CLIMB JAPAN

Kamoshika (ニホンカモシカ)

2011-12-15T02:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, while you're walking up the approach trails in winter in Japan, you'll hear a rustling in the trees, or a sudden movement. As often as not it's a Japanese Serow, or nihon kamoshika (ニホンカモシカ).

If you're lucky you'll catch a glimpse of one, and if you're really lucky it will let you walk past at close proximity. Dont be afraid, they're very tame animals... Try not to startle it, they're also very shy. Just enjoy the priceless experience of meeting a large animal in its own environment.

The Kamoshika:

For more information on this excellent creature, read the following Wikipedia entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Serow

UPDATE: Uradoushin runze (裏同心ルンゼ)

2011-12-14T05:11:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from last weekend's ascent of the Uradoushin runze on Yatsugatake. You can find detailed information and a topo for this route in a previous post, as well as mid-season photos in which the route is heavily banked out. Last weekend the conditions were as good as they're ever going to be, with not enough snow to be post-holing, and all the ice nicely exposed.

This route seems to be very conditions-dependent, and if you're lucky enough to get it in the conditions we just had it then it's a real gem... easy access, no stress, just a fantastic couple of hours of quality ice climbing.

F1:

In the right conditions F2 is a 3-tiered fall of about 40m in total.

F2:

F3:

F4:

F5:

Looking across to the Kodoushin pinnacle from the top of the descent ridge:

Looking across to Amidadake and Akadake:

Climbers on one of the aid routes on the Daidoushin pinnacle:

A winter hike of Mt Oku-Shirane (奥白根山)

2011-03-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

Mountain: Oku-Shirane (奥白根山), also known as Nikko-Shirane

If you’re looking for picturesque scenery within striking distance of Tokyo, you can hardly do better than the Nikko National Park. It’s accessible by either the JR Line or the private Tobu Line, with Asakusa being a popular starting point in Tokyo. The Tobu company also run the buses around the Nikko area, and you can buy special discounted passes which will cover all your travel on Tobu Line buses and trains, as well as discounted entry into some of the temples, within set periods of time… well worth doing if you’re going for a few days.

The list of things to do around Nikko is huge. Cyclists can test themselves against the famous hairpin bends of the road up to Lake Chuzenji (中禅寺湖), runners could try the 25km circuit of Lake Chuzenji (it has a hiking trail all round it), and hikers have several big possibilities.

The hike described in this post will take you to the top of Mt Oku-Shirane, the highest mountain in the Nikko National Park at 2578m. It’s a beautiful hike all year round, but in winter Oku-Shirane sees FAR less traffic, and commands impressive views of big snowy peaks in all directions.

Getting there

As described above, you need to get to either the JR Nikko station or the Tobu-Nikko station. Tobu-Nikko is just a 2-3 minute walk up the road from JR Nikko.

Outside Tobu-Nikko there is a bus stand, and you need to take a bus that goes all the way to Yumoto onsen (湯元温泉). The journey takes about 1.5 hours there, and about 1 hour on the way back, and costs just over 1500 yen each way.

On the way the bus winds its way up the hairpin bends to Chuzenji onsen, on the shores of Lake Chuzenji. It then continues along the north shore of the lake, past the Futara-san jinja temple, which is the start of one of the hiking routes up Mt Nantai (男体山 2484m). At the far end of the lake, the bus turns north and drives along the edge of the Senjogahara plateau (戦場ヶ原) as far as the pretty little resort of Yumoto onsen.

Description

From the bus station in Yumoto onsen, walk back along the main road about 100m in the direction of Yu-no-ko lake (湯ノ湖) and then turn right. Walk up this side road for about 150m past a big hotel on your right, and you will come to the Yumoto ski resort.

The initial part of the hike does actually involve walking up the ski pistes, keeping to the left edge, until you get to the top life station. It will take about 25-30 minutes to get there from the bus stop.

From the last lift station you need to strike out left up the steep and forested hillside. At the beginning there is a brief series of zig-zags, but very soon you are just heading straight up the hillside.

Keep going until after about an hour you reach the ridgeline at the top, where you will see a wooden sign giving directions to Mt Mae-Shirane (前白根山).

Follow the sign, and walk along the ridge for another 30-40 minutes, and you will reach the summit of Mt Mae-Shirane.

Looking back at Mt Nantai, Senjogahara and lake Chuzenji:

From here you will catch your first views of Oku-Shirane itself. The hiking trail to the top of Oku-Shirane takes the steep snow slope on the left-hand side. The gully that splits the centre of the face would make an excellent descent for ski tourers.

Looking down from Mae-Shirane, you will see the small and pretty lake of Goshiki-numa (五色沼), where people often camp if they are doing this as a 2-day trip.

Follow the ridge over Mae-Shirane, and down to your left. Walk along for about half a kilometer, and you will come to a signed path that traverses off down the hillside to your right, in the direction of Oku-Shirane. Follow it down and you will shortly come to an emergency hut.

Continue past the hut and the trail eventually strikes out up the steepening snow slope towards the top of Oku-Shirane. Several hundred metres above, you will emerge over a lip onto a flat area, and you will see first a false summit with a small shrine on it, and then the actual summit just after it, with wooden signs on top.

False summit:

Actual summit:

Enjoy the stunning views from here, particularly over to Mt Nantai and Lake Chuzenji.

For the descent you have two choices. You can continue over the top and do a loop which passes over Goshiki-yama and follows a parallel ridgeline down the other side of the ski slopes back to Yumoto onsen; or you can simply reverse the way you came up. The latter is slightly shorter, and given that there is a lot of travel still to get back to Tokyo, and daylight hours are shorter in winter, this might be preferable.

