The Climber

Kokou no Hito (孤高の人) or The Climber is a manga series written by both Shinichi Sakamoto and Yoshirō Nabeda and illustrated by Sakamoto, based on a novel by Jirō Nitta. It was originally serialized in Weekly Young Jump from 2007 to 2012, with the 170 chapters later published into 17 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha.

Plot
Through pain and arduous effort, one can reach the top of the world. Standing where no man has ever set foot before, there is an exhilarating feeling of success. This is what Mori Buntarou trains, works, and lives for.

His climb to the top starts when he transfers to a new high school. Despite his lonesome and solitary nature, Mori's classmates persuade him to climb the school building. Without a harness or hesitation, he begins his scale to reach the top. Edging past the point of no return, he halts when he is faced with a final intimidating obstacle—a horizontal overhang. Adrenaline courses through him, and Mori jumps for the final hold at the summit.

From there, he casts his eyes upon something that he normally would not have seen—another peak, another goal. With an awakened passion and newfound purpose in life, Mori explores the breathtaking sport of rock climbing.