Winter Mountaineering Course with Nishihodaka Climb

Learn basic winter mountaineering skills from a very experienced IFMGA guide and summit Mt Nishihodaka in the North Japan Alps mountain range.

Kenichi Nagaoka

Details

Trip Duration

2 days

Mountain Range

Japan Alps

People per Guide

3 people

Trip Level

Intermediate

Offer Period

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec

Type of Trip

Not specified

Highlights

Learn winter mountaineering skills and enjoy the beautiful climb and scenery of North Japan Alps from the summit of Mt Nishihodaka

Let’s enjoy winter climbing of Nishihodaka!
If you’re interested in starting winter mountain climbs and learning some skills necessary then this programme is for you! In addition to gaining some useful winter mountaineering skills, we will also put the skills learnt into use the next day by attempting a climb of Mt Nishihodaka.

I am very experienced in teaching mountaineering skills as one of my roles include training people to become mountain guides.

The Shinhotaka ropeway takes you from elevation of 1,117m to 2,156m, which gives us an easy access to the ridge lines. I have climbed this route a lot and had a lot of great experiences, and I would love to share them with you.

Required Technical Level:
Preferred to have basic skills / experiences in mountains

Required Fitness Level:
Need to have good strength for 8 hours a day with carrying
approximately 8kg backpack

Kit List

*Please contact me if you need to rent any of these gears.

Harness
Helmet – must have one
Screwgate karabiner – 3 sets
Karabiner – 2 set keylock type or same level
Slings – 120cm and a 60cm
Belay Device – one which can also be used for abseiling / rappelling
Crampons – with 10-12 teeth
Ice axe – light and not long
Climbing Pole – one is better
Shell Outer – e.g. Gore-Tex
Shell Pants – e.g. Gore-Tex
Warm jacket / insulating layers
Hat – protection against cold and sunlight
Sunglasses – necessary item (goggles possible as a substitute)
Sunscreen – necessary item
Headlamp – with extra battery
Food or snack
Drink – with thermos bottle (no Plastic bottles)
Suitable Winter mountaineering boots
Suitable Winter mountaineer clothes
Suitable gloves for winter
Backpack – 40-45L size
Photocopy of Insurance
Plastic bags
Map – optional
Camera – optional
Cell phone – optional
Small knife – optional
Lighter – optional

Crampons and Ice axes can be rented at JPY 500 per item.

Helmet, harness, karabiner, slings, belay device can be rented at JPY 500 per item or JPY 2,000 for all items.

If you’d like to rent everything (crampons, ice axe, helmet, harness, karabiner, slings, belay device) then the price for all is JPY 3,000

Price per person

Group of 1

60000 JPY

Group of 2

60000 JPY

Group of 3

60000 JPY

Price includes

Guiding fee

Cancellation Policy

Itinerary

Day 1: A hike to Nishiho Hut and a Winter Mountaineering Skills course
We will meet at Shin-Hodaka Onsen Ropeway at 9:30 a.m. Utilising the ropeway, we’ll hike through a beautiful forest of Japanese hemlock and maries fir to Nishihodaka Hut, where I’ll go through basic winter mountaineering skills with you. We’ll stay overnight at the hut.

Day 2: The peak and traverse
From Nishihodaka hut, we will climb to the peak of Nishiho Doppyo (2,701m) and then to the peak of Mt Nishihodaka (2,909m). We will take the same route back to Shin-Hodaka Onsen(Hot spring).

Other details

Meeting point

9:30 a.m. at Shin-Hodaka Onsen Ropeway

Accommodation

Nishiho Hut

More info

Included in Price:

- Guide Fee

- Winter Mountaineering Skills Course Fee

Excluded from Price:

- Own Transportation Fee

- Guide Expense ca. JPY 18,300 (for transportation and accommodation)

*Please split the guide expense with group members.

- Rental cost for gears (optional)

About the Guide

Kenichi Nagaoka

Mountain Guide

I am an IFMGA mountain guide as well as a specialist in mountain rescue. As a guide, I constantly work towards increasing the standards of mountaineering skills in Japan with an emphasis on risk and safety management, whilst training and coaching mountaineering clubs and rescue teams.

I started climbing in my 20s, and since then have enjoyed all-round mountain activities including alpine climbing in Mt Tanigawa (on which I’ve climbed over 360 times), Hodaka, Tsurugi areas as well as rock climbing, ice climbing, ski mountaineering, sawanobori, and high altitude climbing in the Himalayas.
In addition to numerous and notable climbs in Japan, I have an extensive climbing experiences abroad both personal and for guiding; in the Himalayas (Lotse etc.), Eiger, Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Grands Jorasses north face, and New Zealand (Aspiring, Cook).

My current interest is in training people mountain skills in order for them to enjoy the mountains better and in a safer manner. I run a mountain guide academy where I have been training future mountain guides with a strong focus on safety and elimination of accidents for a number of years. At the same time, I very much enjoy teaching and running skills courses for beginners who are just getting into the mountains but are keen on learning and/ or improving their skills for their next project.

Please contact me if you’re looking for a guide to train you to accomplish your dream project, to help you progress in your mountain skills, or to help you gain introductory skills for first time mountaineering / ice climbing / rock climbing / ski mountaineering! I’d be very happy to assist you to achieve your wishes!!