Came across this video of two guys walking the infamous "Gendarme" (a knife ridge) and "Dai-Kiretto" in the North Japan Alps. I'm really bad with these kind of steep and heady heights... Some of you will of course think me a wimp. :-)

Much of the mountains are steep like this in Japan. I think it does a fair good job of illustrating why hikers here insist on shelters with a small footprint!

Enjoy!

Edited by butuki on 01/13/2013 08:47:21 MST.

It does seem that much of what passes for "hiking" in our mountains would be considered "mountaineering" in other places. Given all the deaths and injuries that happen on these sections every season, I am suprised they have not installed a via ferrata-like safety system along the routes. I am certainly too chicken to try myself but always wonder if I am just overly cautious when I see the annual summer videos on NHK TV news (taken from the SAR heli) of the long lines of seniors waiting hours to cross the chasms.

Edited by rmjapan on 01/13/2013 18:47:28 MST.

I like trails for walking. lol