A unique climbing adventure
on Japan's tallest waterfall

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What is Sawanobori?

A Japanese method of scaling mountain streams to their source.
And it's the sort of challenge that adventurous climbers just can't resist

WHO

Caroline Ciavaldini, James Pearson, Toru Nakajima, Yuji Hirayama, Matty Hong

WHAT

Sawanobori: a uniquely Japanese climbing form that involves scaling waterfalls, traversing ravine walls, and swimming through gorges

WHERE

Shomyo Falls, the tallest waterfall in Japan, located at Tateyama Mountain

Discover the climbers

Five stars of the climbing community, from legendary veterans to the emerging icons of tomorrow.

Caroline Ciavaldini 

From Competition Star to Trad Climbing Queen, Caroline's journey through climbing's many disciplines has been one of excitement, discovery, and several 'female firsts'.

Five stars of the climbing community, from legendary veterans to the emerging icons of tomorrow.

James Pearson 

Continuing his search for the most outrageous and exciting climbing styles on the planet, James can draw on years of experience at the cutting edge of Trad Climbing.

Five stars of the climbing community, from legendary veterans to the emerging icons of tomorrow.

Yuji Hirayama 

A master at turning his hand to a wide range of climbing styles. Yuji has been one of the most influential climbers of the last 30 years, paving the way for Toru and thousands of other Japanese climbers.

Five stars of the climbing community, from legendary veterans to the emerging icons of tomorrow.

Matty Hong 

Since getting his first taste of adventure in 2017, Matty has established himself as one of the most promising young climbers around, with some of the world's hardest routes already under his belt.

Five stars of the climbing community, from legendary veterans to the emerging icons of tomorrow.

Toru Nakajima 

One of the strongest, most gifted climbers in the world. Toru can do it all, but his main passion is Sawanobori. And he's on a mission to share it with the rest of the climbing community.

Get closer to the climb

Explore the gallery from the unique expedition in the Japanese mountains.

Sawanobori: Powered by
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