It can be tough to find new friends who take being outside as seriously as I do. But, I was lucky enough to find another climbing enthusiast who let me tag along on a winter summit of Mount Odake. Some will recall that I was up here last summer with Angelica. Of course, its a different beast in the wintertime.
Our target...the summit of Mount Odake.
The day was great right from the start. Northern Japan is not known for clear views and bright, sunny weather. As luck would have it, we were blessed with both throughout the day. I had never seen Mount Iwake before, but today I was allowed a distant glimpse of the beautiful volcano. Mount Iwake is famous for having an appearance similar to Mount Fuji, although Mount Iwake is much, much smaller than Mount Fuji.
Making progress up the mountain.
Gorgeous view of the river valley.
Group photo in the saddle before the final summit push....me, Sean, Justin, and Kap.
And now the hard part. With the trail being buried in snow, the only way we knew up to the summit was straight up the side of the cone. This would be quite a task in the summertime, let alone with a thick coat of snow covering the mountain.
Pushing up the cone to the summit...steep, slow, and grueling.
Still pushing...but with a brilliant view of Kodake Mountain in the background.
And the guys finally reached the crater ridge meaning an easy stroll to the summit.
Our target...the summit of Mount Odake.
The day was great right from the start. Northern Japan is not known for clear views and bright, sunny weather. As luck would have it, we were blessed with both throughout the day. I had never seen Mount Iwake before, but today I was allowed a distant glimpse of the beautiful volcano. Mount Iwake is famous for having an appearance similar to Mount Fuji, although Mount Iwake is much, much smaller than Mount Fuji.
Making progress up the mountain.
Gorgeous view of the river valley.
Group photo in the saddle before the final summit push....me, Sean, Justin, and Kap.
And now the hard part. With the trail being buried in snow, the only way we knew up to the summit was straight up the side of the cone. This would be quite a task in the summertime, let alone with a thick coat of snow covering the mountain.
Pushing up the cone to the summit...steep, slow, and grueling.
Still pushing...but with a brilliant view of Kodake Mountain in the background.
And the guys finally reached the crater ridge meaning an easy stroll to the summit. 
