Blog

A Beginner on the Chains of Kentokusan | The Famous 20 m Hogan Pitch and the Ohira-Kogen Route

2025.06.06

I wanted to practise on rock. That's what took me to Kentokusan (2,031 m) in Yamanashi Prefecture. Just below the summit there's a 20 m chain pitch, and the mountain has a reputation as the right place to make your debut on rock. I'd recently taken a rock-climbing course and wanted to put it into practice on real rock, so this was training as much as anything.

Honestly: I'd done bouldering, but real rock with no mat underneath is a different thing entirely. Heights frighten me, and I'd come away from that course knowing I needed practice. Here's how a beginner got on with the chains of Kentokusan, along with parking and access for the Ohira-Kogen route, the timings, and the gear that made a difference on rock.

What Kentokusan is, and why it suits a first go on chains

Kentokusan stands at 2,031 m in the north of Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture. It sits at the front of the Okuchichibu range, and what it's known for is rock ridges and a big view. Below the summit there's a run of rock features including that 20 m chain pitch, and it's genuinely exciting — which is why it's popular as a place to learn on rock.

In clear weather you can see Mt. Fuji from Ogidaira on the way up, and the Southern Alps and the Okuchichibu peaks from the summit. It has a long history as a mountain of ascetic training, and something of that composure is still in the air.

There are two main trailheads. I took the shorter Ohira-Kogen route, a loop of about 7 km. The other starts from the foot of the mountain and runs about 10 km with a harder climb, which is worth considering if you're confident in your fitness. The Ohira-Kogen route is the one where the drive in is a little awkward but the walking is shorter — it suits people who are mainly there for the rock.

Parking and access on the Ohira-Kogen route — drive carefully

You reach the trailhead by climbing a mountain road off National Route 140. It's paved the whole way, but it's narrow with a lot of bends, so the driving needs some attention. Take it slowly and watch for oncoming traffic.

The parking is at Ohira-Kogen, on the site of a former pasture, with room for around 25 cars. It cost ¥800, paid to the attendant if one is there, or dropped into a box if not. There's a toilet, though the facilities are basic — if that concerns you, stop somewhere on the way.

One more thing I'd emphasise as a beginner: it's easy to take the wrong path. Early on, forest roads and the hiking trail cross each other repeatedly. I headed off up a forest road without a moment's doubt, and nearly did the same thing two or three more times. Check your map app often, and stop at every junction to confirm.

Higesoriiwa, ladders and Kaminariiwa — rock all the way to the summit

Past Ogidaira, gaining height with the snow melting off and the mountainside showing through in that shift from spring to summer, you enter the rock zone. What makes Kentokusan remarkable is that the route to the summit runs like a series of rock attractions.

The first is Higesoriiwa, where you take your pack off and squeeze your body through a narrow slot in the rock. It's tight enough that you have to go sideways or your hips won't fit, and I did have a moment of "what if it closes on me." I remember thinking thin fabric would have been shredded — sturdy trousers earned their keep.

Beyond that is a ladder going down. Descending was more unnerving than I'd expected, and it left me with renewed respect for hikers in general. Then Kaminariiwa, and a rock you crawl through in the manner of a *tainai-kuguri* — a passage that symbolises being reborn clean. That one didn't look like it would take me, so I looked rather than crawled, but the whole route carries traces of the mountain's ascetic past.

On rock I worked through what I'd been taught, one move at a time. Place your foot at right angles to the rock; keep three points of contact between hands and feet; when traversing, point your heel in the direction you're going. Just holding those basics in mind makes an enormous difference to how stable you feel. The holds everyone uses are polished smooth and slippery, so where you choose to put a foot matters too.

The 20 m chain pitch at Hogan — dealing with the fear

The climax of the day is Hogan, the famous feature: a 20 m chain pitch rising directly below the summit. Looking up at it, my honest reaction was that it looked frightening.

The key is committing your weight to the chain where it's right to do so. You start out cautious, but once you trust the chain it climbs more easily than you'd think. Where the rock is wet and slippery, don't force it. Climbing without a harness carries a particular tension — a fall ends things — so I checked every foot placement before I used it.

