Rock Climbing in Otaru

The pristine nature of Hokkaido is a paradise for rock climbers.

Fifteen million years of wild ocean waves

carved these monstrous rock walls.

And the view from the peak? Breathtaking.

Welcome to rock climbing in Otaru!

Wild Hokkaido!

Facing out to the Sea of Japan is the coastline of Otaru,

where steep cliffs with exposed rocky surfaces

continue for three kilometers.

This is Otaru Akaiwa,

one of Hokkaido's premier rock-climbing locations.

The rocky areas feature about 200 routes,

and everyone from novice to expert-level climbers come here

to put their skills to the test.

This married couple loves Otaru Akaiwa.

Meet Tracy Lenard, an American residing in Hokkaido,

and his wife, Mika.

Way to go!

- Yay!
- Nicely done.

- How was that for a warm-up?
- Good!

This is a lovely warm-up route.

That's what it's supposed to do. It's supposed to get your body moving in the right direction

and ready for a little bit more adventurous climbing.

It feels great, climbing up in no time.

Together they have conquered mountainous areas not only in Japan,

but also in America and Europe.

Tracy is a mountaineering guide

with 19 years of climbing experience.

Mika learned the ropes from Tracy,

and she's now an extremely competent climber in her own right.

Rock climbing is usually done in pairs.

To avoid accidents, cooperation and trust are both indispensable.

- Climbing!
- Climb on!

Thank you.

Climbing involves scaling rock walls with one's bare hands,

and each person takes turns climbing to the goal.

There's a lot of big textured rock here.

- Lovely.
- Yeah.

Along the route, pitons have been driven in beforehand to ensure safety.

Whoever climbs first attaches slings to the pitons,

and then a rope is passed through the carabiners.

These measures will help to prevent falls.

The person below watches the climber carefully to belay the rope.

Applying friction to the rope will prevent a fall

if the climber happens to lose their grip.

The climber continues to the top, creating anchor points along the way.

Once they've reached the peak, the second climber starts their ascent,

removing the slings on their way up.

The person at the top controls the rope

to keep the second climber safe.

By taking turns climbing in this way,

the pair can overcome the jagged rockface.

Today, they will take on a route called Table Ridge.

With a difficulty that increases as you ascend,

climbers enjoy both its complexity and the view at its peak.

It's one of this couple's favorites.

Its elevation is 70 meters,

which is divided into four separate climbing sections.

Each segment is known as a "pitch."

It's four-pitch climb, and it starts right here to the left.

You climb up this rocky face, very textured rocky face,

and the fourth pitch is the one that takes us to the top.

So it's a wonderful pitch,

and it's probably the most difficult for most people.

There are a lot of steep sections, so it's a really challenging climb,

but the route is so beautiful.

- OK. Ready? OK.
- Have fun!

They're ready to start climbing Table Ridge.

This first pitch is 24 meters high.

Its jagged surface with many protruding rocks to hold and step on

makes it a reasonably easy climb.

But you can't relax completely.

When it's wet, it's slippery,

so it's important to check each rock very carefully as you climb.

How's the rock?

It's very dry.

- All right.
- Yup.

Conditions today seem good.

But the rock isn't very wide,

so maintaining one's concentration and balance is essential.

After just five minutes of climbing, Tracy has cleared the first pitch.

- Mika, you're on belay!
- OK!

- Climbing!
- Climb on!

Now, it's Mika's turn.

Although her reach isn't quite as long as Tracy's,

her flexibility helps her climb at a steady pace.

After three minutes, Mika has stopped.

It appears that there's nowhere to grip with her dominant right hand.

Then, she spots a rock jutting out on the left.

Using it as a fulcrum, she balances herself and restarts her climb.

- I see you.
- Yay!

Mika also clears the first pitch.

They take a brief rest.

Behind them is a beautiful view of the Sea of Japan.

Next up, the second pitch.

This pitch has large rocks with sharp edges.

The rock is a mere 30 centimeters wide.

It will require extreme concentration to traverse safely.

Next, the third pitch.

Luckily, this segment is a little less daunting,

making it easier to relax and enjoy.

It has a lot of little pockets in the rocks,

just perfect for getting a hand or foothold.

It's also not as steep,

making it possible to climb at a much faster pace.

Forty minutes in, and it's time for the most difficult part: the fourth pitch.

With 33 meters left until the goal,

this is the longest of all the pitches.

Tracy is ready to take it on.

Rope!

He grips the tiny rock edges on this vertical wall

and begins hauling himself up.

Tracy's noticed something.

There's a cluster of rocks that are full of cracks.

They could crumble, so it's important to climb with extra care.

The rock's kind of loose here, so...

be careful when you're up here, OK?

OK, thank you!

Taking careful note of any dangers

and relaying it to a climbing partner is vital to staying safe.

Finally, he arrives at the most precipitous section of Table Ridge.

The rock juts out straight overhead.

Climbing this part pushes the body to the limit,

requiring full arm and leg strength to conquer this final hurdle.

The peak lies just beyond this large rock.

Yay! Perfect day.

He's made it to the summit!

Nature rewards his climb with a colorful display.

- It really has an autumn feel to it today here.
- Yeah!

It's yellow, red.

It's beautiful.

Climbing is not only about the thrill of the climb,

but also taking in some spectacular autumn scenery.

Mika extends her arm to grip the summit.

- Yay!
- Yay!

Wow!

- On top of the table.
- Yay!

It's taken an hour, but the two have prevailed over Table Ridge.

It's beautiful.

Yeah, perfect day.

Lovely.

Here you've got this beautiful ocean all around you,

and that's really refreshing.

And then if you travel three to five hours,

you've got all kinds of different rocks here in Hokkaido.

We're so happy to, you know, live in such a beautiful, beautiful place

where we can... we don't have to go on a mega trip

to have a great rock-climbing experience.

The scale is so big, and turning to see the ocean right there -

I've never experienced this elsewhere.

It's like being at a high altitude,

and also thrilling to climb right next to the sea.

Otaru Akaiwa is a coveted spot for climbers,

surrounded by the always-impressive nature of Hokkaido.