Climbing Ogawayama in Autumn
A three day journey on classic routes

Hello friends, climbers, and curious wanderers. Welcome back to ByrdieOnTheRocks.

If you have been here before, you already know I like to start with a short intro and a few friendly notes. If you have read these before, you can scroll down and jump straight into the story 👇 If you are new here, hi and welcome!

This is my little corner of the internet where I share travel stories, climbing experiences, and personal reflections from a beginner climber who is still learning everything along the way. I am not a professional climber and I do not write technical guides. What I share here is the real feeling of discovering new places as someone who loves climbing, traveling, and learning web development at the same time. It is a mix of chalk, code, curiosity, and honest experiences.

I sometimes add personal tips, but please always check the weather, talk to certified guides, and put safety first when planning a climbing trip.

This blog focuses only on climbing in the beautiful Ogawayama. If you want information about how to get here, my five day stay at Iwane Sanso, snacks and small shops along the three hour drive, and my Tokyo and Fuji itinerary, you can read Part 1 of my Ogawayama Autumn Climbing series of my Ogawayama Autumn Climbing series. You can click here or find it through the popup on the bottom right of the screen. I hope the full experience brings you the same excitement it brought me.

During this climbing trip in early October 2025, the weather was a little unpredictable. One moment it was gloomy and the next moment it turned into perfect sunshine. I recommend keeping this in mind when planning your Ogawayama climbing trip. Most days you get beautiful autumn conditions with colorful leaves shining under the sun. My trip was three days of climbing and two days of travel. Even with some rain on day two, we still managed to enjoy the best of Ogawayama.

Ogawayama is a huge climbing area managed by the local community. Before entering the site, you need to pay a small entrance fee that helps maintain the roads, facilities, and trails. There are also campgrounds and a local lodge inside the area. I never realized how big the climbing community in Japan is until I came here. It was fascinating to see people of all ages spending their weekends hiking and climbing. I saw many older climbers who were strong and confident. It made me admire how active and joyful people are here

Ogawayama has thousands of routes. The area is well known for bouldering and you can see boulders everywhere while hiking. Climbing here feels very different from anywhere I have climbed before. Most routes are granite and many are trad routes. The climbing style is very slabby and the footholds and handholds are almost invisible. I relied a lot on QX, my guide. You can read about him in Part 1 of this Ogawayama series and you can also learn more about our earlier trip together in my Taiwan climbing story. I honestly think I would not have enjoyed this place as much without a guide.

I stayed at Iwane Sanso which is only a five to ten minute drive from the climbing area. You still need to pay for the entrance and parking, which I mentioned earlier. It is worth it because the money supports the community and keeps the place well maintained.

The morning of day one started with bright sunshine. I was a little nervous the night before because it had rained, but we woke up to perfect weather and felt excited. QX already had a plan for us. The goal for the day was to climb the iconic seven pitch route called Gamma Slabs . It is one of the most famous multipitch climbs in Ogawayama.

Since my friend and I are still fairly new to trad, multipitch climbing, and slab climbing, he modified the route to make it more suitable for us. If he had not adjusted it, I probably would need at least two days to reach the top. This is exactly why having a professional guide is so helpful. They know how to evaluate the conditions and pick the safest and most enjoyable variation.

We arrived at Ogawayama around 9 AM. The area was already lively with climbers. The air felt cool, the sun was warm, and autumn colors surrounded every corner. We hiked about twenty minutes from the carpark to the base of Gamma Slabs. The walk itself was beautiful. It became one of my favorite parts of the whole trip

When I first looked at the wall, I felt intimidated. For someone who had never climbed slab outdoors before, it looked like a blank face with no holds. The first pitch is rated around 5.10a (5c) but it felt like a 6B to me. QX taught me how to trust my feet and how to press into the rock properly. It took me a while to understand the technique, but by pitch three I started to feel comfortable and even enjoyed the slab movement. I am still not ready to lead on this type of route, but I was happy that I managed to climb it.

Reaching the top felt magical. The view was quiet and unreal. I could see a long valley covered in green and orange trees stretching far into the distance. The sky was blue and perfectly clear. I felt so peaceful up there. We stayed at the summit for about fifteen minutes and then rappelled down.

By the time we descended, it was already lunch. We found a nice spot near the crag, ate our food, and watched other climbers. After lunch we explored a few short routes in the area before hiking down. I cannot describe how beautiful autumn hiking is in Japan. It is something you have to see yourself.

We returned to the lodge, took an onsen, enjoyed a homemade Japanese dinner, and talked about our day. This became our routine for the next two days.

Day two started very differently. It was raining, cold, and a little discouraging, but we stayed hopeful. We drove to Ogawayama to check the conditions. The lower valley had some dry walls that could be possible for single pitch climbing. Around 10 AM the weather started to improve. Our multipitch plan had to be cancelled, but safety comes first. There are many options in Ogawayama, so we tried a few climbs near a small stream. After one route, the rain returned and we walked back to the lodge to warm up and rethink our plan.

After coffee and ramen, the weather finally cleared completely. We were so happy that we could climb again. Since we only had a few hours in the afternoon, QX wanted us to experience a new style to prepare for future multipitch climbs. He chose the iconic crack route called Ogawayama Layback , graded 5.9. It is a must do route here.

The hike to the crack wall is short but a little uphill. The trail is beautiful and the location of the climb is very scenic. There is a tree right in the middle of the path that creates a perfect background for photos. QX taught me how to make crack gloves with tape and explained how crack climbing works. It was a very different experience for me. I learned how to hand jam, how to place my feet inside the crack, and how to move with control. Everyone was surprised that I managed it quite well. Maybe crack climbing will be my new favorite style someday. I think I like it because it requires a lot of power which matches how I climb. We spent around three hours practicing. It was fun and challenging in the best way possible.

Day three started bright and sunny. It was probably the clearest day of the whole trip. It also felt a little sad because it was our last day climbing in Ogawayama, although knowing that we would come back someday made everything feel lighter. Our goal for the day was another popular trad route called Selection. We climbed a modified version because I was not brave enough to try the traverse pitch.

It is hard to put my feelings into words because this route felt special. It was very enjoyable and I finally got to use everything I had learned during the past two days. Slab technique, crack movement, and even a bit of chimney climbing came together on this route. The pitch before the top is usually the famous traverse and I decided to skip that part and take the alternative line instead. QX belayed my friend on the traverse while guiding me up the other variation.

Even with the alternative way, the climb was still incredibly rewarding. I sat at the top for almost an hour just looking at the endless stretch of autumn trees. The sky was clear and blue and the cool breeze made everything feel calm and peaceful. It was one of those moments that makes you pause and appreciate how simple and beautiful nature can be.

Climbing in Ogawayama is more than climbing because every moment here felt meaningful. The hikes were some of the most beautiful parts of the trip and the trails passed through peaceful countryside surrounded by tall trees. The soft sound of small streams followed us along the path and made every step feel relaxing.

Every morning I woke up early and went for a short run. Even a quick run felt incredible because the mountains stood in the background and light clouds rested quietly on the peaks.

I also experienced the local climbing culture. Climbers were friendly and welcoming and they were truly passionate about the outdoors. Staying in a small lodge, enjoying homemade Japanese meals every morning and night, relaxing in the onsen, and meeting people from different places made this trip even more special.

Writing this now makes me miss Ogawayama a lot. Thank you for reading and for joining me on this journey. If you enjoyed this story, stay tuned because I will share more climbing stories, travel moments, and behind the scenes thoughts from my adventures.