Climbed Yatsugatake’s Mount Yokodake
This morning in Nobeyama the temperature was −14°C 🥶. It was bitterly cold, but I used my day off to inspect the trail and climbed Yokodake via the Somazoe Ridge 🚶. I was the only climber today, and since it snowed last night there were no tracks, so I had to break trail (posthole) the whole way 😱. I removed several fallen trees as I gained altitude, and just beyond the 2,600 m viewing platform I began breaking trail as expected 💪. In the drifts I sank up to my waist, and the steep section just below the Trident Peak was especially exhausting to slog through 😵‍💫
There was no wind today, so conditions were relatively good, but the Yatsugatake range is simply a windy, bitterly cold area 🌀❄️. A climbing buddy told me they recently escorted a lightly equipped climber off the ridge who had become immobile due to cold and inadequate gear 🥺. Winter mountaineering carries dangers very different from summer hiking ❗ Make sure you have sufficient knowledge and experience before attempting it 🥾

#Minamimaki Village #Nobeyama #Yatsugatake #Snow Mountain #Breaking Trail