The ice climbing not in the guide books

Japan has a lot of ‘secret’ ice climbing, but where it is and what it is means different things. In a way, all the ice climbing in Japan is sort of secret, as most the world knows almost nothing about where it is or what’s out there.

There are two kinds of ‘secret’ ice climbing in Japan; the stuff that is obscure and known only to certain climbers, and the stuff intentionally undisclosed. Like all climbing, some things are best preserved through finding yourself, and peoples projects are kept secret until they choose to reveal them.

Over the years we have climbed a lot of this sort of ice, across Japan and in places like Tibet and Mongolia. We have been trusted to keep certain things unsaid or only told to a specific few, and so we have collected a large array of secret and obscure routes.

Ice climbing that is simply obscure enough to keep itself secret is actually quite common, being those places away from the centers of popular attention. These places can even be well known but are simply unvisited, due to difficult access, special conditions or being off the main travel routes.

Some of these ‘secret’ ice climbing places are even in full view of busy climbing locations, but overlooked because there is stuff more obvious in front of them. Other stuff including the ice inside Mt Fuji, the Lost Kingdom around Kaikomagatake and some places in the north is almost legend, with many who have heard of it but few who have seen themselves.

We frequently climb ice in these ‘secret’ locations, to avoid the popular places where things can be busy. We always follow local lore by keeping them unmentioned, and even as interest in ice climbing soars these places remain quiet and pristine.

Of the ‘real’ secret stuff, the ice climbing that is intentionally not mentioned, we keep this discussion in the first person and ‘need to know’. When asked we frequently change the subject away towards other things, like the incredible climbing that is nearer to good ramen places where we can go to eat after, and where the access includes good campsites with running water so we don’t need to carry much fuel for the stoves.