ASIAN ALPINE E-NEWSIssue No. 50 April 2019

ContentsPress releases of two guide books on the Japanese Mountains
published by CICERONE (UK)
Page 2 ~ 3An attempt on the unclimbed north face of Nilgiri 7,061m
in Annapurna Himal-Nepal, Takuya Mitoro
Page 4 ~ 13
Nakamura’s lecture in the Peking University

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Page 14 ~ 26

PRESS RELEASEGreat mountain walking in the Land of the Rising Sun

HIKING AND TREKKING IN THE
JAPAN ALPS AND MOUNT FUJI
Northern, Central and Southern Alps
by Tom Fay, Wes Lang
The Japanese have long understood the pleasures of the outdoors – fromadmiring koyo ('colourful autumn leaves') to goraiko ('watching the sunrise
from a mountain top'). It's little surprise that hiking features prominently inJapanese culture, since Japan is home to so many amazing landscapes,
offering fantastic opportunities for exploration. This guide presents aselection of 14 walks and 13 short treks in the magnificent mountains of themain island of Honshu. As well as the four main trails to the summit of iconic
Mt Fuji – Japan's highest peak at 3776m – the routes cover the North,Central and South Alps, taking in some of Japan's most famous mountains
and following dramatic ridgelines offering spectacular views.
The graded routes range from gentle walks on well-maintained paths tochallenging mountain traverses, some involving scrambling and exposure.
The treks make use of the area's excellent network of mountain huts andcampsites, full details of which are presented in the guide. Alongsidecomprehensive route description and mapping, you'll find all the information
you need to plan a successful walking holiday, with advice on travel,
accommodation, bases, equipment and safety. There are also notes on
Japanese history and culture, recommendations in case you want to sample
some local delicacies and tips on bathing etiquette (since several of themountain huts boast the luxury of a hot-spring bath). Useful contacts,
mountain hut listings and a Japanese glossary are included in theappendices. The stunning colour photography will fill you with the urge toput on your boots and discover these breathtaking mountains.

Key information
Published Mar 2019
By Tom Fay, Wes Lang
£22.95400pp
Paperback Gloss Laminated pvc Sleeve

What's inside?

ISBN: 9781852849474• 14 walks and 13 treks of 2–8 days
• Mt Fuji's Yoshida, Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya routes• bases and mountain hut listings• Japan is one of the best-kept secrets ofthe hiking world

About the authors
Tom Fay is a British writer and teacher based in Osaka, and he has been
living in Japan for well over a decade. He has hiked and climbed in many
places including Scotland, Iceland, China, South Korea, New Zealand, theHimalaya and every corner of Japan, and writes about travel and the outdoors
for a variety of publications and media outlets.

For further information, or to receive areview copy please contact Hannah
hannah@cicerone.co.uk
01539 587985

Wes Lang has been exploring Japan's mountains since relocating to thecountry in 2001. In 2008 he became the first American (and one of only ahandful of foreigners) to climb the Hyakumeizan, Japan's 100 FamousMountains. He is the founder of Hiking in Japan, a website providing
comprehensive hiking information for the Hyakumeizan and beyond.

Juniper House, Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, LA9 7RL
www.cicerone.co.uk - Contact info@cicerone.co.uk - Or call 01539 587982

PRESS RELEASE
Uncover the magic of Japan's spiritual heartland

JAPAN'S KUMANO KODOPILGRIMAGE
The UNESCO World Heritage trek
by Kat Davis
Follow in the footsteps of emperors, samurai and wandering priests as you
discover Japan's historic pilgrimage trails...
To hike the Kumano Kodo is to enter another world, a landscape of stunning
natural beauty and ancient spirituality. Centred around the three colourful
Shinto-Buddhist shrines of the Kumano Sanzan, the traditional flagstone
paths and forest trails are lined with moss-covered stone deities and tranquil
oji shrines.
This guide describes Japan's Kumano Kodo, a series of UNESCO-listed
pilgrimage routes that crisscross the mountainous Kii peninsula, south of
Osaka. It covers the 64km Nakahechi and 63km Kohechi trails in full, as wellas the Choishimichi route to Koyasan (20km), the Hongu loop (17km) andhighlights of the Iseji trail. You'll find a wealth of practical information to
help plan your trip, covering when to go, transport, kit and safety. Clear routedescription and mapping is accompanied by comprehensive details ofaccommodation and facilities on route, as well as fascinating notes on local
points of interest and inspirational colour photography. There is also aJapanese glossary and helpful advice on Japanese culture and etiquette.
Stay in a traditional inn or temple lodging, sample delicious local delicacies,
enjoy a relaxing soak in a hot-spring bath – or simply pause to enjoy theregion's otherworldly beauty. The Kumano Kodo offers a unique experience,
blending great hiking with a fascinating insight into Japan's culture andhistory.
What's inside?
• the Nakahechi and Kohechi trails, Choishimichi route, Hongu loop andhighlights of the Iseji trail• accommodation and facilities• Japanese history, spirituality, culture and etiquette
About the author
Originally from Melbourne, after graduating from university, Kat moved toJapan, where she worked as an adventure tour guide, seeking out the local
hotspots and developing a love for hiking. Now based in London, she has
walked over 10,000km in Spain, Portugal, England, Italy, Japan and America.