Overall

Oku-Shirane is, for my money, one of the most beautiful mountains outside of any of Japan’s alpine ranges, and gives some of the best value in terms of views and panoramas. In winter there will be very few people up there on the ridgeline.

It is a long day trip from Tokyo, because of the travel involved, but is well worth the effort, and if you have more time available then there can be fewer more beautiful places to spend a weekend. The mountain fully deserves its hyakumeizan status…

Uradoushin runze

2011-01-31T04:38:00.000-08:00

Route Name: Uradoushin runze (裏同心ルンゼ)

Mountain: Yokodake (Yatsugatake massif)

Length: 300m

Time: 3 hours to top of descent ridge (Daidoushin-ryo)

Difficulty: A grade 2- winter alpine route (WI3/4)

Getting there:

little further to a hut that makes a good resting point for 5 minutes. The next hour follows the road until it finishes at a bridge across the sawa. From the other side the path narrows and meanders alongside the sawa for another hour or so until you reach the hut at Akadakekosen. This hut serves as basecamp for all the routes in the area.

Topo

Description

As you exit the Akadakekosen hut by the front door you have 3 paths to choose from. Left takes you to the descent trail back to Minotoguchi; right takes you towards the Nakayama-One (中山尾根) and beyond to Akadake; straight on provides access to the ice routes (Daidoushin runze, Uradoushin runze, Jougosawa) on the left-hand side of the face below the summit of Yokodake (横岳). For this route you need the latter path.

Follow the trail for about 20 minutes through the forest and you will come to a signpost pointing right into the bottom of the Daidoushin runze. Continue along the trail for another 5 minutes and you will reach another junction at the bottom of the Uradoushin runze (runze is Japanese for ‘gully’). If you continue straight along the trail you will soon reach the first waterfall of Jougosawa (ジヨウゴ沢), but for today’s route turn right into the wide lower section of the Uradoushin.

Looking back at the lower slopes:

Hike up the runze, and after about 10-15 minutes the walls will narrow and you will reach the first waterfall (F1). Depending on conditions that year, it could be thin, fat or even almost buried under the snow. F1 is up to 15m, although this year when we climbed it (Jan 2011) the bottom third and the sides were banked out.

After F1 continue up the snow slope past another sawa on your left, to reach F2 (40m), a longer series of steps. Pass another sawa on your left and you will reach F3 (8m). A longer snow slope brings you to F4 (20m), and above this you will see the crux pitch of F5. F5 is only 10m, but unlike the previous falls, it is vertical in its top half. A fairly leisurely pace should see you at F5 within 2-2.5 hours.

The top of F4:

Looking up towards F5:

Approaching F5:

Getting over the lip of F5:

Once you have passed F5, you will see that the gully ends in a vertical wall which the ‘Challenge! Alpine Climbing’ guidebook describes as F6. This probably forms only rarely, if ever, and the natural way to finish the route is to traverse right, up the steep slope of frozen turf and rock that skirts under the Daidoushin rock pinnacle (大同心). From here the rock wall of the Daidoushin looks formidable.

Daidoushin:

F6 (or not...):

The traverse on frozen turf:

Skirting the Daidoushin:

After a traverse of about 100m you will reach a saddle in the Daidoushin-ryo (大同心稜). Looking down from here you have the Uradoushin on your right and the Daidoushin runze on your left. Up above on the other side of Daidoushin runze you will see the Kodoushin rock pinnacle (小同心), with the Kodoushin Crack cleaving it down the front.

At the top of the Daidoushin-ryo descent ridge:

Cloud streaming off Amidadake:

Walk down this ridge for about 45 minutes (be careful with your footing in places) and you will enter the bottom of the Daidoushin runze, from where a further 5-minute walk will bring you back to the main trail.

Depending on time and energy levels, if you want to get something else done, you could take a walk into Jougosawa for some more water ice climbing, or head back to the hut and climb on the ‘ice candy’ artificial ice wall.

The 'ice candy' wall:

Overall

The Uradoushin is a fun and straight-forward ice route, which can be combined with Jougosawa or the ‘ice candy’ to provide a fantastic day of ice climbing, and can be done relatively safely even in strong wind or less-than-perfect weather due to the protection offered by the side walls of the gully.

Winter on the Kuroto ridge

2011-01-10T04:50:00.000-08:00

Route Name: Kuroto ridge (Kuroto-one 黒戸尾根)

Mountain: Kaikomagatake (甲斐駒ケ岳)

If you’ve ever taken the Chuo Line beyond Nirasaki, on your way to Yatsugatake or the North Alps, you will no doubt have noticed the striking mountain on your left at the top end of the South Alps… a giant pyramid, with a deep cleft down the middle of its east face, and a long and beautiful ridgeline extending unbroken all the way from the summit to the valley floor, an alititude gain of about 2400m. The mountain is Kaikomagatake (2967m), and the ridge you’re looking up is the celebrated Kuroto ridge.

Kaikomagatake, or Kaikoma for short, is without doubt one of the finest mountains in Japan. From its summit there is an unbroken 360 panorama that, in my opinion, is unrivalled in this country. The Kuroto ridge is the longest and the hardest of its ridges, and an absolute must for any dedicated hiker, summer or winter.

Getting there

If travelling from Tokyo, take the earliest Chuo Line train you can from Shinjuku to Nirasaki (韮崎). Right outside the exit of Nirasaki JR station you’ll find the bus stands. From here you need to take a bus to the start of the approach. If you are to make it to the hut on the ridge before dark then you must take the first bus to Shirasu (白須, might also be read Shirosu), which leaves just after 8am. Shirasu bus stop is near a large garden centre, from which you can see Kaikomagatake looming to the southwest. You can get fresh drinking water from a fountain outside this garden centre before you start walking.

