A Problem About Mountains
Knowledge and experience about mountains is surprisingly personal and individual.
Those who belong to mountaineering clubs or have veteran friends naturally build a toolkit of practical wisdom—insights like "the weather on that mountain tends to deteriorate in the afternoon during this season" or "that route is more physically demanding than it looks on a map." These are things you won't find in textbooks. Meanwhile, hikers without such connections may have access to information, but rarely have someone to think through decisions tailored to their own fitness level and experience.
Of course, many solo hikers manage their own risks carefully. Solo hiking itself isn't the problem. And in an age where information is available through YouTube, hiking apps, and social media, I don't mean to oversimplify by saying "accidents happen because of ignorance."
However, I believe that "I wanted to ask someone, but had no one to ask" is a common experience, especially among those new to hiking. Information exists. But finding someone who can specifically address the question "Is it safe for me to go to this mountain today?" is not easy.
About YAMATOMO
I developed YAMATOMO to help make this problem even a little smaller.
Honestly, I don't believe a single app can eliminate mountain accidents. Nor do I think an app can replace the kind of trust that develops between experienced and novice hikers over years.
What YAMATOMO can offer is a "first point of contact" between people who share an interest in the same mountain, prepared from as many angles as possible.
At the stage of deciding "which mountain to go to next," there needs to be a place where mountains can be searched by elevation and difficulty. For those who want to "walk with someone of a similar level," there should be Groups gathered by purpose and region. For those who want to "find someone who can actually go next weekend," there are date-specific Activities. And for those who want to encounter "decision-making perspectives they don't yet have," before or after heading to the mountains, there is the Magazine written by our guides and editors. From whichever entry point you arrive, you can eventually reach the kind of offhand conversations like "How was that route?" or "The weather seems to be turning in the afternoon." That is how it is designed.
From there, you might become regular hiking partners, or it might be a one-time conversation. That's not for an app to decide—it's something that naturally develops between people.
But I believe that simply having an entry point for connections that didn't exist before can subtly change how you engage with the mountains. A place where someone who would have had to make uncertain decisions alone can reach out. Just that alone can quietly transform the quality of the hiking experience.
YAMATOMO isn't aiming for a grand revolution. It's about creating just a few more points of connection among people who enjoy the mountains. And I believe that accumulation will, as a result, lead to a safer and richer mountain culture.
Yuhei Yamauchi