Kuroda Hatsuko (b.1903; pictured abseiling above) married mountaineer, Kuroda Masao: they visited Amagi on their honeymoon in 1923. Soon the Kurodas were tackling sterner stuff. With her husband as climbing partner, Mrs Kuroda notched up first female ascents of Ko-Yari, Tsurugi Yatsu-mine, and Kita-Hodaka’s East Ridge, all destinations that require rock-climbing skills and a head for heights. She parlayed her knowledge of nutritional science into a book on food and gear for mountain-climbers.
