I don't know that I would say I love data, but I do love being organized and data is one of those things that can be organized nicely. Maybe it's because of that that I spent way too long creating a spreadsheet listing all of the peaks, passes, huts, and trailheads of my Japan Alps Traverse (this
Japan Alps Traverse Map, Itinerary, and GPS Track
The route I would take through across the Japanese Alps was unsure at best before starting this traverse, but I managed to stick to my original plan (if you could call it that) fairly closely. Having now completed the traverse, I am sharing my day-by-day itinerary, statistics, and maps to help those
Guide to Nepal’s Three Passes Trek
The Three Passes Trek in Nepal is in the Everest Region (Sagarmatha National Park) and takes trekkers across three high passes, Kongma La (18,209 ft / 5,550 m), Cho La (17,782 ft / 5,420 m), and Renjo La (17,560 ft / 5,360 m) - hence, the Three Passes Trek. It's a lollipop loop that can be done
Japanese Alps Traverse Gear List
Rain for a week straight, multiple typhoons, stupid levels of humidity, Japanese giant hornets, and a record-setting heat wave all made my 425 mi / 684 km traverse of the Japanese Alps quite interesting (but mostly just justified all the ramen I ate). Hiking in Japan is different, and fortunately, I
Interview With Jotaro Yoshida of LOCUS GEAR
Prior to beginning my traverse of the Japanese Alps this year, I had the chance to visit Jotaro Yoshida, founder of LOCUS GEAR at their headquarters in Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture, just outside of Tokyo. LOCUS GEAR is a small gear manufacturer, based in Japan, that specializes in lightweight
Nepal’s Three Passes Trek: Renjo La
Renjo La is the westernmost pass of Nepal's Three Passes Trek in Sagarmatha National Park and is generally considered to be the easiest of the three passes (if you don't know what the Three Passes trek is, you can get a full account of it here). The pass connects the Gokyo Lakes area to the
Nepal’s Three Passes Trek: Cho La
Cho La is the second pass of Nepal's Three Passes Trek (regardless of which direction you are heading) and is probably the most frequently crossed by trekkers in the Everest Region. It connects the two most popular valleys for trekking in the region: that containing Everest Base Camp and that
Nepal’s Three Passes Trek: Kongma La
Kongma La is the easternmost pass of Nepal's Three Passes Trek and is generally considered to be the most difficult of the three (but don't let the word difficult scare you). The Three Passes is commonly hiked in a counter-clockwise direction (although it can be hiked clockwise as well) which