Key information
Published Apr 2019
By Kat Davis£17.95240pp
Paperback Gloss Laminated pvc Sleeve
ISBN: 9781852849726• a network of ancient pilgrimage routes
that crisscross the largest peninsula ofJapan• increasingly popular with walkers fromall around the world
For further information, or to receive areview copy please contact Hannah
hannah@cicerone.co.uk
01539 587985

Juniper House, Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, LA9 7RL
www.cicerone.co.uk - Contact info@cicerone.co.uk - Or call 01539 587982

Nilgiri 7,061m Annapurna Massif, Nepal Himalaya
Attempt of Unclimbed North Face
Takuya Mitoro“The Nilgiri Himal is a range of three peaks in the Annapurna massif in Nepal. It is
composed of Nilgiri North (7,061m), Nilgiri Central (6,940m) and Nilgiri South (6,839m).
Nilgiri North was first ascended in October 1962 by the Netherlands Himalayan
Expedition; the team leader was a famous French climber, Lionel Terray. The first
ascents on Nilgiri South and Nilgiri Central were made by Japanese climbers in 1978and 1979 respectively.”12Expedition members: Takuya Mitoro, Meiji University Alpine Club
Tatsuya Aoki, Tokai University Alpine Club
Period of expedition: September 26 ~ November 5, 2018
Highest point to have reached: 5,900m
ITINERARYAcclimatization and reconnaissance
October 2 arrived at Jomson 2,700m, looking up Nilgiri immediately south
October 3~5 ascended to Toron Pass 5,400m for acclimatization
October 7~9 ascended to Mandala Pass 5,000m for reconnaissance of descentroute on lower part of east ridge
October 11~15 ascended to C3 5,700m and back, C3 is on wide terrace
Assault
October 1 leaving Jomsom BC 2,700m to C1 4,000m with a cook and a porter
October 20 C1 to C2 5,100m, October 21 C2 to C3 5,600m
October 22 C3 to C4 5,750m, October 23 C4 to 6,000m back to C3
October 24 C3 to C1, October 25 C1 to Jomsom BC3

CLIMBING
Ropes were unnecessary from BC to C2. Three pitches (180m) rock ridge appeared justbeneath C3. Climbing started from C3 wearing crampons. The rock ridge to C3 was noteasy for loose rock layers apt to collapsing. From C3 to the wall a huge seracs zone had
to be passed traversing the base of wall, but seracs tumbled down 2 to 3 times in a day.
Roping each other we hurriedly passed the base of wall. Elevation from C3 to the base ofwall was almost the same. We repeated traverse and climbing the snow-ice wall for five
hours in snow deep to knees. Then we could reach the base of wall for tackling theunclimbed north face of Nilgiri.
On October 22 we came to the base of wall noontime. We climbed two pitches of ice walland fixed 60m rope. On the following day we gained further three pitches. The lower part4

of wall on which we had fixed rope was the ice wall being possibly secured by protection.
However, the following pitches were in different conditions. Angle of the wall became
larger than expected. The snow wall was almost vertical even overhung in some parts.
Protection was hardly possible because of soft snow and ice. Even rocks were with lesscracks to suit gears. 10 meters run-out was forced. We climbed very carefully. We could
gain only 150m vertical distance though we climbed longer distance in zig-zag pitches.
The vertical wall upward refused us to continue our challenge. Now it was the time togive up further attempt. Descent was very fast. We descended to C4 by three times
rappelling and to C3 safely. On October 24 we rappelled down three pitches of the rockridge below C3 and descended to C1. On the 24 we returned to Jomsom BC.
To our disappointment we defeated leaving 1,000 formidable but attractive challenging
wall of the north face.

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Lecture by Tom Nakamura at Peking University 北京大学講演– April 2019

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MAPKU-Peking University Mountaineering Association 30th Anniversary dinner

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