The second stage of my Japan Alps Traverse covered the Chuo Alps (中アルプス) - aka the Central Alps. Our trek through the Chuo Alps Lasted only about 24 hours as this is the shortest of the three ranges comprising the Japanese Alps. We entered the Chuo Alps via the Fukushima A Course (福島Aコース) in the
Japan Traverse in Photos: The Kita Alps (北アルプス)
My traverse of the Japanese Alps began at the eastern edge of Toyama Bay (富山湾) in Niigata Prefecture (新潟県). From the coast, my hiking party of two Kiwis and I headed up the northernmost ridgeline in the Kita Alps (北アルプス) - aka the Northern Alps. The trip began with nearly a week of nonstop rain as
Japan Alps Spreadsheet: Peaks, Huts, & Distances
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
Montbell Down Hugger 900 #3 Sleeping Bag Review
The Montbell Down Hugger 900 #3 is a three-season sleeping bag with a comfort rating of 37.4°F / 3°C. There are five models in Montbell's Down Hugger 900 series (900 referring to the down's fill power i.e. loft) - #1 being the warmest bag with a comfort rating of 24.8°F / -4°C and #5 with a comfort
Montbell Storm Cruiser Rain Jacket Review
The Montbell Storm Cruiser is Montbell's flagship hard shell and has been a jacket I've been curious about since taking the Montbell Torrent Flier on my Continental Divide Trail thru-hike. Unlike some of my other rain jackets, the Storm Cruiser doesn't much resemble a trash bag and it does more
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
Japan Alps Traverse: Route Expectations
The start of my Japanese Alps Traverse is less than a week away and I have been looking into the route a bit more since, you know, I should probably know where I'm going. My starting point will be Ichiburi Station (市振駅), a train station) in the south of Niigata Prefecture (新潟県). This station is
Thru-hiking The Japanese Alps
A lot of my hiking endeavors began with me thinking to myself, "Hmm, that thing would be cool to do," and last November, I thought to myself, "Hmm, traversing the entire Japanese Alps would be cool." I got super into planning a traverse of Japan's Alps for exactly two days before I gave up,