On Sunday 19th we walked into the Akadake-kōsen hut in perfect weather, aiming to get in a climb of the Central Ridge (赤岳主稜) 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-kōsen 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:
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