Advanced multi-pitch climbing in Hokkaido

Explore some exciting multi-pitch climbing routes in Akaiwa, Otaru, one of the most famous climbing areas in Hokkaido, on this 1-day trip for advanced climbers with Yasuko, a local JMGA mountain guide.

1 Day

Jun - Oct

High

Intermediate

Description

Only at a 1.5 hour drive from Sapporo, we'll reach Akaiwa Otaru, one of the oldest and most popular climbing areas in Hokkaido.

This is a multi-pitch climbing programme oriented for advanced climbers.

However, there are routes with a wide range of difficulties in this area, from beginner (UIAA III-), intermediate (UIAA IV-V) to advanced (UIAA VI-). I will pick the appropriate sector depending on your experience, technical levels and your wishes!

There are 3 main climbing areas in Akaiwa Otaru: in the west, east and in the center.

For free climbing, we'll be climbing in areas called 44 face, and crystal face and so on.
For multi-pitch climbing, we'll be climbing in areas called Higashino Ohkabe, Table, Pinnacle, Fudo, Nishikabe, Nishioku etc. They are around 3-4 pitches.

We'll meet at 7.30 am in Sapporo and drive to Otaru. On the way, we'll stop by a convenience store to buy snacks and lunch for the day.

The approach to the crag will be a 10-20 min hike on a mixture of trail and loose rocks. Then, we'll get ready and there will be a briefing.

We'll climb in the morning and in the afternoon, including a lunch break between both sessions.

The trip will end by 5 pm, but I can take you to an onsen afterwards if you like to.

Would you like to join me for a 1-day rock climbing trip in Hokkaido? Please, contact me so we can start planning this together!

If you are looking for a longer climbing trip, you can also take a look at this 2-day crack / trad climbing in central Hokkaido.

Price includes

Guiding fee
Mountain guide expenses

Price details

The following items can be rented:
Harness JPY 1000
Helmet JPY 1000
Belay set (ATC / Slings / Carabiners) JPY 2000
Whole set JPY 3000
* Please let me know in advance if you need to rent. Depending on your shoe size, it might not be possible to rent them in Japan.

Details

More info

Temperature in Hokkaido from June - Sept is around 15-25c. Sept - Oct is autumn in Hokkaido and there are days when it's lower than 10c.

Gear list: Climbing Gears - helmet / harness / climbing shoes / chalk bag / Belay device / 2 screwgate carabiners / 1 60cm sling / 1 120cm sling / belay gloves / You also need approach shoes / day bag which you can fit all the climbing gears in.

Recommended clothing: Trousers (3/4 length recommended), but something which you can bend your knees easily in. No shorts. T-shirt or long sleeve shirts / insulating mid layer e.g. fleece / waterproof jacket / sunglasses etc.

Meeting point

Sapporo station (North exit) or I can pick up from a hotel in Sapporo.

About the guide

Yasuko

4.9

(7)

Mountain Guide

JMGA Mountain Guide
I was born in Kitami city in east Hokkaido. I grew up loving outdoor sports, skiing, and mountain climbing. I now lives in Sapporo and I have been a guide for the last 15 years.
I have accumulated vast experience in mountaineering in both Japan and abroad. I have served on the Canadian Ski Patrol and I have a wealth of experience skiing, rock climbing, and mountain climbing all over the world including Europe, North America, and Nepal.
I pride myself on my skill and experience rock climbing during the summer and backcountry skiing in the winter months. I have climbed Mt. McKinley in the U.S., Mt. Manaslu and Mt. Ama-Dablam, in Nepal, The Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Chamonix, in Europe and Insubong in Korea.
Please contact me if you want to experience Japan walking, climbing or skiing! I will be very happy to guide you here.

Languages

Japanese | English

Certificates

JMGA

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What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

Valeriya

You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.

Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

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Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.

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