Usefully, Kentokusan's chain sections all have bypass routes. If it genuinely feels beyond you, you take the way round. Having that escape is exactly what makes it a mountain a beginner can attempt with some confidence. The exposure is significant, and frightening, and the feeling at the top of it is worth every bit of that. At some point I noticed I was laughing and enjoying myself.

The summit at 2,031 m, and lunch

Above Hogan, the summit of Kentokusan (2,031 m) is right there. Cloud drifted through and it went white for a while, but the sense of height was still obvious. It's an open summit I'd like to see on a clear day.

The thing I look forward to at a summit is lunch. This time: hot miso ramen, and onigiri rice balls I'd made the night before. I'd once asked viewers what they eat in the mountains, and a lot of people said they make their own onigiri, so I copied them. I can never get up early enough on the morning itself, so I made them the previous evening and put them in the fridge — where they dried out slightly. If anyone has a trick for keeping them moist, I'd like to hear it. Sitting and eating slowly up there might be the best reward hiking has.

The loop back down — the descent is where the care goes

After lunch we started down the loop, where the steep scree and loose ground were waiting. This descent takes more concentration than climbing the rock did. Your legs start shaking from the effort of it, and on slippery ground the safe move is to sit down onto your backside without hesitating and go down that way.

We stopped at Kogen Hütte, the emergency shelter, to use the toilet and take a short break. It's very clean, and it took the edge off the tiredness. The meadow, with dandelion seed heads drifting around, was pretty enough to feel like fairy country — a soothing stretch after the tension of the rock. I'd assumed the Ohira route would be short, but there's substance in both the climb and the descent, and I came back to the car park thoroughly, satisfyingly worn out.

What the rock taught me about gear

The thing I felt most keenly was the importance of footwear. On the rock-climbing course they told us to start by buying boots suited to the purpose, so I'd bought a new pair. The stiff sole lets you stand confidently on rock, it doesn't slip, and the ankle stays supported. The reassurance of actually standing properly on rock was in a completely different class from my old boots. It brought home that you need different footwear for different mountains and different objectives.

On rock in early summer, heat, sun and glare all need managing too. Twenty minutes into the climb I was hot enough to take a layer off. These are the three things I rely on for mountains with a lot of sweat and sun.

• Finetrack Dry Layer: a base layer worn directly against the skin. It pulls sweat away and keeps you dry, preventing both the clamminess and the chill that comes when sweat cools. It's the foundation of everything else.
• Karrimor Sudare Hat: UV protection with real ventilation, and coverage down the back of the neck. A summer staple.
• goodr Polarized Sunglasses: cuts the glare bouncing off rock and keeps the view clear — reassuring on chain sections where you need to read the rock at your feet.

On rock a single mistaken step matters, which is why gear that keeps you from slipping, from overheating and from being dazzled feeds straight into how safe you feel.

Conclusion: why Kentokusan is a good first mountain for chains

Kentokusan packs the appeal of rock into one mountain — Higesoriiwa, the ladders, and the 20 m of Hogan — while keeping a way out in the bypass routes. Climbing without a harness, with that much exposure, was excellent practice. I got to revise what I'd learned on the course — foot at right angles, three points of contact, heel first on traverses — on real rock, and I could feel that I'd improved.

A first serious chain section is frightening, no question. But if you stick to the basics, take the bypass when it's beyond you, and get your gear right starting with your boots, a beginner can move forward one step at a time. The Ohira-Kogen route is short and lets you concentrate on the rock, which makes it a good first choice for anyone wanting to try chains. Drive the narrow approach carefully, watch the junctions on the way up, and go and find out what rock and a summit feel like.

🛒 See the gear from the video as a list → A packing list for your first low-mountain hike

As an Amazon Associate, Yoshimi Iwasaki earns from qualifying purchases.

Related posts

How to Choose Hiking Boots | A Beginner's Guide to Type, Cut, Material, Sole and Fit

4 Montbell Autumn and Winter Outfits | Outdoor Clothing That Doesn't Look Out of Place in Town

Mt. Bonoreyama (Bonomine) Day Hike | The Shirayazawa Gorge Is the Whole Point — Plus an Honest Test of Heart-Rate Hiking with the Suunto Vertical 2

Five Houses at BESS Fujisawa LOGWAY | A Room Tour Asking "What If I Lived Here?"

This post contains affiliate links. Prices and specifications are as of the video's publication date. Most items are sold in Japan.

← All posts