Mount Yari, Japan
An extraordinary new film, recently released by British outdoor company Rab, captures adventurous mountain runners as they fast-pack through a historic and treacherous alpine route, which starts and ends in the car-free mountain village of Kamikochi, known as the ‘Chamonix of Japan’. The film, In the Footsteps of Banryu, captures the spirit and accomplishments of Banryu, a Buddhist monk and alpinist who was the first to summit Mt. Yari in 1828.
Mount Yari, 3,180 meters (10,433 feet), one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, lies in the southern part of the Hida Mountains of Japan, on the border of Ōmachi and Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture and Takayama in Gifu Prefecture. Banryū would found a temple here following his historic climb.
Legendary Alpinist Benryu
Benryu became a mysterious mountain legend with this feat. In the early 1800s, most thought the spires rising above Kamikochi were impossible to climb, let alone conquer via a multi-peak route. However, Banryu believed that it would be possible to climb the peak and that these towering mountains held meaningful spiritual importance.
The adventurous monk set off on July 20th, 1828, and became the first person to summit Mt. Yari. Banryu wanted others to experience the magic of climbing Mt. Yari. Over time, he installed ropes on the steeper sections of the climb to protect mountaineers on their quest to summit the spiritual peak. The early days of alpinism began in Japan through his efforts.
The Film’s Team
The film, named after the famed climber, features a team of international athletes that ran Banryu’s route. The team includes Japanese running athlete Aoi Chan, mountain runner Yusuke Tannaka, UK mountain guide Sam Hill, and adventure filmmaker Matt Green.
The film explores the expedition route, a 60 km traverse followed by a sawtooth ridgeline, which includes technical sections with significant exposure. The rugged Daikiretto Ridge, which connects Mt. Yarigatake and Mt. Hotaka-Dake, is an incredibly dicey section of the spine that drops over 1,000 meters. The team pulls off the Fastest Known Time(FKT) on the only active volcano, Mt. Yake-dake, on the route. They moved swiftly, covering over 3,800 meters to complete the historic traverse.
In bringing mountain culture and community together. UK-based producer Jake Baggaley aimed to showcase not only the vital role Banryu plays in Japanese mountain history, but also to facilitate a meaningful exchange of mountain culture in contemporary Japan through the athletes featured in his film project.
This spectacular mountain route, featured in the film, has become the pathway to integrate Japan’s mountaineering past with today’s hut culture. The athletes featured in this epic film serve as the vehicle to share Japanese mountain traditions, culture, and the historic climb of Benryu on Mt. Yari.
AloJapan.com