Mt. Oku-hotaka (奥穂高岳）
This blog post was written back in 2008. For the latest information about this hike (including color photos and maps), please consider purchasing my guidebook to the Japan Alps.
Mt. Oku-hotaka is the 3rd highest peak in Japan and one of the most exhilarating climbs in the Kita Alps. The views are phenomenal on the rare occasions when the cloud isn’t in.
The hike: From the Kamikochi bus terminal, follow the paved path and signs towards the famous Kabba-bashi bridge. Cross over the bridge and head past all of the hotels. The path is well-marked, with plenty of wooden planks to keep people from trampling the flora. You’ll reach a trail junction in about 10 minutes, so head left for the long climb up dakesawa (岳沢). The path follows the beautiful gully for about 2-1/2 hours before reaching Dakesawa Hut (岳沢ヒュッテ). This hut was badly damaged in an avalanche in 2006 and is closed, but snacks and drinks are sold to hikers during the main hiking season (July to October). There are no plans to re-open this hut again. After leaving the hut, the path curves towards the right and gets quite steep, with lots and lots of switchbacks. It’s really tough going if you’ve got a heavy pack, so take your time and stay hydrated with lots of fluids. There are several places with chains and ladders along the way, so take extra care during wet weather. It should take about 3 hours or so to reach the trail junction just below the peak of Mae-hotaka. Drop your pack for the short climb to the summit. The views from Mae-hotaka are make the tough hike worth it, as you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the entire ridge line, all the way out to Mt. Yari. The summit of Oku-hotaka will also be staring right at you. Drop back down to the junction and follow the signs to Oku-hotaka. It should take about 90 minutes or so of relatively easy hiking (well, at least easier than what you’ve been through) to reach the top. Smile and congratulate yourself for scaling one of the toughest peaks in the Alps. Don’t break open that beer just yet though, as the most dangerous part awaits. There’s a trail branching off to the left towards Nishi-hotaka, but you’ll want to go right, following the paint marks to Hotaka-dake hut (穂高岳山荘). It’s a relatively short distance, but full of chains and ladders. The final descent is vertigo-inducing, as you’ve got a long set of ladders to climb down just above the hut roof. Once you reach the hut you can finally breathe a sigh of relief, and either find a place to pitch your tent or check into the hut. Be warned that the campground is very small and exposed. If you don’t have a tent built to withstand gale force winds then consider staying inside in comfort. The next day climb up past the hut to the top of Mt. Karasawa (涸沢岳), where the views all the way out to Mt. Fuji are stunning in nice weather. The ridge line between here and Kita-hotaka is very dangerous, with vertical drops . If you weren’t comfortable with the previous descent from Oku-hotaka to Hotaka-dake hut then do not attempt this route, as a fair number of people fall to their deaths every year. Retrace your steps to the hut and turn left to descend down into the Karasawa col. It should take about 90 minutes to reach Karasawa hut (唐沢小屋), where there’s a massive campground with room for hundreds of tents. This is one of the most popular hiking destinations in Japan, and rightfully so, as the views up towards the rocky Hotaka ridge line in the autumn are breathtakingly beautiful. From Karasawa, turn left at the next 2 junctions and follow the signs to Yokoo-sansou (横尾山荘). Most people reach the hut in about 2 hours and the path is wonderful, following a beautiful river tributary before crossing a bridge to the junction. Once you arrive at Yokoo hut, you can either turn left for the long climb to Mt. Yari, or head right towards Kamikochi. Either way, you’ve got a 13km hike awaiting you.
When to go: This hike can be done from early May to early November. The earlier you go, the more snow there will be, so bring an ice axe, ropes, and full crampons if climbing before the rainy season or anytime in late fall. A winter hike is also possible, but only for those with ice climbing experience.
Access: From either Takayama (高山) or Matusmoto (松本) stations, take a bus bound for Kamikochi (上高地). Click here for the Alpico Group bus schedule. There are also direct night buses from Tokyo and Osaka, depending on the season. Check your nearest travel agency for details.
Live web cam: Click here.
Level of difficulty: 5 out of 5 (elevation change 1685m).
Explore posts in the same categories: ArchiveTags: hiking, japan, Kamikochi, Kita Alps hikes (北アルプス), Mt. Oku-hotaka
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Hiking in Japan 
October 5, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Hi,
we’re planning to hike to hotaka on wednesday and thursday stying in the hut overnight. We saw the forcast for a typhoon coming up from the south. We think the best way for the hike would be go up via daka-sawa and to come back though kara-sawa (seems easier). Do you also think this is the best bet? What is your guess about the situation on thursday? It seems that on wednesday the situation should still be fine. Except for the rain…
Thanks!
October 6, 2009 at 10:08 am
Jacob,
Your plan seems ok, but make sure you are well-prepared. All of this rain can very easily turn to snow or ice at higher elevations. While you’ll won’t have too much trouble getting up to Oku-hotaka from the Dake-sawa side, the short descent to Hotaka hut is steep and dangerous even in fine weather conditions. There are plenty of chains and ladders, but if they are frozen then you’ll need rope, and ice axe, and crampons.
I’m not trying to scare you, but just be careful. Also, make sure you get a very early start, as it’s getting dark quite early now. It took me nearly 12 hours to do the dake-sawa route (from Kamikochi to Hotaka hut)
A safer alternative would be to hike into Karasawa and stay in the hut there. Then you could climb Oku-hotaka as an up-and-back approach. Karasawa is a much more popular route, so you can discuss weather and trail conditions with the staff or other hikers. If you go up dake-sawa then you may very well find the entire trail to yourself, since the hut at dake-sawa has been destroyed.
