November to March. What and where.

The best time to climb ice in Japan depends on what you want to do, with climbing right through winter. From November to March there is always ice somewhere, and the best time for climbing certain things changes as winter in Japan evolves.

We run a lot of trips over winter, both in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, but we focus on Japan for the peak ice climbing period. This is a time when there is a lot of types of ice in a lot of different places, so we can climb almost non-stop and see a lot of the country.

For many climbers, they will have a specific time they can be in Japan, so want the best that is available that that specific time. For others, who have the leeway to follow the season, we define the objective then secure the dates around that.

The season starts in November, when some places get early-season ice that needs the short days and spring fed sources. These places tend to be high and technical, but the ice can be the best of the season, and there is all of the winter ahead for the routes to mature.

December can still be dry, but spring fed ice will thicken up, and access is easy before the inundation of snow. this is a time for high alpine routes and ice deep in valleys, and in most cases routes are still fresh and not altered by too much climbing.

January sees the best overlap but also the most traffic, but as it progresses it becomes the best time for the classic stuff. Snow starts to replenish and fatten routes that start with water, and this is probably when things are the best for pure ice climbing.

February sees full winter with the lowest temperatures, but snow starts to make things feel very alpine. This is when the big routes are best, or stuff needing the stability of the cold.

March is a good time for a return to the high alpine climbing, that mixes ice with snow into long routes. Days are getting long so big routes seem nicer, but the end of most steep ice is looming and things start reign in.