fbpx
    • Spring
      • video

        Finding the Flow from Kansai to Kochi

        Shikoku’s many mountains, valleys and proximity to the ocean has made it a hidden gem for rafting, kayaking and canyoning enthusiasts willing to take a step or two further from the Golden Route of Kyoto and Osaka.

        Solace and Giant Salamanders in Akiota

        Just beyond Hiroshima City is a tranquil outdoor destination home to some of Japan's last remaining oosanshouo, the elusive giant salamander.
        Kyoto Oni Trail Outdoor Japanvideo

        The Oni Trail: Hiking Coastal Kyoto

        The mystical oni is prevalent in Japanese children’s stories, usually as a way to scare kids straight. Adventure Travel Kyoto is shedding a new light on this folklore and developing a new hiking route in the countryside of Kyoto.
    • Summer
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
        adventure travel world summit in hokkaido

        Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido

        The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
        mead brewing in japan

        The Sweet Secrets of Brewing Mead

        Wander into the world of mead brewing and find yourself immersed in a fascinating journey spanning centuries and continents.
        the knights in white lycra

        The Knights in White Lycra

        Each year a group of cyclists head to the deep north towards Tohoku’s vast rice fields and coastal trails to help transform the lives of neglected children.
        sea to table yamagata

        Sea to Table in Yamagata

        An unforgettable way to intimately explore the Shonai Region in Yamagata is a culinary experience bringing bounty of the sea straight to your table.
    • Autumn
    • Winter
    • Near Tokyo
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Near Kyoto
    • All Regions
    • Article Map
    • Ocean and Beach
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • River and Lake
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Mountain and Land
    • Sky
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Snow and Ice
      • climbing mt. fuji off season

        Mt. Fuji: The Path Less Traveled

        Fuji-san is the most climbed mountain in the world. If you are in good shape, there is a way to avoid the traffic for a more peaceful Mt. Fuji experience during the off-season.
    • Travel
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
    • Food and Drinks
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
    • Races and Events
      • dd4d brewing

        DD4D Brewing

        In nearly e...
        fuji rock japan

        2023 Summer Music Festivals

        Get into the groove this green season while enjoying the great outdoors with family and friends.
        Summer Events Fireworks Festivals in Japan

        2023 Fireworks Festivals in Japan

        Enjoy these fireworks festivals held throughout Japan this summer and autumn.

For the Love of the Climb

climbing

Born in Slovenia, a rugged country boasting with sportsman’s culture, Cveto Nakashima Podlogar is well versed in trekking and alpine climbing. He now pours his energy into his alpine school and guide service in Japan while continuing to explore the mountains of his two homelands.

“When did I start climbing the hills?” Cveto Nakashima Podlogar asks rhetorically. “My parents worked with the forestry service, so I’ve been in the mountains all my life. Maybe I started alpine and back-country skiing when I was 3.”

With the closest neighbor 12 kilometers away, Cveto spent his boyhood years hiking, skiing and fishing alongside his parents and older brother. At the age of 11, he and a friend stood at the apex of Slovenia’s highest peak, Mt. Triglav (2,864 meters), and Cveto found himself smitten by the charms of the mountain upon which he stood.

Five years later, during a three-day hike up a face he had chosen, he became stranded on the wall and was forced to call in for a rescue.

In response to the incident, his father merely suggested, “If you’re that passionate about mountains, join a mountaineering club.” It was at that point where Cveto’s life took a turn toward the path he now travels.

climbing

THE WORLD STAGE
From the age of 17, Cveto spent 10 years as a member of Slovenia’s national cross-country team, winning seven national contests and leaving his mark on the world stage. “I lived a fairly Spartan lifestyle back then, waking at 5 a.m. and running 10 kilometers,” he recalls. “Then eating just one slice of bread to maintain my diet. However, I was also known to skip the summer ski camps in favor of a good road trip…it was truly a time when I did what I really wanted to do.”

At the end of this decade-long career, he removed himself from the scene and took up work as an electrician throughout Russia and Iran, all the while saving his hard-earned money for his next adventure.

After a stint through North and South America, he boarded the Trans-Siberian Railway and made his way to Asia, passing through Tibet and Hong Kong before finally arriving in Japan in 1988.

C&C JAPAN
Currently Cveto and his wife, Chiharu, run C&C Japan, a mountain guide service and Slovenian travel operator. During his time in Japan, he has also managed to receive his advanced accreditation from the Japan Mountaineering Association—a first for a foreigner. He now sits on the association’s committee. As part of the business the Cveto Alpine School was opened in 2001, giving him the opportunity to spend 250 days in the hills.

In response to the question, “Why open a school in Japan?” he relates, “Japanese tend to climb when the skies are clear and cancel plans when the weather turns sour. However, nature is a fickle beast where mountain roads can turn to rain-filled runoffs, and traverses can be a field of rocks.

“When lost, a bivouac can become a necessity. Therefore, in order to train climbers and hikers in the safest methods, it’s important for our school to equip students with a wide variety of knowledge and techniques.”

The school is not designed to train professional alpinists. Rather, its goal is to train safe and highly adaptable hikers. For example, I met Cveto on the Monday after the weekend was washed out by a typhoon. I naturally assumed any tours he scheduled would have been cancelled, which is typically the case in Japan; however, he quickly retorted that his group was in Kusatsu as planned. “We traded the tents for a bungalow, cooked our meals over an open fire and searched for some hot springs.”

No matter the conditions on the mountain, Cveto wants to safely and enjoyably make it through the climb. He scouts all the treks prior to taking groups and, since the opening of the school, has yet to cancel a hike.

BRINGING JAPAN TO THE WORLD
Cveto has traversed the peaks of European Alps, the Himalayas, North America and South America, and is proud to declare, “The Japanese mountains are gorgeous; particularly the stand-alone mountains such as Daisen in Tottori and Rishiri in Hokkaido. Nothing is better than strapping on a pair of skis at the peak and looking out at sea as you make your way down.”

climbing

During the late winter months, Cveto recommends the “Japan Haute Route” stretching from Tateyama to Kamikochi. Similar to its European namesake, this trek requires both stamina and time. He speaks passionately about its favorable comparison to its counterpart in Europe.
“Currently, Japanese make up 99 percent of our customers, but in the future we hope to introduce the beauty of the Japanese mountains and ski scene to visiting foreigners,” states Cveto. “That’s Chiharu’s and my dream.”

climbing

“He thinks of nothing but the mountains,” replies Chiharu at his side. “So, sometimes I have to drag him out to a movie or concert to keep the right and left sides of his brain in balance,” she says with a smile.

C&C JAPAN
Address: 4-17-12, Kami-Ikebukuro Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0012
Tel: (03) 3916-6801
E-mail: info@candcjp.com
Web: www.candcjp.com

[novo-map id=2 individual=”yes”]

Outdoor Japan logo tree

Related

Latest posts

Categories