Trace the Kuroto ridge down from the summit of Kaikomagatake, and basically aim for the foot of it, via any of the local farming roads that take you in the right direction. After about 50mins of walking you will arrive at Chikukomagatake shrine (竹宇駒ヶ岳神社), a holy site for shugendo religious practice, which is the trailhead for this climb. If you don’t fancy the extra 50mins walking you could just take a taxi from Nirasaki station to the shrine, but this will be very expensive.

Description

From the shrine, cross the suspension bridge over the river, and follow the path upwards through the initial zigzags.

After about 30mins the path will veer to the left and contour up and round onto the crest of the ridge.

Keep going, and after about 2 hours of map time you will reach a junction where your trail is joined by another approach trail that came up from Yokotekomagatake shrine. You are now on the Kuroto ridge proper. Keep following the path up through the forest, with red paint markers on the trees to show you the right way.

After about 1.5 hours the ridge will begin to narrow until you reach an airy knife-edge section with chains. Be careful crossing this. It is not difficult, but a slip here would be very serious indeed.

After another 15-20 minutes you will reach a small shrine at 2049m. From here on you will begin to encounter ladders fixed on the steep sections.

Keep going for another hour or so and the trail will descend for about 100m to a col. This is the 5^th station on the ridge. In the past there was an emergency hut here, the Gogome-goya (五合目小屋). Although it is still marked on the hiking maps, this hut is no longer here. Climbers aiming for an ascent of the O-ren-dani ice route used to sleep here the night before their climb, but nowadays a tent or an open bivvy would be necessary.

At the far end of the col you’ll find the longest and steepest ladder on the route, about 20 metres high. Take care up this, especially in your crampons.

For the next hour or so from here the trail goes up and down very steeply, with a lot of ladders and chains to negotiate, some of them quite exposed indeed.

Eventually you will round a corner at about 2400m and arrive at the Shichijodaiichi-goya hut (七丈第一小屋). This is your base for the night. If the main hut is open and operating then you will have to stay here for 3500 yen, with unlimited supplies of hot and cold water. The emergency hut about 30m beyond, which is also marked on the maps, will be locked in this case. If not, the emergency hut will be unlocked, and you can stay there for free.

After (hopefully) a good night’s sleep, you will be ready for an early start and the final 500m of ascent to the summit.

The first hour will take you up a steep and rounded hillside to the eighth station, or hachigome (八合目). The views across to the Houousanzan mountains are stunning, with Mt Fuji behind in the distance.

From the hachigome you will see the final headwall, and the ridge extending up and through it in a series of giant granite boulders and broken rock features.

The ridge is narrow for a brief section here, and heavily corniced on the left in winter, so stay to the right. The ascent ahead looks improbable, but the path snakes through all this chaos without problems, although there is one short section of chain to get round a corner, involving a slightly high step with some exposure. A bit further on lies the crux of the ridge, a steep gully about 20m in height with a rock step halfway up it. There is a chain hanging down the rock, and there are anchors in the rock wall on your right. It is not difficult, but people have slipped and died from this spot, so prudent climbers will take a length of rope and a few slings to protect the descent of this gully on the way back.

Keep going, with stunning views of the rock wall to your left and the O-ren-dani down to your right.

After another 15-20mins you will make the final approach onto the summit pyramid, where you will find a small shrine and the usual summit markers.

The views from here are second to none, so if conditions allow, get your camera out and make the most of it…

Okay, all you have to do now is reverse the whole 2500m back to the shrine you started from… nobody said it was going to be easy J!

Overall

A 3-star classic winter ridge hike up the ridgeline of one of the most stunning mountains in Japan, with all the ingredients of a great winter adventure. This route makes the Yatsugatake ridge hike seem like a walk in the park in new shoes. Fukada Kyuya made special reference to it in his book of the 100 fine mountains of Japan, and for good reason. Go for it…

Akadake (19-20 December 2010)

2010-12-20T17:11:00.001-08:00

On Sunday 19th we walked into the Akadake-kosen hut in perfect weather, aiming to get in a climb of the Central Ridge of the west face of Akadake. After such a hot summer, and widespread predictions of a severe winter this year, we were shocked to find surprisingly little snow for the time of year.

The 'ice candy' wall at Akadake-kosen hut:

Much to our disappointment, a cold front blew in overnight, and as we set out from the hut before dawn early on Monday morning we were greeted with gale force winds, snow and rapidly deteriorating visibility.

By the time we reached the traverse onto the west face from the hiking trail, it was clear that conditions were far from ideal to be heading onto the route, so we settled for the cold ascent of the normal hiking trail up to the summit of Akadake (2899m).

It was a shame not to have climbed the route, but a strangely satisfying day to be on the summit nonetheless.

Here's a short clip from the summit, which gives an idea of the conditions:

Mt Kinpu and Mt Mizugaki in a day

2010-11-25T03:13:00.000-08:00

Mt Kinpu (金峰山 2595m) and Mt Mizugaki (瑞牆山 2230m) are two of the high peaks of the Chichibu Tama Kai National Park, and both have the distinction of featuring on Fukada Kyuya's list of the 100 fine mountains of Japan (hyaku meizan).

They sit across the valley from the South Alps, slightly southeast of Yatsugatake and northwest of the Daibosatsu ridgeline. Granite towers, blocks and obelisks protrude from the summits of both mountains, and just a couple of hours walk from both of them lies the rock-climbers paradise of Ogawayama (小川山), which many people argue is the best rock-climbing spot in Japan.

The nearest station is Nirasaki, on the Chuo Line, and from there a bus will bring you to the trailhead at Mizugakisanso. You should be aware that the last bus back to Nirasaki departs from here at 3pm, and a taxi ride back will cost about 11000 yen, so take care not to miss that bus!

