- Introduction | December 2024, to the snowy Mount Tsurugi
- From the trailhead to Nishijima Station | Knee-deep snow
- Deciding to retreat | An important decision on Mount Tsurugi in winter
- Any bear signs? | A sense of security on Mount Tsurugi in winter
- National Route 438 | The real scary part was the road
- Winter climbing equipment: Chain spikes are essential
- About the filming | I really wanted to capture the sound of stepping on snow
- Memorable event: Wild deer climbing through the snow
- For those considering climbing Mount Tsurugi in winter
- Conclusion | Withdrawal is not failure
Introduction | December 2024, to the snowy Mount Tsurugi
On December 17, 2024, I headed to Mount Tsurugi in winter.
My purpose was to record the sound of footsteps in the snow and film my mountain hike.
The weather that day was sunny in the lowlands. However, as I approached the mountain, the sky gradually became cloudy, and the mountain took on a wintery appearance.
In the end, weturn back at the Nishijima lift stationdecided to
We didn't push ourselves to reach the summit and retreated.
In this article, I will summarize the snow conditions on Mt. Tsurugi as of December 2024 and my impressions of the area.
From the trailhead to Nishijima Station | Knee-deep snow
The hiking route is:Tsurugi Shrine → Tunnel under the ski lift → Nishijima Station .
The first thing I noticed when we started climbingthe amount of snowwas
With every step, the snow was deep enough to completely submerge my knees.
As we gained altitude, the snow increased even more, and we quickly became exhausted.
After some hard work, we finally arrived at Nishijima Station. It was already past 1pm.
From around Nishijima Station, you can see a panoramic view of the snow-capped Shikoku Mountains. Every mountain was covered in white, creating a truly beautiful sight.
However, at the moment I saw that view, a certain feeling welled up inside me.
"...I can't do this anymore. I'm tired. I'll go home for today."
Deciding to retreat | An important decision on Mount Tsurugi in winter
Looking towards the mountaintop from Nishijima Station, you can see that the amount of snow has increased even further.
It was clear that continuing on would drain more time and energy, making the return journey much more difficult.
In winter mountains,sometimes it's necessary to decide to turn back. Ultimately, we decided to retreat at Nishijima Station that day.
Looking back, I feel that this decision was the right one.
Any bear signs? | A sense of security on Mount Tsurugi in winter
I had researched online beforehand and was aware that bears inhabit the area around Mt. Tsurugi.
However,I did not see any signs of bears such as footprints, droppings, or claw marks.
The fact that the population is said to be small was also a psychological reassurance.
For more information on the relationship between Mount Tsurugi and bears, please see this article.
, what made me feel strongly uneasythe condition of the road leading to Mount Tsurugi.
National Route 438 | The real scary part was the road
The amount of snow on National Route 438 leading to Mount Tsurugi increases dramatically as the elevation rises.
that I bought from Amazontire chainshad
I actually installed the chains onat an altitude of around 900-1000m.
It was the first time in my life I'd ever installed tire chains myself.
About 2km from the summit,the snow was so deep that the rear wheels of the front-wheel-drive car were skidding sideways, and the snow was so heavy that it was almost touching the body of the car from the tire's contact patch.
I proceeded carefully, following the tire tracks, but if there had been an oncoming vehicle, I think it would have been very difficult to pass.
Winter climbing equipment: Chain spikes are essential
that I bought on Amazonchain spikesI used
In situations where it's easy to lose your footing in the snow, having chain spikes makes a huge difference in terms of peace of mind.
About the filming | I really wanted to capture the sound of stepping on snow
There was a major point of regret regarding the audio during this shoot.
What we originally wanted to convey with this videothe sound of footsteps on snow.
Japan's snow quality is so highly regarded that it's called "JAPOW," but this isn't limited to Hokkaido and Tohoku.
You can definitely experience that feeling on Mt. Tsurugi in Shikoku in December.
However, this time, the binaural microphone cord hit the equipment due to vibrations from walking, and the recording level was set too high, resulting in a lot of wind noise being picked up.
For this reason, we have decided against releasing it publicly on YouTube anda limited releasewill instead make it
▶︎ Check out the exclusive video here
Memorable event: Wild deer climbing through the snow
Another thing that left a lasting impression on me was seeinga wild deer.
I was amazed to see it effortlessly climb the steep slope, even in the snow.
After glancing back at me for a moment, it quietly disappeared into the mountains.
It is very rare to see wild deer in Shikoku, so seeing them in the winter mountains was quite an impressive sight.
For those considering climbing Mount Tsurugi in winter
If I could give one piece of advice to anyone thinking about climbing Mount Tsurugi in winter, it would be
"Make sure you go with someone who has climbed Mt. Tsurugi in winter before.
including road conditions, snow depth, time management, and the decision to retreat
, experience is crucial in many situations on Mount Tsurugi in winter,
Conclusion | Withdrawal is not failure
The climb up Mount Tsurugi on December 17, 2024 was unable to reach the summit.
However,this experience, including the decision to turn back, was very valuableI feel that
I hope this record will be of some help to those who are thinking about climbing Mt. Tsurugi in the winter.
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