アイスクライミング | BETA Climbing Gym - Bouldering

【Dry Tooling】＃38　Toprope Session held on March 26th（Wed)　Daytime 14:00～. Nighttime 19:30～　　

2025年03月11日

Let’s continue the fun muscle training!
The Ice Climbing World Cup has ended.
The Japanese team did a great job. The ice season is almost over.

It would be a shame to end ice climbing like this.
The skills and physical strength that have improved this season will go back to the way they were if we let it end like this.
That’s where dry tooling comes in. By getting used to your axe during the off-season, you’ll be able to face the ice easily next season!
Let’s have some fun muscle training with dry tweaks!

This is a session for dry touring experienced people.
Experienced doesn’t have to be good. If you have taken “Introduction to dry tooling“, you are an “experienced person”.

It’s also the only chance to vertically climb Beta’s face wall with an ice ax and a rope. Please feel free to enjoy!
(Usually, if you use the gym and climb the 3rd floor dry challenge, climbing using a rope is prohibited for safety reasons.)

The route was set by Mr. Hirokazu Kodaira, who is known as “Kazuo-san” in the dry touring community. They always put their ingenuity and prepare a fun route.

Not only dry touring enthusiasts, but also those who love ice climbing, please join us! “Perfect for off-season training and fun!”

If you are new to dry touring, please take “Introduction to dry tooling” first.

Held on Thursday February 13th

Overview

[Location] Beta [3F]

[Time]
March 26th (Wed)
Afternoon session 14:00-17:30
Evening session 19:30-22:30

*Contents are the same.

[Trainer] Kazuo-san
Dry Touring/Ice Climbing Enthusiast/Photographer

[Target] People with dry touring experience
*Participation must be over 18 years old.

[Capacity] 6 people for each division

[Course fee] 4400 yen (tax included)
*Gym usage fee included.
*Please pay at the reception on the day.

【Belongings】
Required: Clothing suitable for ice climbing (long sleeves and long pants that are easy to move in), ice ax, helmet, gloves (recommended for golf), climbing shoes, harness *Don’t forget! !

Rental: Ice ax, helmet, climbing shoes (paid 330 yen/please bring socks), and harnesses are available for rent.
*Please rent climbing shoes on the 1st floor before coming to the 3rd floor.

About participation

If you would like to participate, please apply at Beta store or email.
▼For e-mail: Please send an e-mail with the following address, subject, and text.
◆Email address: info@beta-climbing.com
*Please replace the @ (at mark) with half-width characters.
◆Email subject: 3/26 dry touring practice meeting request
*　Please write the desired session
◆E-mail text: Please write the following 1. to 5.
1.Name
2. Gender
3.Date of birth
4. Phone number (Please write the number where you can be contacted on the day)
5. Whether or not to rent (If yes, please write the rental product name)
6. Beta member or non-member (please write which one)

Beta Climbing Gym Seminar/Dry Touring Top Rope Session

Beta Climbing Gym Seminars and Dry Touring Top Rope Sessions

[Trainer profile] Hiroshi Furuhira (a.k.a. Kazuo)
Dry Touring/Ice Climbing Enthusiast/Photographer
A rugged yet beloved character. Please play around with it.

*Notice to everyone*
The [3F] climbing area cannot be used by the general public during the course. We apologize for the inconvenience, but thank you for your understanding.

Dry tooling practice session held in the past

[Natural Icefall] Ice climbing step-up course 3/22 (Sat) – 23 (Sun) @ Yatsugatake

2025年03月10日

This is a course for those who want to step up their ice climbing. Of course, beginners are also welcome.
We will mainly focus on top rope climbing, but depending on your skill level, we will also do lead climbing and screw installation.
And best of all, you can get direct advice from Mr. Hirokawa. I want to be able to climb the silvery ice wall freely like Hiroken!

This year, we can still expect cold waves, so the ice season is likely to be a little longer.

We can look forward to the 22nd and 23rd as well!

If you have seen NHK’s “Tackling the Great Ice Wall at Ichinokurazawa, Tanigawadake,” please take a look!

In addition, Mr. Hirokawa is currently also the representative of “Kailas Japan.”

You can try Kailas axes and crampons! ! Also, as a participant benefit, you will receive discounts and other benefits when purchasing!

