Published on December 3rd, 2025 | by Kayak Session
Paddling under a snow bridge
Watch Hiroaki Negishi paddling down the Kiyotsu Gorge in Japan, threading a line through three heavy snow bridges.
Hiroiaki first paddled the gorge last year and was on his fifth lap when this run was filmed, guiding three friends on their first descent. Locals had told him that snow bridges form here every winter, but with the season running long he assumed they would be gone. Instead they hung low over the river, due to record snowfall that season, turning the gorge into a series of white tunnels. None of the crew had ever paddled under one before.
Due to topographical factors, the team was unable to thoroughly scout all three snow bridges. The risk was real, but they committed anyway, finding lines under each massive snow bridge. Hiroaki Negishi learned that one of the bridges collapsed four days later, showing just how narrow their window had been.
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