I've put together a couple of pages on an area called Ogawayama here in Japan. Not really a TR, I guess, since the pics are from various different trips up there, at different times of year. But whatever....

Here's the site address (clickable, unless I've screwed it up somehow):

www.tokyo_bill.homestead.com/tokyocragsiii.html

Hope you like.

Nice pics Bill. Was this the crag that was featured in either Climbing or Rock N Ice back in 1996?

Hey, you are making me homesick, (but isn't it the rainy season).

Actually I may be stopping off on the way to Korea for a conferance at the end of the summer. If I go would you want to go climbing for a day or so.

Chas -

Absolutely let's go climbing! I got you covered for gear, other than shoes and a harness (and a place to stay, if you don't mind children and dogs).

I'll be in the States July 6 through 27, but other than that, I'll be here and happy to climb. Let me know your schedule, when it firms up, and we'll work something out.

(And yes, rainy season just started. Nonetheless, we sneak in days at Makuiwa/Yugawara (just avoid the mamushi and the millipedes!), and head up to Ogawayama when the weather looks safe.)

Alicex4 -

I got a late start climbing, and sadly my magazine collection doesn't go back that far. Ogawayama could be the one you're thinking of, though - it's considered one of Japan's premier areas.

Want to hitch a ride with Chas and come climbin'?

Everybody -

Speaking of my trip to the States, by the way, I'll probably be climbing at the gunks Thursday and Friday, July 11 and 12. Anybody gonna be around? Maybe beers at the Otter or whatever? I've never been there, but I figure if I just look for lots of people arguing about bolting ethics and wearing thongs, I should find it with no trouble!

I think the article you were talking about was about Jogasaki which is a climbing area SE of Tokyo which is a winter beachfront climbing area. The other region that Tokyo Bill is talking about (Makawiya/Yugawara) is about half way between Tokyo and the town of Jogasaki in a place called Yugawara. Its located in a valley with nice orange groves (now don't tell me that you pick the oranges Bill, thats something I would never do; ok my climbing partner Toshi would pick them and then stuff them into my pack so I could carry them :-) ). The climbing at Yugawara is mainly bolted sports routes, some slabby, some hard, well protected slabs such as routes like Izu Danser (an .11d slab), but there are some fun trad routes such as #1 Route that Tokyo Bill previously described. Ogayama is a location located SW of Tokyo (inland a bit and reached by taking a train to a town (Chino) north of the Minami Arapusu (Southern Japanese Alps).

In Japan there are a ton of climbing areas, many sport, some trad, and a lot of alpine stuff.

Exactly!

Pictures of Makuiwa/Yugawara here:

www.tokyo_bill.homestead.com/tokyocrags.html

Pictures of Jogasaki here:

www.tokyo_bill.homestead.com/tokyocrags2.html

Chas - I haven't ever picked the oranges (although I'm always tempted), but a nice old woman sells big bags for 200 yen during the season, right at the foot of the approach trail. Scrumptious!

(She's always set up right by the log cabin where the bathrooms are - did those exist when you were here?).

Are you talking about at the temple where the bus stops?

No, it's further up than that. Literally a 75 meter walk straight downhill from Tentomushi Rock ("Ladybug Rock", which you'll remember is the first chunk of rock that you come to as you walk in - the one where all the route names are Beatles songs). The building looked pretty much brand new when I first started climbing there in 1998.

They've also landscaped, and added more parking and some park type facilities. The plum blossom festival and family camping, plus the climbers, apparently add a fair chunk of change to the local revenues, and they seem to be trying to return the favor. It's actually not too badly done.

Depending on how many years it's been since you were last here, you might be a bit surprised.

Bill,

If you keep this discussion going I am going to end up back in Japan! Next time I will make sure I have enough time to travel up to Ogawayama, it looks like a good time. Did you decide on a trip this summer, or just the couple of days at the Gunks?

Chris

The bathrooms were fairly new. I was thinking about down by the bus station and not up in the climbing area itself. Yeah they were constructed sometime between May 1996 and Oct 1996.

Chris -

Come back anytime - I'd be more than happy for your company on a run up to Ogawayama!

As for the upcoming trip, I've got two days scheduled in the gunks, and then a five day run with R.L. up in the Daks and (probably) the Laurentians (place called Val David, up near Montreal). My wife is a saint!

Chas -

Keep me posted on your plans. It really would be fun to get out for a day or two, if we can set it up.

We are just going to miss. We are in the Daks for the week of the 4th climbing with Karen. I would like to meet you in the Gunks, but I wil be in NYC for the end of that week. Have fun, and if you venture to this side of the lake you are welcome to swing by, have a few cold ones and relax!

Chris

Hello,

Was wondering if anyone could help me out. My wife and I are coming from Hong Kong and were wondering if it was worth it to try to climb in Ogawayama during March, around the 23rd? Or will it be covered in snow? Any other tips would be great.

Thank You,

Justin

It'll probably be pretty darn cold, I think they've had a cold winter in Tokyo.

Bill's the one to ask, I'll see if I can roust him.

I suspect that the time gap between consecutive posts #4877 and #67606 above is the largest ever in Gunks.com.

QtM let me know this post was up. Apologies for not visiting more often. I kinda burned out on climbing bulletin boards a few years ago, after being a true junkie for a while there. Hope you all are doing well!

As for Ogawayama, the local forecast is currently showing high temps of around 10C (which is what, around 50F?) and lows down to a bit below freezing. Here's a link, if your computer can handle the Japanese (can't remember the codes to make it clickable anymore, sorry):

http://weather.yahoo.co.jp/weather/jp/20/4820/20304/3841403.html

As you'll see, temps are forecast to go up even a bit higher later in the week up there, and Tokyo is quite warm at the moment.

So temperature wise, I would think it'd be climbable, although not exactly balmy. You should be able to chase the sun around a bit, if you don't mind the hiking, which would also help.

As for snow cover, the earliest I've ever been up there to climb is mid-April, if I remember right, and at that time there were fairly substantial snow patches in deeply shaded areas, but other than that not too much problem.

Crossing the river from the campground side to the other side (where many of the climbs are) is painfully cold, and could require care if it's running high with runoff. There are several concrete spillways where things get shallow and flat. Just walk upstream along the river from the campground and you should happen on one or two.

By way of caution, I'm pretty sure the campground isn't open yet. So you're permitted to camp, and it'll be free, but there will be no amenities available.

If you need more info., feel free to mail me direct at tokyobill123 at hotmail dot com. As noted, I'm not the frequent visitor here that I once was, and so might miss a followup post. Although I'll try to remember to check.