3/22-23 Yatsugatake Ice Gallery!

Overview

[Course content]
・Crampon work/Axe work
・Screw set (spacing/position)
・Building anchors with screws (for multi-pitch)
・Descending ice routes (V-threads/rope set on retrievable screws)
・Risks of ice climbing (falling ice/rope breakage/facial injury from an axe)

Basically, you will climb using a top rope, but depending on your skills, you can also try lead climbing.

[Target] Beginners in ice climbing
*Those who can walk on snowy mountains and have ice climbing experience

[Date] Saturday, March 22nd to Sunday, March 23rd, 2025
Those who can access Yatsugatake by themselves can participate for just one day.
Please feel free to contact us for more information.

[Meeting time] Sakuradaira parking lot, 7:00 a.m.
*Depending on the road conditions, we may not enter the parking lot and may meet at the junction with Karasawa Onsen.

You can access the meeting place by one of the following methods. Please let us know your request.
1) Personal car, etc.
2) Car ride with staff
Beta: Departs at 3:00, overnight stay before beta possible, Shinjuku Station pick-up possible
Transportation fee: Per person

[Location] Ice Gallery. May change depending on ice conditions.

[Accommodation] Natsuzawa Onsen
Participants are responsible for accommodation costs.

[Instructor] Mr. Kentaro Hirokawa (climber, guide, representative of Kailas Japan, author of many books including “Ice Climbing” and “Challenge Alpine Climbing”)

[Insurance] Please purchase liability insurance for snowy mountain climbing

[Course fee] 20,000 yen/day (tax included)
*Please pay for your own transportation and accommodation (if staying the night before)
*Payment for the instructor fee can be made on-site or in advance at Beta.

[What to bring]
-Snow mountain equipment
-Clothes suitable for ice climbing
-Helmet, ice axe, crampons (10 or more prongs), harness, gloves, etc. Gear required for ice climbing
-Snacks, etc.

[Rental]
-Ice axe
-Crampons
Limited number available

About participation

If you would like to participate, please apply at Beta store or email.
When applying, please agree to the Beta Climbing Gym Outdoor Event Participation Terms.

▼By email: Please send an email with the address, subject, and body of the email below.
◆Email address: info＠beta-climbing.com
※Please change the @ symbol to half-width characters.
◆Email subject: Request to participate in the ice climbing course on 3/22-23 [Yatsugatake]
◆Email body: Please include the following information.
1. Name
2. Gender
3. Date of birth
4. Phone number (please write a number where you can be contacted on the day)
5. Beta member or non-member (please write either)
6. Address (if you are a non-Beta member/member, but the address is different from the address you registered)
7. Emergency contact name and phone number (if you are a non-Beta member/member, but the address is different from the emergency contact you registered)
8. Blood type
9. Rental (axe/crampons)
10. Other questions, requests, etc.

※※※※※※※
Applicants will receive an email from Beta Climbing Gym confirming their application at a later date. If you do not receive a reply within 1-2 days of sending your application email, please call Beta.
※※※※※※※

[Deadline] Applications will close as soon as capacity is reached.

If you have any other questions, please contact us

Kentaro Hirokawa

Enjoy the approach with lead and follow

Climb a small icicle with lead and follow

Then descend by rappelling

Learn how to set up ice screws

You can also lead

How to make a V-shaped thread

You can also try Kailas’s axe

[Dry Touring] #22 Dojo held on 18th February (Tue)

2025年03月04日

There is only one event left in the Ice Climbing World Cup.
Junko-sensei competed despite a shoulder injury, but she did well and made it to the semi-finals in the USA match.
You might even get to hear some behind-the-scenes stories from the World Cup.

At the dojo, we will help you grow one step further.
The dojo owner will give each participant a problem and help them solve it.
The owner of the dojo is Junko Sensei, who is well known for her introduction to drytoolring.

From 20:00 to 22:00, you can come and go as you please. You can come at a time that is convenient for you, and of course you can leave early.

Participation is limited to experienced people.
If you are doing dry touring for the first time, please take “Introduction to dry tooling“.

