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 we traversed – it wasn’t until day four that we saw another person. It wasn’t until day five that we actually saw another hiker on the trail (the people we saw on day four were employees at a mountain hut we camped at).

The Northern Alps stretch from where we began, at the Tsugami Shindo Trailhead, to Ontakesan (御嶽山), or Mount Ontake, in the south. The Kita Alps are the longest of the three ranges comprising the Japanese Alps (the Kita (Northern), Chuo (Central), and Minami (Southern)). This stretch took the first half of the hike – seventeen days (this includes a trip in and out of Toyama (富山市) via train from Tateyama (立山) for a resupply).

The photos in this post are arranged north to south, and the peaks covered in this section are listed at the bottom. The daily itinerary for this route can be found here.

Kita Alps Peaks

• Nyudoyama (入道山) – 1470 ft / 448 m
• Shiritakayama (尻高山) – 2221 ft / 677 m
• Sakatatoge (坂田峠) – 1903 ft / 580 m
• Shiratoriyama (白鳥山) – 4222 ft / 1286.8 m
• Shimokomagatake (下駒ヶ岳) – 4072 ft / 1241 m
• Kikuishiyama (菊石山) – 3969 ft / 1209.7 m
• Orenyama (黄蓮山) – 4462 ft / 1360 m
• Inugatake (犬ヶ岳) – 5225 ft / 1592.5 m
• Sawaganiyama (サワガニ山) – 5290 ft / 1612.3 m
• Kuroiwayama (黒岩山) – 5327 ft / 1623.6 m
• Nagatsugayama (長栂山) – 7438 ft / 2267 m
• Asahidake (朝日岳) – 7047 ft / 2147.9 m
• Yukikuradake (雪倉岳) – 8566 ft / 2610.9 m
• Mikunisakai (三国境) – 9026 ft / 2751 m
• Shiroumadake* (白馬岳) – 9620 ft / 2932.3 m
• Maruyama (丸山) – 9081 ft / 2768 m
• Shakushidake (杓子岳) – 9226 ft / 2812 m
• Yarigatake (鑓ヶ岳) – 9525 ft / 2903.2 m
• Tengu Peak (天狗の頭) – 9226 ft / 2812.1 m
• Karamatsudake (唐松岳) – 8845 ft / 2695.9 m
• Daikokudake (大黒岳) – 7851 ft / 2393 m
• Shiradake (白岳) – 8337 ft / 2541 m
• Goryudake* (五龍岳) – 9232 ft / 2814 m
• Kashimayarigatake (North) (鹿島槍ヶ岳北峰) – 9324 ft / 2842 m
• Kashimayarigatake* (鹿島槍ヶ岳) – 9479 ft / 2889.2 m
• Nunobikiyama (布引山) – 8802 ft / 2683 m
• Jiigatake (North) (爺ヶ岳北峰) – 8632 ft / 2631 m
• Jiigatake (爺ヶ岳) – 8760 ft / 2669.9 m
• Jiigatake (South Peak) (爺ヶ岳南峰) – 8727 ft / 2660 m
• Iwagoyazawadake (岩小屋沢岳) – 8630 ft / 2630.5 m
• Shinkoshinokkoshi (新越乗越) – 8077 ft / 2462 m
• Narusawadake (鳴沢岳) – 8665 ft / 2641 m
• Akazawadake (赤沢岳) – 8786 ft / 2678 m
• Subaridake (スバリ岳) – 9029 ft / 2752 m
• Harinokidake (針ノ木岳) – 9254 ft / 2820.7 m
• Harinokitoge (針ノ木峠) – 8320 ft / 2536 m
• Tateyama (Oyama)* (立山(雄山)) – 9852 ft / 3003 m
• Ryuodake (龍王岳) – 9423 ft / 2872 m
• Onidake (鬼岳) – 9022 ft / 2750 m
• Shishidake (獅子岳) – 8904 ft / 2714 m
• Zaratoge (ザラ峠) – 7703 ft / 2348 m
• Tonbiyama (鳶山) – 8583 ft / 2616 m
• Echuzawadake (越中沢岳) – 8503 ft / 2591.6 m
• Sugonoatama(?) (スゴの頭) – 7976 ft / 2431 m
• Mayama (間山) – 8482 ft / 2585.4 m
• Yakushidake (North) (北薬師岳) – 9514 ft / 2900 m
• Yakushidake* (薬師岳) – 9600 ft / 2926 m
• Yakushitoge (薬師峠) – 7526 ft / 2294 m
• Taroyama (太郎山) – 7785 ft / 2373 m
• Kitanomatadake (北ノ俣岳) – 8733 ft / 2661.9 m
• Akagidake (赤木岳) – 8602 ft / 2622 m
• Nakamatanokkoshi (中俣乗越) – 8038 ft / 2450 m
• Kurobegorodake* (黒部五郎岳) – 9645 ft / 2939.7 m
• Mitsumatarengedake (三俣蓮華岳) – 9322 ft / 2841.4 m
• Maruyama (丸山) – 9364 ft / 2854 m
• Sugorokudake (双六岳) – 9385 ft / 2860.4 m
• Momisawadake (樅沢岳) – 9039 ft / 2755 m
• Ionokkoshi (硫黄乗越) – 8399 ft / 2560 m
• Senjo Junction (千丈乗越) – 8957 ft / 2730 m
• Yarigatake* (槍ヶ岳) – 10433 ft / 3180 m
• Hidanokkoshi (飛騨乗越) – 10105 ft / 3080 m
• Obamidake (大喰岳) – 10180 ft / 3103 m
• Nakadake (中岳) – 10118 ft / 3084 m
• Minamidake (南岳) – 9950 ft / 3032.9 m
• Daikeretto (大キレット) – 9016 ft / 2748 m
• Kita-Hotakadake (北穂高岳) – 10190 ft / 3106 m
• Karasawadake (涸沢岳) – 10203 ft / 3110 m
• Oku-Hotakadake* (穂高岳) – 10466 ft / 3190 m
• Gendarme (ジャンダルム) – 10377 ft / 3163 m
• Tengunoatama (天狗ノ頭) – 9544 ft / 2909 m
• Ainodake (間ノ岳) – 9537 ft / 2907 m
• Nishihotakadake (西穂高岳) – 9543 ft / 2908.8 m
• Nishihodoppyo (西穂高岳 独標) – 8862 ft / 2701 m
• Nishiomaruyama (西穂 山荘) – 8045 ft / 2452 m
• Waritaniyama (割谷山) – 7297 ft / 2224.2 m
• Shinnakaotoge (新中尾峠) – 7021 ft / 2140 m
• Nakatoge (中尾峠) – 7021 ft / 2140 m
• Yakedake* (焼岳) – 8056 ft / 2455.5 m
• Iodake (硫黄岳) – 8379 ft / 2554 m
• Daikokudake (大黒岳) – 9094 ft / 2772 m
• Fujimidake (富士見岳) – 9242 ft / 2817 m
• Kodamadake (蚕玉岳) – 9760 ft / 2975 m
• Kengamine (剣ヶ峰) – 9927 ft / 3025.7 m
• Mamakodake (継子岳) – 9380 ft / 2859.1 m
• Hidachojo (御嶽四の池) – 9226 ft / 2812 m

Peaks denoted with an asterisk (*) are part of Nihon Hyakumeizan (100 Famous Japanese Mountains).