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Mount Furano north face 2-day alpine climbing, Japan
Spend 2 amazing days winter alpine climbing the north face of Mount Furano, in Hokkaido, with Takao, IFMGA certified mountain guide.
Description
Mount Furano is one of the mountains of the Tokachi volcanic group, in the island of Hokkaido. I organized a 2-day group program to practice winter alpine climbing in this mountain.
Furano is a town in Hokkaido known for the ski, in particular for the amazing backcountry options. But in this occasion I propose a different approach to the mountain: reaching the summit of the white mountain!
I decided to take you up on the north face route of Mount Furano. The approach walk (from the car park to the pase of the route) will be 3-4 hours. And then the ascent on the snow and ice begins!It is a route that requires double technical axes. There are 6 climbing pitches on mixed snow and ice terrain. The level is intermediate-advanced.
We will be using a double axe for this winter climbing adventure. The ascent includes some steeper sections. If you are not sure you have the technical level for this ascent, check out this simpler 2-day option to ascend Mount Kamihoro, also in the area.
| Program | Next departure |
| Kinshi waterfall ice climbing, Sounkyo, Japan | 30/12/17 |
| Kinshi and Ginga waterfalls ice climbing in Sounkyo, Japan | 05/01/18 |
| Ofuyu 1-day ice climbing, Japan | 27/01/18 |
| Jozankei 1-day ice climbing, Japan | 08/02/18 |
| Gokibiru 1-day ice climbing, Japan | 18/02/18 |
| Bifue waterfall 1-day ice climbing, Japan | 21/02/18 |
| Mount Tokachi area 2-day alpine climbing, Japan | 31/03/18 |
Tempted to join me in this ascent of Mount FUrano via its north face? Don’t hesitate to book this trip! And please note that you can also contact me if you prefer a privately guided tour, I can organize it as well.
Accommodation options in TOKACHI:
– Ryounkaku: Half-board with onsen. JPY 10,000.
– Hakuginso: Self catering. Guide can arrange booking. Amazing onsen outside! JPY 3,000.
Meeting point In Sapporo. |
Disclaimer - In case of bad weather / conditions (including road conditions), the trip itinerary may be altered and/or date change can be discussed. - Riding in my car is considered as ride sharing and thus will only be covered under normal car insurance. My responsibility and liability is only applicable from the departure from the start of the approach path until our return to the same point. - Please make sure all participants are individually insured appropriately with international travel insurance which specifically covers ice climbing. - For any injuries in the mountains, I will not be liable and it will need to be paid by your own means. |
More info Equipment: mountaineering boots that are compatible with crampons, technical ice axe, harness, helmet, crampons. Contact me if you need to rent part of the equipment. |
Photos
About the guide
I am an experienced IFMGA mountain guide, born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan. I started skiing when I was 3 and started climbing when I was 6. My high school years were spent in ski competitions and I joined mountaineering club at University, where I developed my ski mountaineering skills. I have been a ski instructor for Miura Dolphins founded by Yuichiro Miura (first ski descent of the Everest “The Man Who Skied Down Everest” and the oldest Everest summiting record holder at 80 years old) and also supported Yuichiro's Aconcagua ascent and ski descent in 1984 as a part of his 7 summits ski descent challenge.
I was inspired by the works of mountain guides in Chamonix when I visited there in 1983, and decided to start guiding as a mountain guide in Japan in 1989 to share my passion and experiences in outdoors sports with other people, as well as to offer instruction to people enjoying the mountains to be better climbers / skiers. I have also contributed to the proper training of JMGA (Japan Mountain Guides Association) guides and the affiliation of it to IFMGA. I am responsible for the pioneering of the climbing and backcountry skiing scenes in Japan.
My main guiding arena is alpinism, whether it be mountaineering or ski mountaineering, mainly in Hokkaido. I usually take a small group of people (2-5) for Sawanobori (canyoning up waterfalls), alpine climbing, ice climbing, and ski touring in the more remote areas of Japan.
I enjoy finding the best experience for each client accordingly to their physical abilities, preferences, and weather/conditions. I guide because I like watching and feeling that people are enjoying and having fun, and see how this buzz infects other people through skiing and climbing. I find this invaluable as a mountain guide.
There is more to Hokkaido than skiing lift accessible powder in January and February. Please reach out to me to find your own customised way to enjoy Hokkaido’s mountains, natures and culture!
For booking assistance
Have any doubts? Talk directly with an Explore Share assistant.
The Concierge service is a great tool for when you still haven't decided what kind of Adventure you're looking for and you're open to suggestions
Prices per person
Group of 1 | JPY 51547 each |
Group of 2 | JPY 51547 each |
Group of 3 | JPY 51547 each |
Want a different number of travellers?
Price includes
• Guiding fee
• Accommodation
What people are saying about this trip
Olivia Grover Johnson
5.00
February 2020
Diane Kneilmills
5.00
February 2020
Thank you!