A short way up the trail, about 50mins of map time, there is a hut at the point where the trail forks. Go left and you will descend a short slope to a river crossing, and from there on the trail rises steeply to the top of Mt Mizugaki. Take the right fork, however, and the trail will take you up the long ridgeline to the summit of Mt Kinpu. Many hikers choose to stay the night at this hut and split their hike into 2 days, with one summit on each day, thus ensuring that they can get the bus out in time.

If you have plenty of time available you can continue along the ridge from Mt Kinpu to hit Mt Kobushi (甲武信岳 2475m), another of the hyaku meizan.

Alternatively if you're fit and can move fast and light you could do what we did this November, and go for it in a single day. The trails are not ideally suited to running, but as we discovered, it is perfectly possible and even a lot of fun! Although we were denied the clear skies we were hoping for, it was clear that on a blue sky day the views from both of these summits would be outstanding. If you're looking to tag two big mountains in a day then this is a fine route to take.

Here's a little video we shot of the run:

Happy trails!

Yatsugatake traverse

2010-11-14T00:30:00.000-08:00

Back in September a friend and I decided to traverse the entire Yatsugatake massif from south to north in 2 days. We set out lightweight from Tokyo on the first Azusa Limited Express train on a Sunday morning, and began running from Kaiooizumi station (one stop before Kiyosato) at about 10am.

Day 1 took us up into the alpine and over Gongendake (2715m), Akadake (2899m and the highest point of the massif), Yokodake (2829m), and Iwodake (2760m), and down to the Neishi-sanso hut, where we spent the night. The next day we continued north over Neishidake (2603m), Higashi-Tengudake and all summits between there and the final major peak of Tateshina (2530m). Finally we descended southwest from the summit to the trailhead at Tateshina-tozanguchi, eventually finishing at the hot springs of Tateshina-onsen.

The total running time for the whole traverse was 18 hours, with 7.5 hours on Day 1 and 10.5 hours on Day 2. We were fairly unlucky with the weather, and had to contend with strong winds, thick cloud and rain for much of the time, which left the trails and rocks very slippery particularly on the second day. Drier more stable weather might have further reduced the necessary time for the traverse, but ultimately that's just speculation.

A lot of the route is not really runnable in the usual trail running idiom, but for a fit party it is certainly possible to cover ground quickly. This route is normally hiked in 4 days, but if you are fit and confident in what you are doing then it's perfectly possible to complete in 2 days. The next challenge would be to do it in one continuous stretch without the night in the hut...

Anyway, here's a video I made of the trip. If you're interested in going for it, I hope it gives you a flavour of the traverse:

Karasawa

2010-05-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a little video I made from a recent trip to Karasawa in the North Alps.

We had originally planned to climb the North Ridge of Mt Maehotaka, but when we got to Karasawa a foot of fresh unconsolidated snow and a lingering ankle injury that flared up during the walk-in meant that we abandoned the plan and just hiked up Mt Karasawa in the snow instead. As it turned out, several Japanese parties went up to attempt the route, but all descended before the crux final pinnacles due to the snow conditions.

It was a good trip, and great to see so many Japanese hikers getting out there and enjoying their week off.

Yatsugatake winter ridge hike

2010-03-12T00:47:00.001-08:00

The Akadake-kosen area of Mt Yatsugatake is deservedly famous for its topography, dramatic views and a whole host of classic winter alpine and ice climbs. Viewed from near the Akadake-kosen hut, the face tumbles down like a bar code; black and white... ridges, buttresses, gullies and frozen icefalls. It is a true winter playground.

Framing it all are 3 of Yatsugatake's highest peaks; Akadake (2899m) and Iodake (2760m) mark the southern and northern ends respectively, with Yokodake (2760m) propping up the middle. A winter traverse of the jagged ridgeline connecting these 3 peaks is one of the classic winter hikes in Japan.

The area can be reached by a gentle 2.5-hour walk up the trail from Minotoguchi.

The Daidoshin and Kodoshin rock outcrops:

The Akadake-kosen hut:

Akadake seen from the hut:

If you are planning to head back down to Minotoguchi and out to the Chuo Line the same day then you'd better get an early start, around 5am or earlier.

From the Akadake-kosen hut turn right out of the door and head in the direction of Akadake. After about 20 minutes the path will ascend a fairly gentle slope for a while, with zig-zags, crest a small ridgeline, and descend down the other side. After about 30-40 minutes of walking you'll arrive at the Gyoja-goya hut at the top of Minami-sawa. From here the path forks off left up the Jizo-one to a col north of Akadake on the summit ridgeline. This path is a straightforward approach to Akadake, but a more aesthetically pleasing hike is to traverse the peak, so keep going straight on. The path forks once more, with the right fork heading towards Amidadake, but you need to stick to the left.

Looking across to Amidadake:

Things begin to steepen here, and the wind might be fairly strong from the southern hon-dani side of the mountain, but it is never steep enough to have to front point. Once you crest the connecting ridge between Akadake and Amidadake, the path heads round the side of Akadake, out of view from below. Follow it up here, with chains in places. you will see some stunning wind-blown ice formations in this area.

You will soon reach the summit of Akadake. Take your summit shots, thank the Gods of the summit shrine for your safe passage, and head over to the hut (closed in winter) to begin the descent.

Summit marker:

Akadake summit shrine:

The view south to Gongendake and Asahidake:

The hut on the summit of Akadake:

Mt Fuji:

After about 20 minutes of careful walking down the northern flank of Akadake you will reach the top of the Jizo-one (marked by a stone Jizo statue). From here continue on and up, with chains in places.

The next hour is the most exposed part of the day's hike, so be careful. There is one section that requires particular care, involving a traverse of around 30m across an open area at the top of several of the climbing routes; a slip from here would be serious.

