Yuta Kashiki is a Japanese rock climber and certified climbing instructor, born in Hiroshima in 1991. He discovered climbing at a local gym during his high school years and quickly developed a broad skillset across bouldering, sport, trad and multi-pitch disciplines on both limestone and granite. His passion for the sport took him far beyond Japan's borders, with climbing trips to the United States, Canada, Thailand, China, South Africa and Spain. Now increasingly focussed on freeing big wall routes, Yuta made a free ascent of the Salathé Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite in November 2024, a seven-day battle he describes as unforgettable, adding to previous successes on Freerider and a sport climbing résumé that reaches up to 5.14b/c (8c/c+). As a climbing instructor, Yuta is equally driven to share his love of the sport, believing in the beauty and richness found in the simple act of climbing rocks.