Despite being a relatively easy climb, Mt. Shirouma-dake (白馬岳)
(Japanese for "White Horse Mountain") is
without
question one of Japan's most dangerous peaks, claiming lives
just about every year.
In fact, on Aug. 27, 2006, the very next day after I hiked up the
Daisekkei Valley (大雪渓)
(big snow
valley),
a lady died there after being struck by a huge, 1-meter
wide boulder
that tumbled down out of nowhere in foggy conditions with
severely
restricted visibility.
After the massive 8000 cu. m. landslide(*) of Aug. 11, 2005 killed one
hiker and injured 2 others in the Daisekkei Valley, a team of Japanese
researchers identified a number of unique factors, the combination of
which make the valley especially hazardous:
Slope angles exceeding 60 degrees (almost
vertical) exist in the upper reaches of the U-shaped glacial valley
The source area of the rockfall is 250
m
above the valley floor and a number of rock blocks still remain there,
increasing the chances of recollapse
The area is prone to frequent avalanches and
periods of intense rainfall
& snowfall (46 mm of precipitation were recorded on Aug. 10,
the
day before the above landslide)
An overbundance of glacial rock debris, which
can
become deadly projectiles in the event of rockslides
Seasonal freeze-thaw cycles aggravate both the
high- and low-density rock joints, increasing the likelihood of future
separation of rock blocks from rockwalls and catastrophic slope failures
Mt. Shirouma-dake is one of Japan's most
popular peaks, even among foreigners, and is easily accessible from the
Tokyo & Osaka
metropolitan areas, making it extremely crowded from late July to
mid-August
Trekking tours arranged by commercial outdoor
guides for beginner climbers have increased in popularity in recent
years
(*) The largest volume of sediment in a landslide ever recorded in the
Shirouma-dake district
The above researchers in their Nov. 2006 report recommended fundamental
improvements
in the education system for climbers, including proposing a map
identifying the most
hazardous areas. And to put in MY 2 cents worth, I've compiled
a short list of news stories about Mt.
Shirouma-dake mountain climbing accidents
which have occurred in recent years. Be careful !
At the top of
Daisekkei Valley (大雪渓)(big
snow valley)
From the Sarukura trailhead (elev. 1250m) to the summit of Mt.
Shirouma-dake (白馬岳), it took me almost 7 hrs., including about an hour
and 15
minutes to trek across the Daisekkei Valley (大雪渓) (my Mt.
Shirouma-dake trip schedule).
Since the big snow valley can be a bit slippery in places,
especially early in the morning, crampons are recommended and I rented
mine for 700 yen at a little shop just outside of Hakuba Station.
Near the summit, you have a
choice of 2 mountain
huts, one sleeping 1000 and the other one, Hakuba-sanso
(白馬山荘), sleeping a
remarkable 1500. I chose the smaller (and lower elevation) one, Chojo
Shukusha (頂上宿舎).
Hakuba-sanso
(白馬山荘),
sleeping quarters for 1500
people, from the summit of Mt. Shirouma-dake (白馬岳)
A real treat on the way back down to Sarukura was the open-air Yari
Onsen (hot
spring), which was right on the hiking trail and only cost 300
yen (my
Mt.
Shirouma-dake trip expenses).
To be honest, the water was a tad too hot for me, especially on my
sunburn from the day before (I was hiking in shorts and forgot my
sunscreen), but a hot spring bath on a hiking trail in Japan is an
extreme rarity.
Mt. Shirouma-dake (白馬岳) is arguably one of the most accessible of
Japan's
highest mountains. I left Shinjuku Station in Tokyo at 9 pm
on Friday night Aug. 25, 2006 and was back home by 9:30 on Sunday
night.
But I did receive a very kind favor from a nice man
who drove out of his way to give me a lift from Matsumoto to
Hakuba. Koichi-san is an Azumino City-based mechanical engineer who
designs Sony Vaio
notebook computers.
Pics
I hope you'll have time to check out my Flickr photo album below
of this
fabulous mountain climbing trip. Enjoy!!
Pics of Mt.
Shirouma-dake (白
馬岳), elev. 2932m,
Japan's 18th
highest peak,
Aug. 25-27,
2006
(The entire
Flickr site is here.)
My Google Map of Mt. Shirouma-dake
(白馬岳)
(zoom out to see all 25 highest mountains)
If you're thinking of doing this climb, I suggest
you pick up a copy of Hiking in Japan
by the Lonely Planet, which was just updated in Aug. 2009. I own the
2001 edition and it has a nice 5-page write-up of Mt. Shirouma-dake
(白馬岳),
complete with access info, a small trail map, route description, and
even phone numbers for the mountain huts.
Please stop by again soon as I intend to add more details on
this mountain climbing trip in the near future.
by the Lonely Planet, which was just updated in Aug. 2009. I own the
2001 edition and it has a nice 5-page write-up of Mt. Shirouma-dake
(白馬岳),
complete with access info, a small trail map, route description, and
even phone numbers for the mountain huts.
