Category: TRIPS

JAPAN'S BEST ALPINE TRIPS BEGIN HERE

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FUJI FULL WINTER CONDITIONS

EVEN THO IT’S THE BEST ICE SEASON IN YEARS, LOTS OF TALK ABOUT FUJI MEANS WE ARE GOING TO PUT IT OUT THERE. RIGHT NOW FUJI IS IN ABOUT THE BEST ‘DEEP WINTER’ CONDITIONS IT CAN BE – SAFE, COLD, DRY & EASY TO GET TO. FOR BIG PEAK TRAINING OR SIMPLY THE HIGHEST AND…
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KAIKOMAGATAKE O-REN TANI & LOST KINGDOM

IT’S THE YEAR WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR. DRY & COLD, THE FLANKS OF KAIKOMAGATAKE ARE IN THE BEST CONDITION THEY HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS WITH GOOD ICE EVERYWHERE. ANYONE LOOKING TO GO INTO KAIKOMAGATAKES ‘LOST KINGDOM’ IS ADVISED TO SADDLE UP. THE APPROACH HAS CHANGED, MAKING IT QUICKER WITH LESS WANDERING AROUND, AND ICE FALLS…
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2020/21 Mt FUJI WINTER ASCENTS: THE YEAR FOR KEEPING IT REAL

2020/21 IS A DRY YEAR ON FUJI WHICH MEANS IT’S FAR SAFER THAN USUAL. THE BEAUTY OF THIS MEANS IT’S AN IDEAL YEAR FOR ASCENTS IN REAL ALPINE STYLE THAT DON’T USE THE ESTABLISHED TRAILS. FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CLIMBED FUJI IN WINTER, THE CHANCE TO DO IT OFF THE TRAILS IS BOTH RARE AND…
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WINTER BIVY NIGHTS

WE’VE SOLD IMAGES OF JAPANESE ICEFALLS AND WINTER CLIMBING FOR YEARS NOW, BUT RECENTLY IT’S BEEN INTEREST IN BIVY SITES THAT HAS DRAWN ATTENTION. ALMOST INVARIABLY THOSE WHO POINT THIS OUT HAVE THE SAME REASON – THEY WANT TO START DOING MORE INVOLVED ASCENTS. SOMETIMES IT’S JUST ABOUT LEARNING A SURVIVAL SKILL, BUT MORE AND…
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JAPAN HARD ALPINISM: WHAT IS IT, AND HOW DO I GET SOME?

THIS WINTER IS DIFFERENT. ASIDE FROM THE CORONA VIRUS, FOR SOME REASON REQUESTS THIS TIME ROUND ARE CENTERING ON THE MORE SERIOUS SIDE OF JAPANESE ALPINISM. WE ASSUME THIS IS TO DO WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME PEOPLE HAVE, AND THAT THE PEOPLE WANTING TRIPS THIS YEAR ARE BRINGING A HIGHER-THEN-USUAL DEGREE OF EXPERIENCE TO…
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FRONTIER ICE CLIMBING; INNER MONGOLIAN ICE

EVER WANTED TO SEE THE GOBI DESERT IN WINTER? TRUE TO FORM, ICECLIMBINGJAPAN AND FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS BRINGS YOU THE LEADING EDGE OF ASIAN CLIMBING TRIPS. NOT ONLY DO WE COVER A LOT OF GROUND IN ASIA, BUT WE WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO ALSO COVER A LOT OF THEIR OWN GROUND AND EXPOSE US…
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Mt FUJI WINTER CLIMBING 2020 / 21

RIGHT NOW Mt FUJI LOOKS LIKE THIS. THE TRAILS ARE OPEN AND THE EARLY SNOW IS PROBABLY HERE TO STAY ABOVE ABOUT 2700m. AS PER A NORMAL YEAR, FACILITIES ON THE MOUNTAIN ABOVE THE 5th STATION WILL BE CLOSED, AND IDEALLY UNLIKE LAST WINTER THERE WILL BE NO ACCIDENTS THAT ENTAIL POLICE ASKING CLIMBERS TO…
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ICECLIMBINGJAPAN’S SERVICE-PERSON’S DISCOUNT

ICJ HAS ALWAYS HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH SERVICE WOMEN & MEN OF SEVERAL NATIONS THAT INCLUDES ENLISTED, RANKING AND ‘ASSOCIATED’ PERSONNEL PLUS CIVILIAN CREW, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ON THE SAME TRIP. THIS IS NOT SOME HOKEY PATRIOTIC THING, IT’S SIMPLY FUNCTIONAL; WE KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A LONG WAY FROM HOME FOR…
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Mt FUJI 2020 / 21 WINTER ASCENTS

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN PEOPLE START ASKING ABOUT CLIMBING FUJI IN THE WINTER, AND LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE EVERYONES ASKING HOW THE CORONA VIRUS AFFECTS IT. THE SUMMER 2020 FUJI SEASON WAS SHUT DOWN, INCLUDING GATES AND CAMERAS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE TRAILS. THINGS WERE TRULY SHUT, BUT CONVERSATIONS WITH YAMANASHI OFFICIALS  SAY…
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WHAT TO EXPECT; THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMERCIAL & INDEPENDENT CLIMBING

THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS SEEN AN EXPLOSION IN INTEREST IN ALPINE CLIMBING. EVOLUTION IN SEVERAL ELEMENTS HAS SEEN A RAPID INFLUX OF PEOPLE WANTING TO CLIMB ICE & COLD MOUNTAINS, SO THE INDUSTRY THAT PROVIDES TO THAT HAS GONE INTO HIGHER GEAR TO DO SO. 20/21 – DESPITE ALL THE GLITCHES – IS GEARING…
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