ALPINE CLIMBING JAPAN HAS MADE CLIMBING ICE IN JAPAN FAMOUS. WHEN WE STARTED, DESPITE BEING A COMMON THING FOR JAPANESE CLIMBERS, THERE WAS ALMOST NOTHING OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY KNOWN ABOUT THE ICE HERE. NOW JAPAN SEES A STEADY STREAM OF INTERNATIONAL CLIMBERS RANGING FROM BEGINNERS TO PROFESSIONALS LIKE WILL GADD COMING HERE LOOKING FOR ICE IN A UNIQUE MOUNTAIN CULTURE.
FROM GIFU IN CENTRAL JAPAN TO THE NORTHERN TIP OF HOKKAIDO, JAPAN HAS ENOUGH ICE FOR A LIFETIME. WHILST THE CENTRAL JAPANESE AREAS SEE A LOT OF TRAFFIC DUE TO PROXIMITY TO POPULATION CENTRES LIKE TOKYO, THERE ARE ALSO PLENTY OF PLACES THAT ONLY SEE A FEW TEAMS A WINTER, IF EVEN THAT.
LIKE MANY THINGS IN JAPAN, WHAT MAKES THE ICE UNIQUE IS THE CULTURE & ENVIRONMENT AROUND IT, WITH APPROACHES THROUGH AMAZING LANDSCAPES, THE RESPECT OF THE LOCALS & UNIQUE FORMATIONS DUE TO JAPAN’S OWN GEOLOGY, CLIMATE & TOPOGRAPHY.