Looking back on an easy section:

Looking back to Akadake:

Eventually you will reach the summit of Yokodake, and be rewarded with an incredible view back along the ridgeline to Akadake, with Mt Fuji off in the distance:

Yokodake summit:

Continuing down the other side of Yokodake be careful getting down to the short ladder; in certain conditions it will require an exposed 5m downclimb facing into the ridge on steep and unprotected snow, but it is over quickly. After the ladder, a dramatic descent down the narrow ridge with chains brings you to a point where the slope eases, the ridge opens out, and the day's exposure has ended. From here, continue walking along to the hut below Iodake, and then ascend the line of cairns to the summit.

Iodake:

Iodake summit:

From the top of Iodake, walk down the ridge to the southwest, where you will meet a signpost showing the way to the Akadake-kosen hut. After an initial short and steep snow slope (be careful, 2 climbers died here in an avalanche), the path enters the treeline. Follow it down for about an hour and you will return to the day's starting point at the hut. From here, you just need to wander back down the trail to Minotoguchi and civilisation in the warm glow of a perfect day.

Tanigawadake, Central Arete

2009-10-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

Route Name: Cental Arete (Chuo-ryo 中央稜)

Mountain: Tanigawadake (谷川岳)

Length: 6 pitches (+ 150m of II/III to the summit of the Bird's Hat)

Time: 3-4 hours to the top of the last pitch

Grade: V- (IV A0) crux pitch / Overall Grade 3 alpine route

Getting there:

From Tokyo take the Takasaki Line to Takasaki (about 1.5hrs). Change for the Joetsu Line to Minakami (about 45mins), then take a local for 2 stops to Doai. From the underground platform at Doai station, climb a 489-step staircase from hell to rech ground level. Exit the station and join the main road, turning right and walking under a railway bridge. Follow this road for about 20 minutes up to the Visitors Centre. Climbers are permitted to sleep on the floor in here for free after the restaurants close.

Description:

This route is a 3-star (***) classic in all guidebook, and for my money, has to be the most striking feature on Tanigawadake! No matter who looks up Ichinokurasawa from below, their eyes will be drawn towards the striking arete that forms the left edge of the triangular monolith that soars up towards the Bird's Hat at the top of Tail Ridge. It is an absolute must for any Tanigawa climber.

Ichinokurasawa at sunrise:

The Cental Arete (left edge):

After making sure you get an early start, walk up the road from the Visitors Centre for about an hour to the car park at the entrance to Ichinokurasawa. Start walking up the sawa, scramble through the narrow gorge section, and after about half an hour you'll come to a seemingly impassable waterfall. A path rises up its left edge, with a fixed rop near the top. Follow this up for a while until you come to a rappel station. Make a 25m rappel and then climb down back to the sawa with the help of fixed ropes.

The rappel:

From here you can gain access to the start of Tail Ridge. Continue up to the top, with occasional fixed ropes.

Looking up Tail Ridge:

On Tail Ridge:

The bottom belay anchor of the Chuoryo is literally at the top of Tail Ridge.

Pitch 1: Climb up and leftwards following the pitons. A short crux section at about 30m brings you to the belay anchor. (40m IV)

Pitch 2: Make a short, exposed but easy, traverse around to the left side of the arete, and then follow a sort of wide chimney to a belay. (25m III)

Looking down Pitch 2:

Pitch 3: Make a short and exposed traverse back onto the arete, then climb a groove.

The traverse on Pitch 3:

Deciding exactly where this pitch ends can be confusing, but there is a belay station in-situ. The crux is a thin section of IV just below the anchor, which can be aided if necessary. (25m IV)

Looking across to start of the South Ridge:

Pitch 4: Climb up and rightwards until you gain access to a chimney. Climb up with in-situ piton protection. The chimney narrows and overhangs near the top, but an undercling allows a high move to be made out of the chimney on the left, from where easier climbing leads to the anchor, a spacious ledge with an incredible view. If you are unable to freeclimb it, the top moves can be done AO with in-situ pitons. (25m V- / IV AO)

At the top of the 4th pitch:

Pitch 5: An easier pitch follows up and leftwards to a comfortable belay in a kind of wide chimney. (25m III)

Pitch 6: Climb up and out of the chimney to a pinnacle with a rappel anchor on it. Continue up past the pinnacle. At this point the climbing becomes very exposed. The holds are all there, and it is not excessively difficult, but the exposure adds to the sense of difficulty. Don't be put off by the length of the pitch... there is a good anchor up there with ring bolts and pitons. (40m III+)

You have now reached the top of the difficulties, and are faced with three options:

1. Continue up 150m or so of rock at II/III and steep grass and bushes to the top of the Bird's Hat, make a rappel into a groove above the top anchor of the South Ridge (南稜), and then continue up to the summit of Ichinokuradake (一ノ倉岳 ). This will add considerably to the length of the day.

2. Do as above, but rappel down the South Ridge on fixed anchors.

3. Call it good at the top of the 6th pitch and rappel the Chuo-ryo. This requires multiple 50m rappels, and care must be taken to ensure the ropes do not get stuck in a crack near the top of the crux chimney pitch, but this is by far the most popular option.

The last rappel:

If you choose to rappel, then descent is simply to reverse Tail Ridge and the sawa below back to the car park at the start of Ichinokurasawa.

You can now buy yourselves a cold beer in celebration of climbing one of the most classic lines in the area.

Overall

An outright 3-star classic and a must-do on the wish list of any Tanigawa climber. Good quality rock on the whole , superb positions and exposure, and good rappel anchors. Take a small selection of nuts in addition to quickdraws, but don't be surprised if you don't use any of them. Climb it, now...

