初冬_槍ヶ岳(千丈乗越分岐でビバーク・大喰岳西鎌尾根から)#Yari-gatake #Northern_Japan_Alps #Japan_mountain_climbing

It was a three-day weekend for Labor Thanksgiving Day in November...and the weather forecast was unusually sunny! So I thought I might try a challenging three-day, two-night hike... My plan was to spend two nights and three days starting from the Shinhotaka trailhead, hiking from Mt. Yari-ga-take in early winter to the Nishikama Ridge via Mt. Sugoroku and then looping back. However, reality wasn't so sweet. Even in early winter, there was a lot of snow this year, and I couldn't reach Hida Norikoshi on the first day, which caused my original plan to be scrapped. However, I set up a tent in the Hidazawa and bivouac. The next day, I followed the trail of those who had gone before me and climbed the West Ridge of Mt. Okui-dake to Mt. Yari-ga-take from Mt. Okui-dake. At this point, I had given up on the Nishikama Ridge, but I had to decide whether to return to the trailhead or stay at the Yari-ga-take Sanso (winter hut). After much deliberation, I decided to stay another night on the ridge (winter hut) since the weather looked good the next day. Even though it was early winter, the unexpected amount of snow prevented us from climbing Mt. Yari in two days and three nights. We'll be climbing Mt. Yari in early winter around the same time in 2022, but the amount of snow will be completely different. The amount of snow changes every moment at this time of year, and it's interesting to see how the conditions change completely from year to year. Early Winter at Mt. Yari (Stunning Views, Then Stormy Weather) - Winter Hut Stay    • 初冬槍ヶ岳(絶景のち荒天)冬季小屋泊   Midwinter at Mt. Yari (Snow-breaking Festival, Just Finished in 3 Days and 2 Nights)    • 厳冬期 槍ヶ岳(ラッセル祭・2泊3日でぎりぎり) Mt.Yari-gatake Mi...   Parking Lot at Shinhotaka: I was worried about what it would be like after a three-day weekend, but it was empty. Snowfall: Heavy snowfall above Hotakadaira, with snowdrifts up to knee-high. On the first day, about 10 people aimed for the summit of Mt. Yari, but three of the more experienced day hikers couldn't make it to the Senjo-nokkoshi junction and had to retreat due to time constraints. Four of us, including us, bivouaced near the Senjo-nokkoshi junction and aimed for the summit the next day. The next day (Sunday), two climbers who had stayed at Yari-daira the previous day headed up to Mt. Yari ahead of us. We followed, and I think about 10 others headed up Mt. Yari. On Sunday night, six people (including us) stayed in the winter hut at Yari-ga-take Sanso, and three stayed in tents near the lodge. On the second day, while we were packing up our tents, two solo climbers headed up Mt. Yari. The first climber had ascended via the west ridge of Mt. Okuidake and left a trail, so the others, including us, decided to ascend Mt. Yari via the west ridge. While we hadn't intentionally planned to climb Mt. Okuidake, we had never climbed the west ridge before, so we took advantage of the opportunity to do so. There were some rocky areas to climb over, and once we reached the ridge, we were faced with a narrow ridge and a cold wind. It was a great experience, and we were very grateful for it. ・・・・・・・・・・ Day 1: From the Shinhotaka trailhead to Yarihira Hut and then to the bivouac (Senjo Norikoshi junction) We were worried about snow starting halfway up the Migimata forest road, but we made it through the Takidani ford without a hitch. The snow started to pile up from Yarihira. We put on crampons. The final water source was usable. One after another, we saw day hikers who ran out of time and had to retreat before reaching the Senjo Norikoshi junction. Everyone else was exhausted by the snow and headed back. I'm grateful for the trail that was left behind. This confirmed that the trail didn't continue all the way to Hida Norikoshi. With 24kg of packs on our backs, would we be able to reach the ridge of Mt. Yari? Once the trail disappeared, it became increasingly difficult to move forward... We reached the Senjo Norikoshi junction just after 2:30 PM. Considering the time and the snow we'd had to break, we decided we wouldn't be able to reach Hida Norikoshi before sunset. The slope got steeper from here, so we decided it would be difficult to set up a tent and decided to bivouac here. We built a tent village with two solo climbers and four others (the Kobe guy and the Aichi tent guy). Day 2: From Senjo Norikoshi Junction to Mt. Yari We woke up at 4:00 and planned to depart at 6:00. While packing up, two leading climbers (who had left Yaridaira) passed our bivouac. They left a trail along the Okuidake West Ridge, so the rest of us, including us, decided to cross the Okuidake West Ridge. There were rocky areas, steep slopes, and narrow ridges along the way...I heard some of the trailing climbers were unable to make it and retreated. The view of Mt. Yari from Mt. Okuidake was quite a sight, and our unexpected ascent to the Okuidake West Ridge was a great choice. We arrived at Mt. Yari at 10:00 and pondered our plans. With the weather forecast calling ...