Mount Yari, Mountain peak in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
Mount Yari rises to 3,180 meters (10,433 feet) and forms a sharp point in the Northern Alps of Japan between Matsumoto and Ōmachi. The rock faces drop almost vertically on several sides and give the mountain its pyramid-like silhouette.
Buddhist priest Banryu reached the summit on July 28, 1828, as the first documented climber and built a small shrine there. The peak later became an important destination for religious pilgrims and then for mountaineers from across Japan.
The summit resembles an upright spear in shape and is often compared to the Matterhorn by those who climb here. Mountaineers use the hut just below the highest point as a base for the final steep ascent in the early morning.
The ascent follows several routes with different difficulty levels, with the final section to the summit crossing steep rock ledges. A mountain hut about 180 meters (590 feet) below the highest point offers overnight stays and a rest before the final climb.
The Azusa River begins here and later becomes the Shinano, the longest waterway in Japan, flowing all the way to the Sea of Japan. Meltwater gathers in small streams on the upper slopes and starts its long journey through the valleys.
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