Li-hsin Tu
5.00
March, 2022
Winter climbing on Mount Tanigawa
It was my first winter mountaineering experience, and I had a wonderful time. Hiroko is great guide. She is professional, knowledgable, and very patient. Also, her love for Tanigawadake and the Minakami area is both inspiring and contagious. It made me want to come back and experience the area in a different season. My only complaint is that our email communication was a little slow. Overall I highly recommend this tour.
Ching Kuo
5.00
February, 2022
Ice climbing course for beginners in the Yatsugatake Mountains, Japan (2 days)
Aoyama san is a great guide! He is very proficient and I feel very safe ice climbing with him. In a 2 day trip we went to different ice falls and learned a lot of technics related to ice climbing. Highly recommended his course if you would like to learn ice climbing/mountaineering.
Tatiya Srilavan
5.00
February, 2020
Ice climbing course for beginners in the Yatsugatake Mountains, Japan (2 days)
It's one of the best experiences! Jun is a great guide and was very patient and helpful with me all along. He taught me patiently step by step and encouraged me to go beyond my limit. Also he provided everything perfectly. I had best time learning from him and enjoyed both the lesson and the mountain.
Olivia Grover Johnson
5.00
February, 2020
Intro to Ice Climbing in Sounkyo, Hokkaido
Thanks so much to my guide Takao! I had so much fun ice-climbing in Sounkyo. I would definitely like to do it again and will happily recommend this experience to other people! Hopefully I’ll come back next year!
Arthika Kanokpaipipat
5.00
February, 2020
Winter Mountaineering Course with Nishihodaka Climb
Big Thanks to Kenichi,he is professional and think about your safety all the time.He organized everything to made a proper program for us and discuss with us through email many times before starting the trip. We have lots of fun and already fall in love with winter mountaineering! Never thought that we will reach the summit. If you looking for someone who can guide you with safety and happiness,Kenichi is the one.
Anonymous
5.00
January, 2020
Ice climbing course for beginners in the Yatsugatake Mountains, Japan (2 days)
Jun gave us a wonderful trip! He is very experienced and speaks perfect English. All the instructions are easy to understand. Although both of us are beginners, we still can enjoy the joy of ice climbing in Japan. I would definitely recommend Jun as a ice climbing and hiking tour guide :)!
NF 2425
5.00
January, 2020
Intro to Ice Climbing in Sounkyo, Hokkaido
Great, experienced guide. Very knowledgeable and professional and had a great time. Would definitely recommend.
Peter Knight
4.00
April, 2019
Ice Climbing Day Trip from Sapporo
Great trip - poor weather. Excellent guide!
Jo Plaete
5.00
April, 2019
Winter Mountaineering Course with Nishihodaka Climb
Kenichi is a great guide, very experienced and focussed on delivering a safe yet enjoyable journey. We were lucky weather conditions on both days were favourable and the views along the way and from the Nishihodaka summit were just stunning!
Bob Mountain
5.00
March, 2019
Intro to Ice climbing at Mt. Akadake of Yatsugatake
Cveto is an exceptionally experienced guide. Akadake was a challenging climb for me but Cveto got me up and down the mountain safely and made it a lot of fun. He taught me some new crampon techniques that I was able to put to work immediately and they really helped with the steepness and deep snow on the mountain that day. He helped me with trip logistics as well, recommending a nice local lodge to stay at. His English was excellent and I would strongly recommend him as a guide.
Aaron Mundy
5.00
February, 2019
Winter Mountaineering Course in Hokkaido
Takao-san is a great guide. I would highly recommend him and plan to go climbing with him again.
Emma Milner
5.00
January, 2019
Winter Ascent of Mt Nishihodaka, Japan Alps
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Num
4.00
January, 2019
Ice Climbing Day Trip from Sapporo
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Robyn Yano
5.00
January, 2019
Intro to Ice Climbing in Sounkyo, Hokkaido
We had a wonderful time ice climbing despite some rather crazy weather conditions! Takao was great company, very clearly experienced in the area and equipped with all necessary equipment. He was always on time and made exceptional efforts to get us out to the ice and back safely to Sapporo. The onsen, river crossing and thigh-high snow trek were as important as the actual climbing to the whole experience. We highly recommend and hope to be back to the area for summer climbing!
Elgin Tay
5.00
January, 2019
Intro to Ice Climbing in Sounkyo, Hokkaido
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Trudy Lin
5.00
January, 2019
Ice climbing courses in Japan
Excellent well organised trip, Mr Shinohara was very responsive to emails and helpful in preparing for the correct equipment for the trip. Highly recommend - it was a fantastic experience!
Elgin Tay
5.00
January, 2019
1-day Ice climbing in Jozankei, near Sapporo (Hokkaido)
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Elgin Tay
5.00
January, 2019
1-day Ice Climbing in Ofuyu, near Sapporo (Hokkaido)
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Florent
5.00
April, 2018
Winter Mountaineering Course with Nishihodaka Climb
Perfect trip. Perfect guide. Nice mountain
Arnold
3.00
April, 2018
Winter climbing on Mount Tanigawa
A good climb although weather wasn't good and couldn't see much at the summit.
Arnold
5.00
April, 2018
Winter climbing on Mount Tanigawa
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Chun Man
5.00
March, 2018
Intro to Ice Climbing in Sounkyo, Hokkaido
Takao is very professional. I enjoy climbing with him very much. Also, the waterfall at 2nd day leave a good memories for me. If I climb in Japan again, I will find him again.
