same every weekend. Men, women, and children of various shapes and sizes check and double-check their gear, before they burden their backs with the heavy load. My wife or other climbing partner looks at me, “Scuba diving is too much work,” one of them will usually say. I just agree and load my own back. We follow the next herd towards the water, but when they turn left at the entry point, we continue on. Although the emerald colored ocean appears quite appealing, we came here to scale the multi-colored limestone cliffs, not to dive the deep blue sea.

The Okinawan climbing community is a nice mix of American Service members, DOD civilians, family members, and Japanese nationals of mixed climbing ability levels. Every week an email goes out informing climbers where the core of the group will climb. Luckily, Okinawa is fairly small and all areas are close enough for day trips. With the email sent, individuals start to make their own plans, mostly in the form of organizing carpools so single military members without vehicles can play too, or to save on gas cost. The small, tight knit community is extremely helpful and supportive and it’s not unusual to have a climber in the group on Saturday who’s only been on island for three days.

Barbara Treadway, a Kinser Elementary school teacher has been climbing for over tens years. Her climbing resume includes half the major climbing areas in America, with trips to Thailand, Australia and China to keep thing interesting. She routinely picks up Marines on Schwab or Hansen, the northern end of the island, to make sure they can climb while on-island. “It’s nice to see how Marines and local climbers instantly accept one another because they are climbers,” Barbara explains. “On the cliff, climbing is all that matters. You don’t think about your job or any of your problems.”

On any given Saturday or Sunday, it’s pretty obvious that climbing transcends any cultural differences among the group. Both American and Japanese, or the equally cross cultural match of civilian and service members, climbers instantly accept one another. regardless of their individual differences, or even climbing abilities. “Climbing gives me an in into the community. Normally, once I find the climbing and the climbers at a new locations, everything is alright,” say Mrs. Treadway while tying the rope to her harness.