Details
Trip Duration
1+ day
Mountain Range
Japan Alps, Yatsugatake Mountain Range
People per Guide
7 people
Trip Level
Sustained
Offer Period
Jan, Mar, May, Dec
Type of Trip
Not specified
The beautiful mountains of Japan will be the perfect setting for this snow mountain climbing tour.
This is a programme for advanced climbers, seeking for a more step-up training experience.
Please notice there are fixed dates in different Japanese locations, for a 1, 2 or 3-day trip. These are the three mountain areas we can explore:
South Japan Alps
The South Japan Alps (or Akaishi Mountains) are a mountain range at the heart of the Honshu island.
Here we’ll climb Mt Kaikoma (also known as Mt Kaikomagatake), a 2967 m peak inside Minami Alps National Park.
For this winter ascent, we’ll take a route on Kuroto ridge. This route has many steep sections with ladders and chains. From the top, you’ll enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view, with Mt Fuji on the distance.
Yatsugatake mountains
This group of mountains in the border of Nagano and Yamanashi prefectures offer many attractive routes for a snow mountain climbing adventure.
I propose these 2 routes:
- Sekison ridge: it’s a route on Mt Amida (Amidadake), on a mixed terrain of snow and rock.
- Nakayama ridge: a steep snow ridge, that involves technical rock climbing and using crampons.
North Japan Alps
The northern section of the Japan Alps stretches along Nagano, Gifu and Toyama prefectures.
I propose two different routes on Mt Tsurugi (2999 m), one of the top mountains among alpine and rock climbers in Japan:
- Genjirou ridge
- Yatsumine
Would you like to come on an outstanding winter climbing trip in the Japanese mountains? Check out the next departure dates and send a request!
If you are not a very experienced climber, I recommend you to tackle this snow mountain climbing programme for beginners.
Price per person per day
Price includes
- Guiding fee
- Mountain guide's expenses
What happens if I need to cancel the trip?
If you decide to cancel, you’ll get a 100% refund (minus fees) if the cancellation is notified up to 60 days before the start of the tour, a 75% refund (minus fees) if you cancel between 59 and 30 days before the start of the tour, and a 50% refund if you cancel between 29 and 21 days before the start of the tour. If you cancel less than 21 days before the first day of the tour, you won’t receive a refund.
Take into account, however, that if accommodation, flights or transfers were included in the trip you booked, then a different policy may apply as the guide will be bound by the provider’s cancellation policy.
What happens if the guide cancels the trip because of bad weather/unsuitable conditions?
If bad weather or unsuitable conditions force the guide to cancel the trip, he or she will: a) propose a similar activity at a different place where conditions are better, or b) propose to postpone the activity until a later date, or c) cancel. If you refuse option a), our cancellation policy will apply. Please note, however, that the call to cancel a trip due to bad weather can only be made by the guide (not the client).
What happens if the guide doesn’t show up or cancels for personal reasons?
If the guide cancels for reason of injury or other, you will get a 100% refund on your trip.
Other details
Mountain huts.
About the Guide
I'm an IFMGA certified mountain guide, based in Saitama, in the vicinity of Tokyo.
At around the age of 12, I was captured by charms of the mountains as I started hiking with my friends in Japan. My main passion changed from hiking, to rock climbing, to winter mountains, to climbing abroad, but I was never let go by the mountain charms since then..
I've been guiding since 1995 and have also been trained at ENSA, the French mountaineering school in Chamonix.
As a climber, I've opened numerous new free climbing and multi pitch routes and accomplished a lot of first ascents all over Japan.
My experience extends abroad as well, having climbed the classic big wall rock climbing routes on El Capitan (Yosemite), Marmolada / Cime Grande (Dolomites), Lotus flower Tower (Canada), Trango Towers (Karakoram), and Fitz Roy (Patagonia), and in alpine climbing, the famous north faces of the Alps (Eiger, Matterhorn, Drus), as well as ice falls and high altitude mountains (Aconcagua, Amadablam, K2).
Guiding is not something anyone can do.
A mountain guide needs to be an advanced climber. But being a good mountain guide requires completely different set of skills including rope works and it's not enough to just be an expert climber. As a mountain guide, I aspire to continuously learn new techniques and develop myself as a guide, so as to guide clients safely and surely.
Finally, it is not enough to just have the right skills and knowledge to be a good mountain guide. One must understand the needs of each client and try his / her best to ensure clients' mountain experience is enjoyable and memorable and /or that the clients have learnt the techniques to become a better climber / mountaineer. This is my motto.
Lastly, please note that I don't speak English fluently so I will be communicating to you in mixture of English and gestures (or Japanese, if you can understand!).
I hope you get to enjoy the mountains in Japan or elsewhere with me!
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The price stated above is the one for:
-Kuroto ridge on Mt Kaikoma (South Japan Alps).
-Sekison ridge on Mt Amida (Yatsugatake mountains).
-Nakayama ridge (Yatsugatake mountains).
These are the prices for the other locations & routes:
-Genjirou ridge on Mt Tsurugi (North Japan Alps): JPY 80,000.
-Yatsumine route on Mt Tsurugi (North Japan Alps): JPY 90,000.
Transport and accommodation costs for the clients are not included in the price.