Held on Tuesday, 11th March！

Overview

[Place] Beta [3F]

[Hours] 20:00-22:00 (free entry and exit)

[Dojo owner] Junko Sasakawa
* Profile description at the bottom of the page

[Target] Those who have experienced dry touring
*Participation must be over 18 years old.

[Capacity] 8 people (Priority given to those who have participated less often, first-come-first-served basis if the number of participants is the same)

[Course fee] 4400 yen (tax included)
*Please pay at the reception on the day.

【Belongings】
・Clothes suitable for ice climbing (long sleeves and long pants are recommended. *Short sleeves are fine in summer and other hot seasons, but please be careful.)
・Ice ax (*1)
·Helmet
・Gloves (*2)
・Climbing shoes
*1 Please remove the hammer and adz. See “Preparing the Ax” for more information. please do.
*2 Gloves are essential to prevent injuries and protect your fingers. We recommend getting the perfect size. Leather golf gloves are easy to use, but you can also use thin gloves for work at home centers. It is difficult to climb with loose belay gloves or non-slip gloves.

Items that can be rented —————-
・Ice ax (free/please bring a taping with a width of 25mm or more)
·Helmet
・Climbing shoes (paid 330 yen/please bring socks/rent on 1F and bring to 3F)

[Course content]
Each session will have a theme.
If you want to step up your dry tooling skills, climb until you run out!

Participation

If you would like to participate, please apply at Beta store or email.
▼For e-mail: Please send an e-mail with the following address, subject, and text.
◆ E-mail address: info@beta-climbing.com
Email subject: 3/11 dry tooling Dojo request
Email text: Please write the following 1. to 5.
1. Your name
2. Gender
3. Date of birth
4. Phone number (Please write the number where you can be contacted on the day)
5. Whether or not to rent (If yes, please write the rental product name)
6. Beta member or non-member (please write which one)

※※※※※※※
For those who have applied, we will send you an e-mail from Beta Climbing Gym at a later date. If you do not receive a reply within 1-2 days after sending the participation application email, please call beta.
※※※※※※※

[Deadline] The deadline will be closed as soon as the application reaches the capacity.

[On the day] Please complete the reception (pay the gym usage fee + class fee) and change clothes at Beta [1F] about 30 minutes before the start of the class. Also, please complete the update as necessary.
* If you are not a beta member, you will need to register as a member, so Pre-registration is recommended.

Beta Climbing Gym Workshop / Dry Tooling Dojo / Junko Sasagawa

Beta Climbing Gym Seminar/Dry Tooling Dojo/Junko Sasagawa

Beta climbing gym workshops and dry tooling dojo

[Instructor Profile] Junko Sasagawa
Joined the Kanagawa Prefecture Workers’ Mountaineering Federation ・Ginreikai Deputy Representative
In 2018, an all-female alpine climbing club, Ginreikai< /a>. Besides alpine climbing, she also participates in ice climbing and dry touring competitions. She is energetically devoting herself to both mountain and competition.

Major achievements
[Competition]
2018 Montura Nanners Cup Her Beginner Division Winner
2019 Montura Dry Touring Championship Women’s 2nd Place
2020 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup China match semi-final advance Women’s lead 18th
2020 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup Korea Match Women’s Lead 28th
2020 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup Annual Overall Ranking: Female Lead 30th
2021 BETA Cup Mixed Male and Female 6th Place
2023 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup Annual Overall Ranking: Female Lead 21st

[Outer Rock]

Spring 2019 Kamakurayama Hayate D10 RP
Autumn 2020 Futakuchi Valley Kagura D9+ RP

Winter 2021 MIX route (unnamed) M8 RP

*Notice to everyone*
The [3F] climbing area cannot be used by the general public during the course. We apologize for the inconvenience, but thank you for your understanding.

dry tooling Dojo Past events

Ice climbing course was held at Yonago Fudo Icefall Group 2025/2/15-16

2025年03月06日

2024/2/17-18 An ice climbing course was held at Yonago Fudo and Kimyotaki Falls.
With the cooperation of Mountain Works, we welcomed Kenji Narita as the instructor, and Taichi Kagami, a sculptor and alpine climber, as support.

There were 11 participants. From Beta, Junko-sensei (Junko Sasagawa), also known as Junko Sensei, who is an ice climbing World Cup finalist and an instructor for Beta’s dry touring courses, and Ozawa accompanied us.

