The main ridge of Mt Shirouma (白馬岳主稜)

Route name:  Main ridge (Shu-ryo 主稜)

Mountain:  Shiroumadake (2932m 白馬岳)

Map sheet:  34 [Yama-to-kougen-chizu (山と高原地図) series]

Time:  2 days (1 day approach, 1 day for the climb and descent)

Grade:  Overall Grade 2+ alpine route

Getting there:

The Shu-ryo is a winter/spring alpine climb, and the optimal time of year for it is April.  Before then you will find a lot of snow, and access will be more difficult.  After the Golden Week holidays of late April / early May, the chances of finding the ridge in perfect condition will go down as temperatures rise and the snow cover begins to break up. Consider all this in your planning.

If travelling by train from Tokyo (東京) or Shinjuku (新宿), take a Chuō Line (中央線) train out to Hakuba (白馬) station on the edge of the North Alps (北アルプス).  The quickest way is to take the Super Azusa all the way, but depending on the time of day you might have to take an Azusa to Matsumoto (松本) and then change for a local train on the JR Ooito line to Hakuba. Next take a bus from outside Hakuba station to Sarukura (猿倉).  Note that in 2014 the bus service only started running on 26th April, in time for the opening of the hut at Sarukura and the start of Golden Week.

If travelling by car, there are parking spaces outside the hut at Sarukura or in a larger car park just before the hut.  Note though that the road to Sarukura is usually closed by a locked barrier at Futamata (二股) until the day before the Golden Week holidays start, which would add an extra hour's walk to day one of this itinerary.

Description:

DAY ONE

After spending the whole morning getting to Sarukura, you’ll be pleased to hear that basecamp for the Shu-ryo is reached in a gentle hour’s walk.  In summer there is an obvious trail to follow, but in winter/spring it’s buried under the snow. If you’re standing in the car park in front of the hut at Sarukura, the path goes round the side of the hut on the left.

About 20 metres beyond the hut, head up the slope for 5-10 minutes until you hit a forest road, or rindou. Follow this road to your right and it will take you up the valley into the mountains, contouring above the river. You will pass several concrete dams, and eventually your path will converge with the river as the terrain widens out into a large snow bowl as you approach the foot of the Shu-ryo.

The Shiroumajiri (白馬尻) hut is located here, but you wouldn’t know it, as in spring it is still buried under tons of snow.  Be aware that there is a high risk of avalanches in this area and particularly from the Daisekkei (大雪渓) above, so choose your camp spot wisely. There is a rise in the centre of the valley, about 100m from the start of the Shu-ryo’s approach slopes, and this is a good area to camp, away from the valley sides.

DAY TWO

The ridge itself is a series of rising peaks and bumps, numbered in sequence from P8 at the top of the approach slopes all the way up to P1, the summit itself. Connecting these peaks is a thrilling knife-edge snow ridge, with a total height-gain from basecamp to summit of approximately 1400m.

Depending on the line you choose, it should take up to a couple of hours to climb the initial slopes and gain the ridge itself at P8.

Once on the ridge, the way to go is obvious.

Take care to stay well away from the cornices on climber’s right between P8 and P7.

Up to about P5 you can find tree anchors if you need them, but from there onwards you are on your own as things open out.  Around this point, as the character of the route morphs into a pure snow climb, the exposure begins to mount on all sides and the ridge takes on the atmosphere of a much bigger climb. The knife-edges become sharper, the drops on both sides larger, and as you get into the East face proper and approach P3 and P2, the ridge begins to rear up more steeply.

In good years it’s quite common that parties will not need to get the rope out until P3 or P2, but conditions can vary from year to year and depending on how early or late in the season you are there, so be prepared to pitch these latter sections on your own snow belays if necessary.

Eventually you will arrive at the small flat area on top of P2, the final resting spot before the crux section of the route; the headwall for which the Shu-ryo is deservedly famous.

This final slope is approximately 60m high, and steepens up to an angle of about 60 degrees in its upper half.  It is always overhung by an enormous cornice. If you’re lucky, a previous party will have already dealt with this and carved an exit. If not, you will have to deal with it yourselves.

Some parties choose to climb the exit slope in one full rope length, but there are rock anchors available around halfway up the slope if you prefer to split it into two pitches. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, but my personal feeling is that if you do it in one, the leader is going to be a LONG way above the belayer by the time they reach the cornice, and if they do slip, we’re talking about a very long fall with just an ice-axe belay in the snow 50-60m below. Depending on the time of day you reach this spot (we were there at 09:30am with the sun full bore on this snow slope), the snow could be extremely slushy.  To conclude, it seems prudent to me to climb it in 2 pitches if you’re there when the snow is soft and wet, and perhaps just a single long pitch if you arrive later in the day when the sun has already dipped behind the mountain to the west and the snow has firmed up a bit.

Placing a snow stake before the final cornice will also add a measure of security in the event of a slip.

One of the many attractions of the Shu-ryo is that you top out right on the summit itself, near the concrete summit marker. The feeling of pulling over that cornice and topping out onto the relatively flat summit area is priceless.

On a clear day you will be able to see all the way across to Tsurugidake (剱岳) and as far out as Yarigatake (槍ヶ岳) to the south.  Congratulate yourselves on a great climb before you begin the walk down.

Getting down:

There are a few ways you could get down from the summit, but all except one take substantially longer and more effort and will not bring you back to your tent. The quickest and easiest way down to your tent is to go down the Daisekkei (Great Snow Valley 大雪渓), but this is very avalanche-prone in spring and if you choose to take this route down, treat it with full respect and get it done as quickly and as safely as you possibly can.

From the summit, head south to the enormous Hakuba-sansou (白馬山荘), about 10-15 minutes below.  Continue down the same way until you reach the next big hut at the top of the Daisekkei.  The route swings to the east now on climber’s left and drops down into the Daisekkei. If you’re fast you can be through all this and back to your tent in about an hour from the summit, but it may take you quite a bit longer. Keep your eyes and ears open and alert for avalanches.

From Shiroumajiri and your tent, all that remains is to reverse the hour’s walk back down to Sarukura.

Overall:

Easily one of the most aesthetic itineraries in Japan, the Shirouma Shu-ryo is the classic snow line.  It has both ambience and exposure, and for a route of only moderate difficulty it demands fitness, a head for heights and the ability to protect yourselves on steep snow. This is without a doubt one of the classic climbs of the Japan Alps!