Mt Hōken with Lingering Snow – East Face Central Ridge

Date: April 12, 2025 (Saturday) – Clear, cloudy 

Members: Tsuchiya, Suzuki 

We climbed the east face of Mt Hōken in the Chūō Alps, a route we had long wanted to attempt. Our plan was to climb the central ridge, but we unexpectedly ended up taking a variation route. This was my final snow climb of the 2024/2025 season, and I led all the pitches, finishing the season with a rewarding experience.

Approach and Start

Early in the morning, still rubbing my sleepy eyes, I traveled by bus and ropeway from Suganodai to Senjōjiki Station. At around 08:50, after finishing my preparations, I stepped into Senjōjiki Cirque. Seeing the clear view of Mt Hōken’s east face, we couldn’t hide our excitement. The weather was clear, and there was a good amount of snow on the ground. How could this not be fun? The mountain was a world of silver, instantly waking me up.

A party had already left the line of climbers ascending Hatchozaka and was heading for the east face. We followed their tracks. As we approached the wall, we noticed a party of three climbing the second pitches. While walking further up, I suddenly heard the clattering sound of gear. Looking up, I saw a climber dangling from a rope, swaying. Seriously? Can I really climb this?

I self-belayed to a tree near the ascent point and started preparing. Since the party ahead had traced the route for us, I gave way to them, but waiting seemed pointless. Instead, I decided to climb the line I believed I could manage. Traversing left, I attached myself to the wall, realizing that at least two routes had already been climbed on the lower part of the central ridge.

The Climb

We started climbing before 10:00 AM. As I tried to raise my body using a double axe on a steep rock covered with unfrozen soil, my left-hand axe slipped off with the dirt. Slowly lowering myself again, I hesitated—what now?—but there was no other viable route. No choice, I thought, and pushed myself up again with all my strength.

Past this section, the grassy surface disappeared, leaving a full slab climb. I clipped into a series of fixed harnesses, placed a sling, and traversed toward the ridge line. Later, I realized I had entered the left flank route. The first pitch ended at a large tree.

Meeting up with the lead climbers ahead, we exchanged impressions of our routes. Tsuchiya-san, following me, also climbed safely. The leading party started climbing a crack on the second pitch first. I noticed a prominent crack to its right, so we decided to take that route instead. Carefully stepping on the thin snow-covered slab, I avoided slipping while climbing.

The crack itself was deep, but the rock inside was rough and unstable. A small overhang lay further up, and I was relieved to find a cam set ahead. However, I wasn’t sure how to climb past this section. Using a sling to create a stirrup, I stepped up, but the crack was too wide, making for an awkward position. Hesitating again, I lifted my body, buried my axe into the moss-covered concave left wall, and stepped out of the sling.

At that moment, I felt intense focus—tightrope-like tension in my mind. But my foot held firm in the crack, and the axe didn’t peel off. I climbed up toward a snow-covered high pine, using fist-sized cracks and moss on the left wall. High-pine climbing is one of my strengths, so grabbing onto it felt natural. With my axe buried in snow, I pulled myself over the snow umbrella visible from the belay point.

Final Pitches and Summit

After climbing a comfortable snow slope, we finished this pitch at another tree. Meeting up with the leading party again (who had split the second pitch into two parts), I took the lead on the third pitch—the Okela Crack, known as the crux of the Central Ridge.

Having already tackled the first and second pitches using aid techniques, the Okela Crack, though steep, felt more manageable. Although snow clogged the crack, making it difficult for the axe to grip, I climbed steadily, securing my footing with solid jams. The pitch ended at a cam placement.

The fourth and final pitch started with a short grassy section, transitioning into a snow ridge that allowed easy movement. Standing on the summit, I reflected on the day’s climb. By then, clouds had started to gather. We prepared to descend, following the route back to the mountain lodge via Hatchozaka.

Reflections

Despite the demanding sections, the Central Ridge climb only covered four pitches. That left me feeling somewhat unsatisfied—I wanted to climb more. I found myself frequently looking back at the east face, watching the leading party tackle the Okela Crack, and chatting with Tsuchiya-san about how fun and rewarding the experience had been.

There are still many routes on Mt Hōken that I hope to climb. Next year, I want to take on the challenge again in the severe winter season.