The ice and the weather were both great! We were able to climb the private wall to our heart’s content!

Thank you to the first-time ice climbers, the tough climbers who had previously climbed Yonago, the young people aiming to climb the alpine, and the fun ladies who participated again last year for a fun time!

We will hold this event again next year!
The last ice-skating event of the season will be held on March 22-23 in Yatsugatake, with Mr. Kentaro Hirokawa as the instructor!

Day1 February 15th
The car group will leave Beta at 3:00, and those who are traveling by train will take the Shinkansen at 6:00.
We will meet at Nagano Station at 8:00 and share a taxi from there, then travel by car for about 30 minutes, and meet up with the guide at the day-trip hot spring facility “Yukkulando”.
We will change cars and go to just before the forest road, and then take a snowmobile to the trailhead. We will arrive at the trailhead parking lot just before 10:00.
The approach, which would take more than two hours on foot, will be shortened to 30 minutes by snowmobile. Thank you.

After walking along the mountain trail for about an hour, we headed to our lodgings for the night, Nekodake Sanso. On the way, we visited the sacred Fudotaki waterfall and prayed at Yonago Takiyama Fudoson Okunoin, which has been used as a training ground for asceticism since the Edo period.
After a light lunch at the mountain lodge and a walk to the area next to Fudotaki, we headed to our destination, Kimyotaki waterfall.
On the way, we were impressed by the panoramic view of the frozen waterfalls in the Yonago area from the observation deck at the former sulfur mine.
It was 13:00 and we arrived at the waterfall in about 40 minutes.

The guide’s team had prepared a top rope, and we started climbing after a brief opening speech.
On the way, Narita guide, who is well known for his careful and accurate lectures, gave us a basic lesson.

We climbed a total of four routes that day and left around 5pm.

For dinner we had meat miso hotpot. We warmed up with udon noodles.

After dinner we had time for self-introductions and chat. Everyone has a history, and everyone enjoys various adventures, and we had fun stories to share. We also had a great time learning how to use Mercari from Narita, our guide.

The sleeping rooms were separated into large rooms for men and women. We prepared sleeping bags on the futons provided and went to sleep.

Day2 February 16th
We ate at 6am and departed at 6:30. We ate bread rolls, leftovers from the hot pot, and mushroom soup.

We used the top rope we had left over from yesterday and started climbing in the morning. On the way, Junko-sensei gave a lecture for women, teaching us how to climb without relying on muscle strength alone.

We finished in order of getting on the snowcat and returned to the hut.

We returned to the hut, had a light lunch, and then headed down the mountain. We took the group to Suzaka Station and disbanded around 4pm.

Beta Climbing Gym | Ice Climbing Course, Yonago Fudo

Park the car on the forest road and get on the snowmobile

Comfortable snowmobile ride to the trailhead

Walk to the hut in just under an hour

On the way, we visited Fudo Falls from below.

Heading from the hut to Kimyonotaki Falls

View the icefalls of the Yonago area from the observation deck at the former sulfur mine

Basic course by Narita guide

There is always someone climbing each route

It’s quite a long climb, so it’s very challenging

For those new to ice climbing

Belayers are also in full swing

Narita Guide and Mr. Kagami

Teacher Junko

Fun ladies

Miso meat hotpot

Evening conversation

【Dry Tooling】 #69 Introductory Held on March 5th (Wednesday)

2025年03月04日

Dry tooling is climbing on rock or artificial walls using ice axes and crampons.
In Europe and the United States, it is enjoyed by many people as a genre of climbing.

There are many climbers who enjoy dry tooling as a competition and incorporate it as training for ice climbing and alpine climbing.
This course is for those who want to start dry tooling, those who have experienced dry tooling several times but want to learn from the basics properly.

I use an ax to climb, but don’t worry if you don’t have your own ax, I will rent it for you.
In addition, participants in this course may rent the Axe at no charge at any time in the future!