Tanigawadake, East Ridge

2009-10-05T02:18:00.000-07:00

Route Name: East Ridge (Higashi-one 東尾根)

Mountain: Tanigawadake (谷川岳)

Length: 2 rock pitches + hundreds of metres of simul-climbing

Time: 6-7 hours to Okinomimi (オキノ耳) summit

Grade: III+ for hardest rock pitch / Overall Grade 1 alpine route

Getting there

From Tokyo take the Takasaki Line to Takasaki (about 1.5 hrs). Change for the Joetsu Line to Minakami (about 45 mins), then take a local for 2 stops to Doai. From the underground platform at Doai station, climb a 489-step staircase form hell to reach ground level. Exit the station and join the main road, turning right and walking under a railway bridge. Follow this road for about 20 minutes up to the Visitors Centre. Climbers are permitted to sleep on the floor in here for free after the restaurants close.

Description

This route is more commonly climbed as a winter alpine route, but in summer in provides a superb adventure route. The terrain is never particularly technically difficult, but is of the typical loose rock and steep unprotectable grass that one often encounters in Japan. It requires a cool head in places, and lots of simul-climbing to complete the route in guidebook time.

After a 30min walk up the road from the Visitors Centre you will come to the entrance to Machigasawa (マチガ沢), marked by a rock with numerous single-pitch routes and a plaque of a naked lady. At the entrance to the sawa there is a path heading up the left slope into the trees. Follow this up for about an hour. Eventually you come to a short steep trail that breaks off down the slope into the sawa, just below the level of the large boulder that is marked on the topos.

Descent slope into sawa:

The descent is easy, so head down, and you will have saved yourself an hour or two of boulder hopping up Machigasawa.

Looking up Machigasawa:

Continue up the sawa a little way and over the large boulder, and you will come to a fork. The approach gully to the Shinsen Col (シンセンのコル) is on your right at this point. Head up the steep and narrow Shinsen Sawa, until it opens up about 20 minutes further up.

In Shinsen Sawa:

From here you must head up the steep grass, bearing right. There is an improbable trail to follow.

Heading up to Shinsen Col:

On steep grass:

Eventually you'll reach a bolted belay. This is the point at which to get the rope out, and 2 easy pitches (bolted belay) will see you on the Shinsen Col. This is the start of the East Ridge. In winter the col is accessed from the Ichinokurasawa side, but in summer that route is much harder.

From the Shinsen Col you can begin to simul-climb. A couple of rope lengths brings you to the first pitch, a chimney protected by pitons, about 15m in height. It is exposed but easy. From the top, continue along and up the ridgeline. After several hours you come to the section where the ridge flattens, staying roughly horizontal for about 100m. This is a good lunch spot.

Looking down from the horizontal section:

At the end of this section lies the second rock step. It can be avoided on the right up steep and perilous grass, but a slip here would have serious consequences. The rock itself looks improbable at first at grade III+, but on closer inspection it is very juggy and does not last long. The pitch is about 25m in length, with a good crack in a rock at the top for a belay of 2 large sized nuts. A further rope length takes you over the top of the rock step, down a short delicate traverse that requires care, back onto the grass and up to a grassy ledge with a bomber piton in a piece of rock to belay from.

From this point you just need to simul-climb up the remaining 100m, follow a scary traverse just under the summit ridge for about 30m, and then the final push up and over onto the ridge. The summit of Okinomimi lies about 20m in the direction of Tomanomimi (トマの耳).

On the summit ridgeline:

Summit of Okinomimi (1977m):

Looking back down the East Ridge:

Summit of Tomanomimi (1963m):

Looking down Machigasawa from the summit ridge:

The upper section of the East Ridge:

The approach to the Shinsen Col (centre of picture):

The lower East Ridge:

From the summit, descend the normal tourist trail to the hut below Tomanomimi, from where you can either head down to Tenjindaira and the ropeway, or you can descend the Nishikuro-one trail. This latter is recommended, as it provides an aesthetic end to the day, with the ascent and descent ridges neatly flanking Machigasawa.

The Nishikuro-one ridgeline:

Overall

A very rewarding and adventurous climb, providing a strenuous day with plenty of exposure and excitement at the grade. A small rack of nuts and slings and about 8 quickdraws should suffice.

Northwest ridge of Amidadake

2009-03-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

Route Name: Northwest ridge (Hokusai 北西)

Mountain: Amidadake (阿弥陀岳) on Yatsugatake massif

Length: 7 pitches + 100m simul-climbing to the summit

Time: 6-7 hours to the summit

Grade: 5.9 (or IV A1) / Overall Grade 2+ alpine route

Getting there

Take a Super Azusa express train form Shinjuku to Chino (approx. 3 hours). Outside the JR station at Chino take a bus to Minodoguchi (美濃戸口) (approx. 1 hour).

Minodoguchi carpark:

From the carpark start hiking up the road that is signposted to Akadake. The walk-in takes around 2.5 hours by map time. The first hour brings you past a series of buildings and on a little further to a hut that makes a good resting point for 5 minutes:

From the hut, ignore the road heading left, and take the smaller trail that breaks off ahead. Cross the small bridge to the other side of the sawa, and then follow the trail for about 1.5 hours up.

First sighting of Amidadake:

The NW ridge, visible from the trail:

Crux pitch of the route marked:

This trail will take you to a hut after 2 hours, but you need to camp in the sawa about 30 minutes before the hut:

Description

After an early alpine start, head up through the forest to the right of the sawa. The slope steepens, but keep going up through the trees until after about an hour you will come out onto the lower part of the ridge. Head up left until you break treeline, and keep going until you reach the start of a level section of the ridge itself, with the route stretching out ahead and above:

Looking back down the lower ridge:

At the start of the real climbing:

Move together across this 120m stretch. The climbing is straightforward, never more than grade II. After this come the first of the mixed pitches. Keeping to the right of the ridge, climb a full rope-length on rock and frozen turf.

