In Search of a Cooler Destination Summer in Japan used to be somewhat tolerable when there was an understanding that it would roll past by early September. Here we are, two-thirds of the way through September, and it continues unabated, thanks to...
Hiked on Aug 29, 2023 . Reclining Buddha statue 寝釈迦像 – Sai-no-kawara 賽の河原 – Mt. Komaruyama 小丸山 Duration: 2 days Distance: 26.4 km Elevation change: 1408 metres Highest point: 1878 metres Start: Sori...
Hiked from July 21 to July 29, 2023 . Hirogawara 広河原 – Akaishi Onsen Shirakabaso 赤石温泉白樺荘 This is a long and demanding multi-day hike suitable for experienced hikers. Note that it includes one short, dangerous section on day 5. 9 days...
Getting Down to the Nuts and Bolts From July 21st to July 29th, 2023, I completed a full-length traverse of the entire Southern Alps from Hirogawara in Yamanashi Prefecture to Akaishi Onsen Shirakabaso hot spring in Shizuoka Prefecture, a distance...
Make Your Safety a Priority As I go about preparations for my summer hike in the Southern Alps, I thought it would be timely to reflect on how safety figures into the mix. I hope you find it useful. Last month, the National Police Agency released...
Hiked on Jun 17, 2023 . Mt. Mae-Shirane 前白根山 – Midaga Pond 弥陀ヶ池 – Mt. Goshiki 五色山 Duration: 8 hours Distance: 13.3 km Elevation change: 1098 metres Highest point: 2578 metres Start: Nikko Yumoto Campground...
Yamanashi’s Most Prominent Peaks One thing Japanese people love to do is rank and categorise things, and mountains are no exception. Ever since the release of Kyuya Fukada’s best seller 100 Famous Japanese Mountains (Nihon Hyaku-meizan) back...
Hiked on May 25, 2023 . Mawarime-daira 廻り目平 – Hacho-daira 八丁平 – Fujimidaira-goya 富士見平小屋 Do not attempt this hike unless you have experience in route-finding and make sure you carry a topographic map and handheld GPS device. ...
What’s in a Name? Japan’s Mountain Kanji Explained Studying kanji, or Chinese characters used in the writing of Japanese, can leave even the most ardent student exasperated at the best of times, and that’s before they ever open a hiking map. Place...
A Compact, Packable, Flatpack Grill Hauling along a BBQ grill on a hike may not be everyone’s cup of tea; but hear me out. I’m not suggesting bringing one on any old hike, where weight is a major consideration, but rather on shorter solo camping...