In his own words:

“For we weekend mountaineers, time is precious; I’d climbed through the night on Friday from Shin-Hotaka, Nagano, to the ridge below Mt Kasa-ga-take under a starry sky, but already wisps of clouds were racing across the stratosphere. After a quick bivouac for a few hours I started out again into a blazing red sunrise, but already the first few drops of rain were falling. By mid morning I was climbing through a late summer storm, making the summits of both Mt Suisho-dake and Mt Washiba. From each I’d gazed out through the driving rain, trying to imagine the breathtaking panoramas that are supposed to be the reserve of those who made it to those lofty peaks.

Having given up hope, I started down the mountain to find somewhere to camp for the night, when the rain lifted for a few brief moments before sunset. The entire valley appeared, and in the distance, in the midst of those swirling clouds, rose Mt Yari-ga-take, the perfect spear that its name suggests.

It was as unexpected as it was memorable. Suddenly my wet boots and the prospect of another chilly night on the mountain didn’t seem so bad after all.”

Read more about Chris’s mountainous adventures in Japan on his blog  i,cjw – hiking and climbing in japan and see more fabulous photos from this trip in his article “Into the Mist“.  Chris was also recently featured in an interview at 7:10 to Tokyo where he shares what he loves about Tokyo along with some interesting tales on mountaineering and a close call with the Yakuza (Japanese Mafia).

This and other great images of Japan can be found in The Nihon Sun Japan Photo Gallery.