Mount Poroshiri

Welcome to the magnificent and formidable realm of the Hidaka Mountain Range. I am deeply honored to be your guide on this extraordinary journey into one of the most pristine and untouched wilderness areas remaining in the modern…

Our journey begins on the long, winding forest road that serves as the crucial artery leading deep into the heart of the Hidaka Mountains. Whether you approach from the Niikappu side via the Idonnappu mountain hut or take the…

We have now reached the absolute end of the maintained trail, and before us lies the famous and feared Nukabira River. This is the defining feature of the approach to Mount Poroshiri, setting it apart from almost every other…

Emerging from the chilling waters of the Nukabira River, we finally step onto the solid, elevated riverbank to find Poroshiri Sanso, a vital sanctuary nestled deep within the unforgiving wilderness. This mountain hut is not…

Leaving the comforting shelter of Poroshiri Sanso in the dim, pre-dawn light, we are immediately confronted with the brutal reality of the Hidaka Mountains. There is no gentle introduction, no meandering path to warm up the…

We have finally broken free from the dark, vertical suffocations of the lower forest. Stepping across the invisible ecological boundary known as the forest limit, we enter an entirely new and extreme world. …

As we traverse further along this magnificent, exposed alpine ridge, the harsh, rocky landscape undergoes a breathtaking transformation. We find ourselves standing on the dramatic rim of the Kita Curl, known in English as the…

Continuing our high altitude traverse, the ridge line curves, presenting us with yet another breathtaking spectacle of glacial geography. Below us lies the Nanatsunuma Curl, translating beautifully to the Seven Ponds Cirque. …

We have reached the final, defining stretch of our expedition. Before us stretches the ultimate approach to the highest point in the Hidaka Mountains, a section of the ridge that exhausted but exhilarated mountaineers…

We have arrived. Standing at an elevation of two thousand and fifty two meters above sea level, we are now upon the absolute summit of Mount Poroshiri. …

As we prepare to leave the summit of Mount Poroshiri and begin our long, arduous descent back to the valley floor, it is crucial to remember a fundamental rule of mountaineering: reaching the peak is only half the journey. The…