Japan 2019 - breath taking ice climbing trip
Actually Japan was an alternative to another destination, because this trip did not work out due to visa problems. Now I am happy to have been in Japan or rather Hokkaido!
Martin and I set off for Tokyo at the beginning of February 2019. Once there, thanks to Erich, a lightning sightseeing tour was announced between flights. Tokyo is modern, interesting and above all extremely clean. Then it was off to the northern island of Hokkaido.
With one car and a lot of motivation, we set off in search of ice. At the beginning, this turned out to be more difficult than expected. Arrived in the Mecca for ice climbers, in the center of the island, great disillusionment spread. Despite very ideal temperatures, the routes were rarely longer than one rope length. That was all well and good, but once around half the world for these routes? No, that could not be. We looked around further and searched in the coastal regions. And there we found it, yes more than that! Directly above the sea, directly above the big waves, directly above the Sea of Japan. They are still not quite long routes, but the way they are situated, the wilderness and the unknown exceed our expectations. With the help of local climbers we discovered more and more. In the end, we were able to repeat many difficult routes and make two first ascents.
Looking back, it was an absolutely exciting ice climbing trip. Of course I wanted to ice climb. But that was not the only thing. I wanted to get to know a new, exciting country, a new culture, nice people and a wild landscape. All these expectations have been fulfilled. But you also have to be honest, because the potential for ice climbing is many times greater here in Switzerland or in many other countries. But that doesn't change the many memories that we take home with us. It was great and I'm grateful for the many unforgettable days in the meter-deep snow and on the steep ice and mixed routes directly above the sea.
But now I've had enough sushi and I'm looking forward to the rest of the winter with us.
Love greetings
Dani