Jim
5.00
January 2020
Takao took my wife and I on two wonderful days of skiing! We are so glad we skied with Takao. He knows the backcountry very well near all the ski areas near Sapporo and wasted no time bringing us to the best snow. I think it is worth mentioning that this was not a good year for snow in Hokkaido and still Takao found untracked powder for us! There were some avalanche concerns that he also managed very well.
Tomasz Kapela
5.00
January 2020
Everything was peerfect and prepered for our grup (six persons). Our Guide Yuki is a very nice guy and very good mountain guide. It is important to have Japanese guide in Hokkaido:)
NF 2425
5.00
January 2020
Great, experienced guide. Very knowledgeable and professional and had a great time. Would definitely recommend.
Wim Somers
4.00
September 2019
Yuki Nagaya replaced Takao and did a perfect job. Daisetsuzan is very nice, scenery is tremendous and the trail is challenging. Onsen was available in all mountain huts. Apart from bring a great guide; Yuki prepares delicious food.
Peter Knight
4.00
April 2019
Great trip - poor weather. Excellent guide!
Num
4.00
January 2019
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Robyn Yano
5.00
January 2019
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
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Elgin Tay
5.00
January 2019
The traveller did not leave a comment.
Emanuele
5.00
July 2018
Takao was amazing and I had a very enjoyable climb in Hokkaido, thank you for facilitating!
Chun Man
5.00
March 2018
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.
Tim
5.00
April 2017
(Travelled Feb 2017) The trip was good, if a bit short for the amount of travel I had to do to get there (I was in Niseko). It was fun to see a different part of Hokkaido in a unique way. Takao-san was very good at instructing and climbing. I started ice climbing in Colorado and wanted to experience climbing in a different country. If I had come during the summer I definitely would have rock climbed or taken a guided climbing trip. I have a fair amount of climbing experience, but nothing too in-depth. Takao-san took that into consideration for the routes we did. The first day we did a short hike on snowshoes to the climbing, which was a bunch of shorter single pitch routes. The weather was pretty good, but definitely on the warm side. I think we climbed at the right time during the day, as there was starting to be quite a bit of debris melting and falling on the routes when we were leaving... The second day was a two pitch route next to the sea. The exposure and area was very impressive. Takao-san did a great job explaining what he wanted us to do and did a great job working with my level of experience or in-experience. Takao-san obviously has a lot of experience guiding and climbing and did an excellent job making me feel safe and sure about what we were doing. His technical knowledge, as well as his knowledge of the area we were climbing in was definitely great in making the experience a success. I would recommend the program, but I might caution a beginner climber that the climbing was a bit more involved than I expected. For example, I had the experience of lead belaying climbers, but I\'m not sure if someone who did not have the experience would be able to have climbed where we did. I found it interesting that nobody asked me (that I recall) what my level of experience was before the trip. I did like how Takao-san met the climbing to what he thought my abilities are. Yes, I definitely would like to do it again.
Tim
5.00
April 2017
(Travelled Feb 2017) The trip was good, if a bit short for the amount of travel I had to do to get there (I was in Niseko). It was fun to see a different part of Hokkaido in a unique way. Takao-san was very good at instructing and climbing. I started ice climbing in Colorado and wanted to experience climbing in a different country. If I had come during the summer I definitely would have rock climbed or taken a guided climbing trip. I have a fair amount of climbing experience, but nothing too in-depth. Takao-san took that into consideration for the routes we did. The first day we did a short hike on snowshoes to the climbing, which was a bunch of shorter single pitch routes. The weather was pretty good, but definitely on the warm side. I think we climbed at the right time during the day, as there was starting to be quite a bit of debris melting and falling on the routes when we were leaving... The second day was a two pitch route next to the sea. The exposure and area was very impressive. Takao-san did a great job explaining what he wanted us to do and did a great job working with my level of experience or in-experience. Takao-san obviously has a lot of experience guiding and climbing and did an excellent job making me feel safe and sure about what we were doing. His technical knowledge, as well as his knowledge of the area we were climbing in was definitely great in making the experience a success. I would recommend the program, but I might caution a beginner climber that the climbing was a bit more involved than I expected. For example, I had the experience of lead belaying climbers, but I\'m not sure if someone who did not have the experience would be able to have climbed where we did. I found it interesting that nobody asked me (that I recall) what my level of experience was before the trip. I did like how Takao-san met the climbing to what he thought my abilities are. Yes, I definitely would like to do it again.
Sonny
5.00
April 2017
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
(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.
Benoit
5.00
January 2017
We have been five days on Hokkaido in December and January 2017 for backcountry skiing. It was our first time in Japan for skiing. Our guide was the experienced Takao Miyashita. Takao is a wonderful mountain guide born on Hokkaido with a lot of know-how in Himalaya, European Alps and, of course, Japan. The program was perfect and Takao have adapted it following our strengths, weakness, weather and desires. Security and training ships were perfect. Even in bad weather conditions, we were very secure and everything was suitable for what we want. The snow was great in comparison with Europe and the landscape was very beautiful. Organisation, transport, food and accommodation were also superb. A wonderful trip ! I highly recommend Takao Miyashita !
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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!