(For the entire route from Mt. Hakuba-dake, please click here. ）[Kaerazu-no-ken],　Kaerazu means “never return” in Japanese, and Kaerazu-no-ｋen is indeed a mountain with the ominous name of a mountain from which one cannot return once one has entered.
Even if you are not a climber, you will never forget the ominous name of these peaks, which is said to come from the fact that a long time ago, a reckless person went here to get close to a tengu and never came back.Kaerazu-no-ken is the general name for a series of peaks formed by erosion between the 2,703m “Tengu no O-kugari” peak in the north and the 2,695m “Karamatsu-dake” peak in the south, each which are one of the three most famous mountains in Japan, and a series of peaks (A/B/C) from the north, which are Peak I, Peak II North, Peak II South and Peak III (A/B/C), and a ridge line. The saddle of this chain is called “Kaerazu Killet,” one of the three famous in Japan, with an elevation of 2,411 meters. The steep rocky peak, which repeatedly rises and falls 300 meters in a short distance, has always been one of the targets for ordinary climbers as a difficult place to challenge.

The most difficult part is the route between Peak I and the North Peak of Peak II, where the trail is a series of chain-link passages, requiring a certain level of skill and experience to overcome.

(Cautionary note)
The route is a Variations route and is not a general mountain trail. The route is well-maintained and well-protected, and you should be able to proceed as long as you maintain the basic three-point anchorage (backward descent in the case of descent), but be sure to look carefully at the painted markers on the rocks, such as ○, X, and →. If you think you have made a mistake, go back to where you found it.
On the seasonal peaks, you will often pass each other on the scree or rocky terrain, but since this is different from ordinary trails, please do not give priority to climbing, but proceed flexibly, making judgments and checking with others. When waiting, be sure to keep your body away from the mountain side. The danger of falling rocks increases when there are many people on the trail. Wearing a helmet is a must, but if you accidentally cause a rock to fall, shout “Raku” as loudly as possible if you accidentally hit a falling rock.
If the weather forecast is bad, it is important not to push yourself too hard. Basically, it will be difficult to retreat between the large descent of Tengu and the south peak of Kaerazu II Peak, so please do not hesitate to return if you find it difficult. Also, in summer, try to pass between the huts in the morning as much as possible to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. It is said that the route from north to south, i.e. from Tengu no O-kudari to Karamatsu-dake, is mainly uphill and relatively easy to tackle, but here we will introduce the route from south to north, focusing on the route explanation guide of the core section. The difficult points are the same from either direction, so please use them as a reference.

The descent continues for a while from Karamatsu-dake with a distant view of Tengu-no-Atama (Head). Once down, a gentle ridge line continues and leads to the Kaerazu peak Ⅲ. Kaerazu peak III consists of three small peaks (A/B/C), and is marked by a huge stone reminiscent of Kai-koma-gatake and Mizugaki-yama. The route is carefully followed so as not to miss the ○, ×, and → markings on the stones.

Traverse directly below Kaerazu peak III. This area really feels like hiking. After passing peak Ⅲ, there is no big difference in elevation and you will start a gradual ascent of the South peak of peak Ⅱ. It takes about 40-50 minutes from Karamatsu-dake to reach the South peak of Kaerazu peak Ⅱ.

From the North peak of Kaerasu-no-ken peakⅡ, the crux of the climb is finally reached.
Suddenly, a series of chains and ladders begin to lower the altitude.The first half of the core section continues with chain-ladders.After descending through the slightly slanting chain slope, the next chain slope continues as if winding around a rocky area.If there is someone coming from the other side, call out to each other and set a waiting area to descend. On the steep descent, descend from the back. After
that, you will use chains to go down a ledge called a band. After traversing for a while, the rocky descent becomes steeper.The descent becomes steeper and steeper. Use a ladder to keep your balance as you descend.Make sure to secure yourself at three points as you descend. Take a break at the end of the rocky descent to relieve tension. Make sure to replenish your water intake. The rock face of Peak II stands tall in front of you.After traversing the side of the mountain for a while, you will reach the most difficult point.

The most difficult part of Kaerazu-no-ken begins with a short but difficult-to-handle chain due to the altitude.

As you pass from the chain spot to the north side of the mountain, you will see the saddle and the valley floor, but the important thing is to focus on the chain and rock in front of you and your footwork.Call out to the climber, let him know that you are going down, and then descend the chain in a backward posture to the ladder directly below. This is the angle bridge.

After crossing the bridge, you will descend a very steep slope at a slight incline while securing the chain along the mountain wall. At the turnaround point, descend vertically down the chain slope, and then descend in the same way with a chain slope, with the mountain on your right.

The turnaround is again a vertical scree slope, and after descending the chain slope, you will descend in the opposite direction. On the slope, you should be able to see your comrades at all times, so please call out to each of them to understand which one of you is ahead of the other. After descending the last chain slope, you will arrive at the summit’s attachment point. Good work!

Although there are a few pauses along the way, you will notice that the route on this slope is almost always marked with chain. Please make effective use of the chains to ascend and descend without relying
on them or slipping down without using them in a pretentious way.

If you remember to secure the basic three points (back descent style on the way down), the challenge will surely go well.

From the core of Kaerazu-no-ken, we will go to Tengu-sanso mountain hut PeakⅠof Kaerazu-no-ken is not so difficult. Then we will reach the saddle, Kaerasu kiretto. From here, we will take the Tengu-no-O-kudari , which is a reverse route, and climb up 300 meters at a stretch. The second half of the ascent is long, and those on the top have to be careful of falling rocks.
After less than an hour of patient climbing, you will reach the Tengu-no-O-kudari.