Three Studies of Gorges and Other Mountain Writings

A mountain stream is more than scenery: its blue depths, white rapids, enclosing forest, and walls of rock reveal the forces that shape a landscape. Kogure Ritarō begins this collection by asking what makes a gorge beautiful, and finds answers along the Kurobe, Sugoroku, and Fuefuki rivers.

Three further writings take readers into snow ravines, alpine flower fields, and forests bright with autumn leaves. On Mount Shirouma, geology and mountain names matter as much as views. A journey to Mount Sukai becomes an ordeal of rain, lost trails, and a night spent waiting for dawn. At Kinunuma, a secluded meadow and its pools lead into local legend before another difficult descent.

Kogure, a major figure in Japanese mountaineering writing, combines exact observation with a vivid sense of effort, discomfort, wonder, and relief. These four complete works preserve his historical measurements, changing weather, and uncertainty about unfamiliar terrain. Brief notes explain readings, traditional units, and source peculiarities. A new English translation, prepared from the Japanese with AI assistance.