To Albert Leichtfried and Markus Bendler, it was an adventure. A road trip across a land where communication is by sign language at best. Lots of powder snow and low temperatures characterize winter in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. It was obvious that the island might lend itself to ice climbing. However, virtually no information on Japanese ice is available in Europe. The trip was threatened by failure unless a Japanese speaker familiar with the local culture could be found. "That's why I tried to get in touch with local climbers and ask for help. It wasn't quite so simple because there are very few ice climbers in Hokkaido and most Japanese don't speak a word of English."
Photos by Hermann Eber www.outdoor-foto.at
For more information, go to: www.albertleichtfried.at
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