Exploration
A guide to Sawanobori: the art of climbing up flowing waterfalls
You don't need an ice axe and the frozen cloak of winter to scale a waterfall. Brit James Pearson recently went to climb some gushing waterfalls in Japan and reveals all...
Have you ever peered at a waterfall and thought, “I wouldn’t mind scaling that?" British climber James Pearson has, and to achieve this unlikely challenge he flew out to Japan to have a go at ‘sawanobori’ – the ancient Japanese art of climbing waterfalls. Joining a team of other North Face climbers, their exploits made for a stunning short film.
Centuries before it was a sport, sawanobori was a way of life, and Pearson wanted to climb Japan’s highest waterfall, Shomyo, 340 metres from top to bottom.
Here, he guides us through the discipline, what you need to have a go, and why this trip was the best of his life.
1. What is sawanobori?
Watch your step...
© Sawanobori: North Face
“It’s basically climbing up waterfalls staying as close as you can to the line of the water,” says Pearson. “The only other rule is not drilling in any fixed bolts, as they wouldn’t be sustainable in that type of environment. But apart from that, anything else goes."
2. You have to chose your waterfall carefully
TLC be damned - chase as many waterfalls as you please
© Sawanobori: North Face
The Japanese consider waterfalls sacred, as a place where gods dwell, and walking between them was seen as a sacred act – warriors undertook pilgrimages to the country’s biggest waterfalls.
“We researched the history of sawanobori, to try to understand the sport and the mentality a little better, but it was difficult due to the language barrier,” says Pearson. “So when we did our trip, we were all learning together, which made it kind of beautiful."
Throughout history locals have been known to travel upstream to reach the next village as the surrounding forests are too dense to traverse. The country’s at the perfect altitude, so water flows all year round, and it stays relatively warm.
3. You need a wetsuit
Without a wetsuit you might catch hypothermia in the cold water
© Sawanobori: North Face
“Our wetsuits were just regular wetsuits, says Pearson. “But hardcore sawanobori climbers don’t even wear wetsuits as it can limit your movement, especially when they fill with water as they become quite heavy. We tried mixing up what we wore, with and without wetsuits, and we messed it up every time. The days when it was roasting hot we were in full wetsuits with jackets, and one of the climbers suffered heatstroke. The days when it was freezing cold we were just in jackets and almost hypothermic.”
4. And special felt-soled sawnobori shoes
Taking two sets of shoes with different grip is a good idea
© Sawanobori: North Face
“The climbs often have a lot of moss on the rock, so special boots are important,” says Pearson. “Sawanobori shoes have pure felt on the sole – about 1cm thick, and they are quite stiff. Some had rubber on the bottom, and they were lethal on wet moss. The felt ones had a much better grip, and were more comfortable. Apart from when the climbing became difficult and you were standing on very small holes – then it was better to have proper climbing shoes. So on some pitches you’d need two sets of shoes with you.”
5. You can use regular gardening gloves
Unlike a regular climb, you'll need a set of gloves
© Sawanobori: North Face
“The guy who showed us the ropes in Japan told us to go to a gardening store and buy a cheap pair of gloves – they’re the best,” says Pearson. The basic wool gloves apparently grip better on wet, slimy rock, of which there is plenty in sawanobori. "The difference the wool gloves made on wet, slimy rock was amazing. On damp rock you got a better grip with your skin, so we'd often climb pitches with gloves in our pocket, and we'd take them on and off depending on how much water we were in."
6. The weight of the water will shock you
Dealing with gushing waters is a challenge in itself
© Sawanobori: North Face
“Climbing up even a small waterfall can feel like climbing under a fire hose,” says Pearson. “The water is so powerful, it makes it seem as if gravity is acting ten times stronger than usual and you have the world’s heaviest limbs. Another problem when you’re under the water is breathing and seeing. It makes it almost impossible to see the holds, and you have to take tiny quick breaths through pursed lips to avoid swallowing any water. We tried climbing with swimming goggles, and while they are great actually under the water, when they are covered with spray droplets they are next to useless. In the end we just got on with it."
7. Footholds and handholds are constantly changing
Stuck between a rock and a wet place
© Sawanobori: North Face
Pearson says that the technical aspects of waterfall climbing varies drastically with the rock type, and how much dirt and moss you have to deal with. “The clean wet rock is not that different from normal climbing, and you can climb well enough in regular climbing shoes. When things get covered in wet moss and slime, however, you need to use the felt-soled sawanobori shoes and gloves, as regular rubber is about as useful as roller skates.” You must also keep focused and ensure you know where your next grip is.
8. Climbers don’t need to train too much
Seasoned climbers might be more ready to take on sawanobori than they think
© Sawanobori: North Face
“The physical level of climbing on sawanobori is relatively easy,” says Pearson. “If you were to imagine the rock dry, it would be really easy. What makes sawanobori difficult – and fun – is all the extra elements, in addition to the base element of climbing. Yes, you have to be physically strong enough and skilled enough to achieve the climb, but you have to also be able to place reliable protection, decide where the protection is going during the climb, generally take control of a lot more things, plus you have an additional element of water to deal with.”
9. It's also hard to practice outside of Japan
The sights and sounds offered by Sawanobori are unmatched
© Sawanobori: North Face
The rocks in Japan are what makes sawanobori possible – they are more blocky and volcanic than in Europe, where waterfalls erode the rocks so they are much smoother, making it almost impossible to climb.
For those looking to practice in the UK, Pearson suggests ghyll scrambling: "It's climbing up little mountain streams, and the easy sawanoboris we did at the beginning of the trip weren’t much different to that. So I’m sure there must be some ghyll scrambling on steroids you can do in the UK to prepare yourself. Generally, as long as you’re going up a river, that’s sawanobori."
11. It’s a team sport
Pearson worked as part of a team to scale Japanese waterfalls
© Sawanobori: North Face
“The team aspect is something I miss from regular climbing, as climbing itself can be really selfish,” says Pearson. “It’s you and your activity. Even if you have a belayer, even if they’re a friend, they are not that emotionally involved in your climb. They just want to have a good climb and go to the pub at the end of the day. Whereas with sawanobori, as a group, you’re trying to get up this waterfall, and it’s good to work together. So if you get to a tricky step a friend will climb on your shoulders to reach a hold, or they’ll lie across the flow of water to make it less powerful.”
12. It makes you embrace Japanese culture
Centuries before it was a sport, sawanobori was a way of life
© Sawanobori: North Face
“Japan is such a wild and wonderful place, that if you’re not doing strange things while you’re there you’re missing the point,” says Pearson.
“The Japanese come up with unique solutions to problems you never thought existed,” he adds. “That’s so Japanese, and it’s so sawanobori. They look at things from a different way – they thought, ‘Why do we have to go down the waterfalls, why can’t we go up?’”
13. It's well worth the effort
The team pose having conquered one of the biggest climbs
© Sawanobori: North Face
“You could probably find some sawanobori guides in Japan, and some outdoor stores have their own sawanobori section,” says Pearson. “But it’s quite a niche sub-sport of climbing. Climbing in Japan is focused on indoor climbing. Partly influenced by the Olympics, there are 200 climbing walls in Tokyo alone. But my advice is to go to Japan, give it a go and try to figure it out – it’s well worth it.
"I thought this trip might be fun, and I left myself open to that chance to have that discovery, and through that choice of being open to randomness you end up having a miraculously wonderful experience. This ended up being the best trip I’ve ever done."