Looking back:

Belay on a ledge with in-situ protection that reflects the full historical development in Japan from rings to pitons to bolts:

From here a trickier mixed pitch follows the rock down and right of the ridgeline, ending with a series of blocky moves back up onto the ridge and belay at the start of the rock pyramid that houses the crux pitch.

Blocky moves up to the belay:

The belay stance before the crux pitch:

There are two options for the crux section. Either follow a ledge out left and the ascend a slabby section on aid to the next belay, or travere several metres to the right and climb a 20m chimney. We took the chimney. Protection here is in a crack at the back of the chimney, and the climbing is quite involving, with boots or crampons balancing on small nubbins of rock.

A tricky move near the top can be aided if necessary, but can be done free. At the top of the chimney, swing out left and up onto the slab, and continue about 10m more to the bolt belay.

Looking back to the exit from the chimney:

The bolted belay above the crux pitch:

From here, you can move together for about 40m up a steep but easy section of snow, before reaching a rock step. Belay each other up this, and then simul-climb the final 100m or so to the summit.

Views from here are stunning, with the full panorama of the Japanese Alps and Mt Fuji visible.

Summit shot:

The descent for the summit involves an initial section of moving together along an exposed section of ridge, then down-climbing stepp snow with an abseil possible. Finally, a steep and long down-climb on snow brings you to the col between Amidadake and Akadake, from which you head down loeft for a long but easy slog back to the hut, and on back to your tent.

The final down-climb to the col (a lot steper than it looks here!):

And again (the ladder gives you a clue to the angle):

Overall

A fun and involving little route, far from the crowds, with plenty of interest and variety of climbing. Take a variety of nuts and slings, wth a couple of medium-sized cams, for protection. Although this route gets climbed in winter, conditions are fickle, and for a higher chance of success I recommend it as a spring alpine route.

Sansahou runze on Yatsugatake

2009-03-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

Route Name: Sansahou runze (三叉峰ルンゼ)

Mountain: Akadake (Yatsugatake massif)

Length: 400m

Time: 6 hours to summit ridge

Difficulty: A grade 3 winter alpine route (WI V-)

Getting there:

Take a Super Azusa express train from Shinjuku to Chino (approx. 3 hours). Outside the JR station at Chino take a bus to Minodoguchi (approx. 1 hour). This is the gateway to the Akadakekosen side of Yatsugatake. From the carpark start hiking up the trail that is signposted to Akadake. The walk-in takes around 3 hours by map time. It is split into 3 stage. The first hour brings you past a series of buildings and on a little further to a hut that makes a good resting point for 5 minutes. The next hour follows the road until it finishes at a bridge across the sawa. From the other side the path narrows and meanders alongside the sawa for another hour or so until you reach the hut at Akadakekosen. This hut serves as basecamp for all the routes in the area.

On the approach:

The Akadakekosen hut:

Description

I recommend scoping out the approach to the route in the light the day before, as it would be very easy to miss the turn off in the dark after an early start. Start by following the hiking trail in the direction of the pass at the start of the Nakayama One (中山尾根). After only about 15 minutes you need to peal off to the left and head up into the start of the sansahou runze gully. You should have the Sekison (石尊) ridge to your right once you get to the gully.

Looking back from the start of the climbing:

The first section of the route consists of about 5 frozen waterfalls of varying lengths up to 10m in height separated by stretches of step-kicking up steep snow inside the gully. Depending on conditions, the first waterfall could range from fairly fat and banked out at the bottom to extremely meager. Protection throughout these first few hundred metres is ice screws in the waterfalls. 3-4 pitches should suffice to reach the end of this section.

The first ice pitch:

Inside the gully:

Eventually a large open ledge is reached, which marks the end of the narrowest section of the gully. This makes a good spot for a breather and a bite to eat. From here there are two possible directions, heading up a frozen waterfall left or right. The route takes the right fork. From here the angle eases off a little and the route continues up onto the upper face via more short ice sections interspersed amongst stretches of steep snow. The face opens up gradually, and the rock gendarmes of the Daidoshin (大同心) and kodoshin (小同心) can be seen off to the left.

First ice step after the ledge:

When you reach a headwall you need to move out right, up and around a corner to a peg belay on the upper section of the Sekison ridge. From here traverse a full ropelength along the underside of the headwall, with an in-situ peg and sling for protection halfway. Regroup at the end of this traverse, and then move up and right for another 80m to meet the hiking trail on the summit ridge.

On the traverse:

On the summit ridge:

Once on the trail, head left up the ridge to the summit of Yokodake (横岳), or right towards Akadake (赤岳). After about an hour of moving along the ridgeline to the right it flattens out a little, eventually reaching a junction, where the descent path heads down off the ridge to the right. This path is steep but straightforward. After about an hour of descent, and a 30 minute traverse over a low ridgeline you should arrive back at the hut you left that morning.

Summit of Akadake:

Looking across to Amidadake:

Overall

A superb gully route up the face to the left of Sekison Ridge, with a stunning and airy traverse to gain the summit ridge. One of the classic winter gully routes in the area, although ice conditions can be fickle some years. Take a rack of ice screws, and a selection of slings and quickdraws for protection.

Tanigawadake, South Ridge

2009-02-02T05:15:00.000-08:00

Route Name: South ridge (Nanryo 南稜)

Mountain: Ichinokuradake (一ノ倉沢)

Length: 7 pitches + 200m simul-climbing to the summit

Time: 6-8 hours to the summit

Grade: V / IV+ A0 (overall route grade 3+)

Getting there :

From Tokyo take the Takasaki Line to Takasaki (about 1.5hrs). Change for the Joetsu Line to Minakami (about 45mins), then take a local for 2 stops to Doai. From the underground platform at Doai station, climb a 489-step staircase from hell to reach ground level. Exit the station and join the main road, turning right and walking under a railway bridge. Follow this road for about 20 minutes up to the Visitors Centre. Climbers are permitted to sleep on the floor in here for free after the restaurants close.

