Some people move countries for work. Others for family. Masa Sakano came to Scotland for the iced gullies and wild, unforgiving ridges of its winter mountains. Originally from Japan, Masa first arrived in the UK in 2001 and eventually settled in the Highlands in 2013. His decision to relocate was driven by a love for the very particular kind of adventure found in Scottish winter climbing. “There’s not quite so much winter climbing in England,” he explains during a Zoom call. “So when I lost my job down south, I didn’t see a reason to stay. I wanted to live where the mountains were.”