Even if you are new to Beta drywall, please take this course.
If you want to use Beta drywall, please take this course first
For details and to apply, please visit the official website

The number of times you can participate in the introductory class will be up to 3 times. After graduating from the introductory class, you can practice on your own, or if you want to practice with everyone, please use the “Dry Tooling Practice Meeting”.。

Held on Wednesday, March 5th

Overview

【Place】 Beta [3F]

【Time】 19:30-22:30

【Lecturer】 Ms.Junko
※Profile description at the bottom of the page

【Target】 dry tooling inexperienced & beginners
※There is no limit on the number of times you can participate, but please note that if there are more applications than the capacity, we may ask those who have participated many times to refrain from doing so.
※Participation must be 18 years or older.

【Capacity】 8 people (Priority will be given to those who participate less often.first-come-first-served basis if the number of participants is the same)

【Course fee】 4400 yen (tax included)
※Please pay at the reception on the day.

【Belongings】
・Clothes suitable for ice climbing (long sleeves and long pants are recommended *Short sleeves are fine in hot weather such as summer, but please be careful)
・Ice ax (*1)
・Helmet
・Gloves (*2)
・Climbing shoes
※1 Please remove the hammer and adz. See “Preparing the Ax” for more information. please do.
※2　Gloves are essential for injury prevention and finger skin protection. We recommend that you get the perfect size. Leather golf gloves are easy to use, but you can also use thin gloves for work at home centers. It is difficult to climb with loose belay gloves or non-slip gloves.

Items that can be rented —————-
・Ice ax (free/please bring a taping with a width of 25mm or more)
・Helmet
・Climbing shoes (paid 300 yen/please bring socks/rent on 1F and bring to 3F)

【Course content】
・Differences between dry tooling and ice climbing (tools/moves)
・How to use the ax (how to grip, switch hands, hold)
・Dry tooling practice Traverse task using ice ax, basics of figure 4 and figure 9

About participation

If you would like to participate, please apply at Beta climbing gym or email.
▼In the case of e-mail: Please send an e-mail with the following address, subject, and text.
◆E-mail destination：info＠beta-climbing.com
※Please replace the @ (at mark) with half-width characters.
◆email subject：3/5 Hope to participate in dry touring introductory
◆Email text: Please write the following 1. to 5.
1. Your name
2. Gender
3. Date of birth
4. Phone number (Please write the number where you can be contacted on the day)
5. Whether or not to rent (If yes, please write the rental product name)
6. Beta member or non-member (please write which one)

【Deadline】Applications will be closed once the capacity is reached.

Beta Climbing Gym Seminar/Introduction to Dry Touring/Junko Sasagawa

【Instructor Profile】 Junko Sasakawa
Joined the Kanagawa Prefecture Workers’ Mountaineering Federation ・Ginreikai Deputy Representative
In 2018, an all-female alpine climbing club, Ginreikai. Besides alpine climbing, she also participates in ice climbing and dry touring competitions. She is energetically devoting herself to both mountain and competition.

Major achievements
【Competition】
2018 Montura Nanners Cup Beginner Division Winner
2019 Montura Dry Touring Championship Women’s 2nd Place
2020 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup China match, semi-final advance Women’s lead 18th
2020 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup Korea Match Women’s Lead 28th
2020 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup Annual Overall Ranking: Women’s Lead 30th
2021 BETA Cup Mixed Male and Female 6th Place
2023 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup Annual Overall Ranking: Women’s Lead 21th

【Outer Rock】

Spring 2019 Kamakurayama Hayate D10 RP
Autumn 2020 Futakuchi Valley Kagura D9+ RP

Winter 2021 MIX route (unnamed) M8 RP

*Notice to everyone*
The [3F] climbing area cannot be used by the general public during the course. We apologize for the inconvenience, but thank you for your understanding.

Introduction to dry tooling Past events

Top of Page

【Dry Tooling】＃38 Toprope Session held on March 26th（Wed) Daytime 14:00～. Nighttime 19:30～

[Natural Icefall] Ice climbing step-up course 3/22 (Sat) – 23 (Sun) @ Yatsugatake

[Dry Touring] #22 Dojo held on 18th February (Tue)

Ice climbing course was held at Yonago Fudo Icefall Group 2025/2/15-16

【Dry Tooling】 #69 Introductory Held on March 5th (Wednesday)

BETA Climbing Gym

【Dry Tooling】＃38　Toprope Session held on March 26th（Wed)　Daytime 14:00～. Nighttime 19:30～　　