Description

This route is a hands-down total classic! It is situated at the far end of the Ichinokurasawa valley, which is a big draw for photographers of mountain scenery in all seasons of the year. Ichinokurasawa is a true climbers’ valley, in that there is no way out of it other than the way you entered unless you can climb one of the mountaineering routes to gain the summit ridge. As such, when you exit this valley at the far end it is with the knowledge that you have just climbed out of one of the most aesthetic pieces of mountain scenery in all of Japan.

The approach in summer takes several hours from the mouth of the valley, including one section where the trail leads high up on the left-hand side before descending again via a 50m rappel. From the bottom of the rappel a scramble takes you up to the start of the Tail Ridge.

The rappel:

Granite slabs in the sawa:

Looking up Tail Ridge:

Ascend Tail Ridge to the top where it meets the start of the Central Arete (Chuoryo 中央稜), then make an exposed scramble up on the left of the Central Arete, a traverse across the top of the next valley on granite slab, then a short climb up to the belay ledge at the bottom of the South Ridge which marks the start of the route. If you are planning to rappel the route after climbing then rucksacks can be left here.

Pitch 1: A short rising traverse up the wall and rightwards brings you to a chimney. Make the tricky move to enter the chimney, then climb up it and out to a belay on the left. (30m IV)

Pitch 2: Climb straight up on small but positive holds, with piton protection, for about 15m before heading up and left to a good belay stance. (25m IV)

Pitch 3: Walk / Scramble up the grassy trail with easy rocky sections to gain the belay. (40m II)

Pitch 4: Climb the short wall to the left to a spectacular belay with views down to the foot of the valley and to the walls all around. (20m III)

Pitch 5: Climb up about 10m before choosing either the left or the right of two possible routes around a promontory, then carry on up to a belay at the foot of a chimney crack. (30m III)

Pitch 6: 15m of fairly physical climbing brings you to the top of the crack. Continue to belay on a ledge below the final headwall. (25m IV)

Pitch 7: Easy climbing gains the headwall (long sling around obvious spike for protection). From here it is 10m of hard climbing up the wall, with plentiful pitons for protection. Most people climb this section A0, pulling on one of the pitons to pass through the crux move at about two-thirds height. Belay on the ledge at the top. (20m V or IV+A0)

From the top, the route can be rappelled back to the first belay ledge in 6 rappels up to 40m each on good in-situ anchors.

Continuing to the top is recommended if summits are important to you, but beware that the 200m of gradeless scrambling that the Japanese guidebooks describe is not entirely accurate. In fact, from here to the summit there are still a good few hundred metres of height-gain to be made, and around 3 hours of scrambling, including several more pitches of albeit straightforward climbing on loose rock, and one final rock step before the last 100m of bush-whacking up to the top.

The Bird's Hat:

Bush-whacking to the top:

The summit emergency hut:

From the summit of Ichinokuradake, follow the hiking trail along for about 1.5/2 hours to the hut below the summit of Tomonomimi, then down to Tenjindaira. If you have missed the final cable-car from Tenjindaira, then your descent from Ichinokuradake back down to the Visitors Centre will probably take about 4-5 hours, making this a long but extremely rewarding and adventurous day in the mountains.

Overall

An absolute local classic in one of the most beautiful mountain valleys in Japan. 7 pitches of first-class climbing on good rock, then a long but easier climb up and out to gain the highest summit of the Tanigawadake massif. Good in-situ protection, so a rack of quickdraws and a selection of nuts and long slings should suffice.

Futagoyama, Central Arete

2009-01-31T05:34:00.000-08:00

Route Name: Central Arete (中央稜)

Mountain: Futagoyama (二子山)

Length: 7 pitches

Time: 2-3 hours

Grade: 5.9+ A0

Description:

Futagoyama is in the Chichibu mountains, about an hour’s drive from Chichibu (秩父) town centre. From the small car-park (I’ll add the location of this car-park as soon as I can translate it) the approach takes about 30 minutes on foot.

There are two alternatives for the first half of the route:

A single full rope length of 5.7 is followed by a brief and easy traverse to a wide ledge with plentiful options for belays (trees, rocks).
2 pitches of 5.7/5.8 climbing bring you to the belay at the foot of the large triangular flake (very recognizable). A medium-sized friend gives a sense of security to the move around and up into the crack leading up to the flake. Climb the flake on its right edge, then make an A0 move to gain the wall and the thin crack system in the corner. Follow this crack up to the wide ledge and belay. This pitch is the crux 5.9+ A0 pitch on the route.

From the wide ledge belay, the route continues with regular bolts on solid good quality rock for 4 pitches to the top (5.8/5.9/5.7/5.6). The climbing is soft at the grade, but always enjoyable, and as you progress upwards the exposure increases. The final belay is a long sling around a rock at the top, with magnificent views of the surrounding area.

The airy summit is a short scramble away. The hiking trail provides a fast and easy descent, but if you choose to rappel the route, be careful not to get the ropes stuck in a groove near the top of the second rappel. The route could be rappelled on a single rope, but 50m rappels will make things a lot faster. 3 50m rappels take you back to the wide ledge, from where it is a quick hop across the traverse, and then one more 50m rappel from a sling around the tree at the top of the 5.7 start pitch.

Overall

A quality 7-pitch route with great exposure at a straightforward difficulty level, with in-situ protection. Take a full rack of quickdraws and a small trad rack along. A recommended day out.