DILLON CHAN
5.00
March, 2018
Winter climbing on Mount Tanigawa
Excellent guide for a very dangerous mountain! In Hiroko's hands she guided me across challenging terrain. I highly recommend this winter hike as she will teach you the basics of winter mountaineering. The mountain is quite steep. For beginner mountaineers, this is the perfect trial ground. Hiroko was polite friendly and extremely helpful. She dropped me off at an onsen after the hike and then dropped me off at the train station.
Todd Hall
5.00
December, 2017
Intro to Ice climbing at Mt. Akadake of Yatsugatake
Awesome! Couldn’t have asked for a better guide or a better two day activity. Cheers Cveto and Chibow!
Jonathan Travis
5.00
May, 2017
Winter climbing on Mount Tanigawa
Hiro was fantastic from start to finish. She introduced me to winter techniques and was brilliant company all the way to the peak. She is a true pro. It was an epic day on Tanigawa that will live long in the memory!
Sonny
5.00
April, 2017
Intro to Ice Climbing in Sounkyo, Hokkaido
It was a really great experience and good for technical knowledge. He picked us up on time and was flexible with our schedules. The climbing itself was amazing and challenging. Beautiful scenery and the walk in to the waterfalls were interesting.
Yi Chung
5.00
January, 2017
Intro to Ice Climbing in Sounkyo, Hokkaido
(Travelled December 2016) On the whole, we enjoyed ourselves very much! We love Japan and have a huge respect for our the Japanese who are polite, organized, professional and have some of the best food in the world :) Takao-san was very friendly, gentle, patient and genuine. We enjoyed his company throughout. Of course, we slowly learned that he is one of the most experienced mountaineers and guides around in Japan. In any case, we always felt safe with him. He also spoke well enough in English such that we could have simple conversations and understood the instructions. We would recommend him to others should they need a guide :) Sounkyo is interesting. The two waterfalls are beautiful and it's a privilege to be able to climb them. It seems we are there a bit early so the town was really quiet. Kin Shi waterfall was also great, first pitch was spectacular. It's our first time in Hokkaido, we are surprised how cold it is. It seems there must be endless reliable ice climbing routes here and the season is much longer than the alps. When we were in Champagny en Vanoise in end Jan last season, we were climbing on really thin ice. Routes are manageable, not too difficult. The first 30m pitch of Kin Shi was probably my favorite. Takao said that there are routes by the sea. That would be really interesting to try out when we next come back to Hokkaido. If there is a downside, I'm not sure the value compares well to the alps. When we were in Champagny, the cost was about 350 euro a day for a local guide incl. all equipment rentals. We climbed routes that were 7-8 pitches long that took 4-5 hours. With Takao, the first day Ginga we did single pitch practices (it was a bone freezing -20 to -25 so just as well we didn't do the multi pitch), the second day Kin Shi was a 4 pitch climb we finished around 1230 back at the car park. I understand that the cost may be due to the limited number of guides, high cost in Japan, and transportation, but if the tour was about 20 percent cheaper that could be more attractive. I think it's a great job what Explore & Share is doing to develop the Japanese climbing scene and open the opportunities for foreign climbers like myself. Overall I'm optimistic that there is much potential and I look forward to coming back.
Japan has a unique culture that can easily be added into your trip. On Hokkaido, the intimate fishing villages and personalized hospitality can enhance your adventure, especially after a day on the ice. If winter wilderness is what you seek, you came to the right place.
Country Code
+81
Language
Japanese
Currency
Yen (JPY)
Best Time to Visit
Ice climbing is best done in winter. January and February are the perfect months to take on the frozen walls of Japan, though early and late trips in winter can provide great conditions, too
Weather
The weather in Japan tends to be nice and cold throughout winter. It can be volatile at high altitudes, but the climate provides a high snow fall and low temperatures to keep the ice flowing and frozen throughout the season
How to Get There
Getting to Japan requires flying into one of its islands. For the island of Honshu, Tokyo is the best choice. The Shinkansen and the train network can easily get you where you need to go. For trips to Hokkaido, the New Chitose Airport serves the Sapporo hub, and the northern island also has efficient bullet trains and public transportation. Rental cars are readily available at most major cities
Japan is an island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, comprised of four large islands and many smaller ones – more than 6,850 in total throughout the archipelago. Its wide geographic range lends to a diverse climate, which means ice climbing can be found in a few different locations. In the northern island of Hokkaido, the long and cold winters provide perfect conditions for an ideal climb, while high-altitude spots on Honshu, the main island, also have great ice ascents. The main cities of the country are connected with trains, and even traveling between islands can be done with public transportation. Tokyo is the capital of the country, located on Honshu, and it provides a nice starting off point for trips to the Japanese Alps. To head north, take a train through the Seikan Tunnel or fly into Sapporo and you will be in the heart of Hokkaido
Ice climbing in Japan: winter adventures beyond powder snow
Discover the best spots for ice climbing in Japan and get some inspiration from people who traveled there with certified mountain guides from our Explore-Share community. Extremely cold temperatures, heavy snowfalls and amazing powder snow have turned Japan into a world-class skiing destination, with more than 600 ski resorts spread over the country's mountains.
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Ice Climbing in Hokkaido: what are the best spots?
Hokkaido – Japan’s second largest and one of its northernmost islands – has long been synonymous with backcountry skiing. Boasting the perfect climate and powder conditions for the sport, millions of powder hounds descend on its most popular resorts each year. However, the incredibly varied and diverse island also serves as the perfect outpost
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