Yakedake (焼岳) is an 8,054 ft / 2,455 m peak at the southern end of Japan's Northern/Kita Alps (北アルプス). It's also an active volcano. You can also hike to the top of it. One of Japan's hyaku-meizan, it's a fairly well-known peak but is not nearly as popular a hike as some of the more prominent
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
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,
Japan’s Most Dangerous Hike: The Okuhotakadake – Nishihotakadake Traverse
The most dangerous thing you will encounter on most hikes in Japan is probably dehydration or perhaps one of the giant Japanese hornets if you're unlucky enough to catch one on bad day. However, the number one killer of hikers and people in the outdoors is not bears, snakes, ax-murderers, or even
Hiking Yarigatake (槍ヶ岳) in Japan
Yarigatake (槍ヶ岳) is perhaps one of the most recognizable peaks in Japan. Located in the center of the Kita Alps, it's a must for anyone serious about peak bagging in the Land of the Rising Sun. It can be accessed via numerous trailheads and is possible to conquer in a day (a very tough day). I
Hiking Okuhotakadake (奥穂高岳) in Japan
Mount Okuhotaka (奥穂高岳, Okuhotakadake) is the third highest peak in Japan behind Mount Fuji (富士山, Fujisan) and Mount Kita (北岳, Kitadake). Okuhotakadake, located in the Kita Alps, stands at one end of the famed Nishihotakadake (西穂高岳) - Okuhotakadake traverse (according to the internets this
Hiking Tateyama (立山) in Japan
Name: Mount TateJapanese name: 立山 (Tateyama)Location: Tateyama, Toyama (富山県立山町)Summit elevation: 9,892 ft / 3,015 mElevation change: 2,017 ft / 615 mRound-trip distance from trailhead: 3.5 mi / 5.6 kmRound-trip time from trailhead*: 3 hours 30 minutes (from Murodō)Difficulty: ModerateWater on trail:
Hiking Mount Tsurugi (剱岳) in Japan
Mount Tsurugi (剱岳, Tsurugidake) is one of the many prize peaks of the Kita Alps (北アルプス), and is also one of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains. The trailhead described here is a bit remote and if you don't have your own transportation, then you're out of luck unless you want to take an expensive taxi