Mt. Ogura 御座山 – Zeneimine 前衛峰 – Miharashidai 見晴台 . . A 200 Famous Mountain Worth Spending a Night When planning an overnight hike there are three things I look for. First is water which needs to be available either near the campsite or...
Mt. Jinba 陣馬山 – Maruyama 丸山 – Mt. Mito 三頭山 . . Sun-bathed plateau to a Remote Mountain Path During Golden Week last year, I tackled the Nagasawa ridgeline which straddles Tokyo and Saitama Prefectures. This time I’ve switched boundaries...
Okinomimi オキノ耳 – Mt. Mantaro 万太郎山 – Mt. Tairappyou 平標山 . . Crossing the “Mountain of Death” Let’s get this out the way first. I can’t stress it enough: if you decide to do this hike, plan carefully. The trail for the most part...
Mt. Mibudake 三峰岳 – Mt. Ainodake 間ノ岳 – Mt. Notoridake 農鳥岳 . . Exploring the Northern Minami Alps Claiming joint honours as the third highest mountain in Japan, Ainodake is regularly climbed in concert with Kita-dake and Notoridake...
Sleep in these Mountain Huts and Save Some Coin While hiking purists might scoff at the idea of bedding down for the night in a mountain hut either due to cost considerations or the thought of suffering through an ensemble of snorers, huts do have...
Mt. Bonomine 棒ノ峰山 – Mt. Sobatsubu 蕎麦粒山 – Mt. Tenmoku 天目山 . . Some of the Finest Mountain Hiking in Tokyo This lesser hiked trail follows the Nagasawa ridgeline 長沢背稜 which forms part of the boundary between Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture...
Kamikochi 上高地 – Karasawa 涸沢 – Mt. Karasawa 涸沢岳 . . Autumn Colours and Incredible Views There’s a good reason Kamikochi consistently ranks as one of the most popular hiking destinations in Japan – it’s dazzling beautiful especially...
Beer, Boots and a Thousand Tents The Karasawa Cirque is surrounded by the towering peaks of Mt. Oku-Hotakadake and Mt. Kita-Hotaka in the Northern Japanese Alps. The glacial-eroded cirque has diameter of 2 kilometres, sits at an altitude of 2,300...
Hirogawara 広河原 – Kita-dake 北岳 . . Climbing Japan’s 2nd Highest Mountain Along with claiming the title of Japan’s second highest peak, Kita-dake is blessed with superb panoramic views. Most hikers complete the hike in two days but if...
Mt. Tateshina 蓼科山 – Ogawaratoge Pass 大河原峠 – Mugikusa Pass 麦草峠 . . Climbing the Biggest Mountain Top in Japan Hopes of climbing Mt. Tateshina last year were hampered by rain and cloud so this time round I was yearning for clearer skies...