Be careful of the typhoon and be safe!
Wes
October 12, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Hi Wes,
thanks again for your tips. In the end we made it a day-hike to yakedake. From kamikochi we first climbed the ridge in direction of Nishi-Hotaka to arrive at the hut there, then we followed the ridge to the small huts before Yakedake. We did not have enough time to climb yakedake, but did go up a few hundred meters and saw some sulfer-rich steam vents. Only the last hour or so when hiking back to kamikochi it started raining, so we had a very good day hike.
Best,
Jakob
October 15, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Hey, guys! Thanks for the information in the thread! I climbed Sugoroku last weekend with friends and got some great views of Yari and Hotaka…great enough views to ditch the slow friends and head for Hotaka via Kamikochi and Dakesawa Hut, as described above this weekend. I expect to camp at the Hotaka-dake Hut Saturday night, but am curious about my options for the next day due to time constraints. Given your experiences and assuming good weather:
1. How many hours from Hotaka-dake Hut to Karasawa’s summit?
2. How many hours from Karasawa to Kita-Hotaka summit?
3. From your info, it appears that the Karasawa Hut is about 90 minutes from Kitahotaka’s summit, is this correct?
Thanks for the info and happy hiking!
October 16, 2009 at 6:03 pm
hey Grant. Cheers for the comment. Here are the answers to your questions:
1) The summit of Karasawa is only about 15 minutes from Hotaka-dake hut. It’s very close. As soon as you reach the summit, however, the path gets ridiculously steep and challenging. You’ll find a chain dangling down the northeast face, a near vertical drop that’ll be a death trap if there’s any hidden ice in the crags.
2) From the summit of Mt. Karasawa to Kita-hotaka it takes 2 hours and a bit in fine weather. Much longer in the clouds/rain/snow.
3) Yes, Karasawa hut is about a 90-minute descent from the summit of Kita-hotaka if there isn’t any snow or ice.
If the weather is looking questionable tomorrow (the forecast calls for cloud and a 40% chance of precipitation then you might want to play it safe and hike into Karasawa directly instead of going via Dakesawa.
I hope this helps
Wes
November 11, 2010 at 11:04 am
Hi
I am looking at doing a 1 or 2 day hike from Kamikochi this weekend (Nov 13-14th) but know the lodges are closed. Is there a hike you would recommend? We want something relatively strenuous and have snow experience though do not have equipment other than crampons.
Thanks…
November 11, 2010 at 8:25 pm
At this time of year I’d recommend climbing Mt. Yake, which should be relatively free of snow until reaching the rocky summit area. There’s a long ladder you’ll have to climb if heading from the Kamikochi side, but the crampons should help if there’s any ice lying around.
Another option would be to climb up to the huge col and campground at Karasawa. You’ll be right at the base of Oku-hotaka, but shouldn’t attempt this climb without an ice axe.
Go to Yake if you want the views, but head to Karasawa if you want the winter alpine scenery.
The weather looks good for Saturday, but watch out for snow on Sunday.
September 27, 2012 at 5:33 pm
Hello Wes,
Thanks so much for all these informations. We r planning to go to Kamikochi hiking for 2-3 days next week. But my wifi has a bit acrophobia, I guess she can’t do any of hotaka dake. Do u think to go to Yariga dake from yarisawa will be easier? (And the same way back) thank u very much
September 30, 2012 at 11:05 am
Leung,
Yes, going to Yari via Yarisawa will be much safer than doing Okuhotaka. The final climb up to Mt. Yari has a lot of chains and ladders, but you can make it all the way to the mountain hut very easily without any chains or ladders. Your wife could stay at the hut and watch you climb the peak or you could head away from Mt. Yari and climb Minami-dake without too much problem. There are good views from Yari hut (you can see Mt. Fuji too if the weather is good), so even if you don’t climb to the summit, it’s still a fun hike.
Here’s the blog for Yari hut (it’s written in Japanese but they have good photos and they update it every day)
http://www.yarigatake.co.jp/yarigatake/blog/2012/09/post-354.html
Wes
October 11, 2012 at 12:53 am
Thank you very much Wes. It’s a shame we didn’t take ur advice and went to hotakadake instead from karasawa, and it scared my wife a lot, at the end we made to the hut, and went down the next day. But she admitted its a thrilling experience, I hope someday she can do the full trail with me. Thanks a lot again!
June 8, 2013 at 1:04 am
Hi Wes,
We are traveling to Japan in July 2013 (next month!) and we have planned all of our hikes throughout Japan except in this region. We will be arriving in Kamikochi on a Thursday evening and departing the following Saturday, so we are ideally hoping to do an extensive day hike. We’re fit and accustomed to altitude, but not familiar with the region and so far I can’t figure out our best options for a great day hike on Friday. We’d be ready to start at sunrise and hike until sunset, for sure. Can you recommend a route, ideally one that involves summit(s)? There are so many options in the region, but few described as day hikes.
Many, many thanks!
Jude
June 9, 2013 at 5:55 pm
Jude,
The only day hike in Kamikochi is to the summit of Mt. Yake. It’ll take about 8 hours round trip. It’s a great mountain with hissing volcanic steam vents and a picturesque crater lake. However, be prepared that July is the rainy season in Japan, so be prepared for really wet weather.
None of the taller alpine peaks are possible as a day hike. The distance and vertical elevation gain are too great (unless you’re super fit and can do trail running). Just to give you an idea, Kamikochi is 1500 meters above sea level, which means you’ve got a 1500 meter vertical elevation gain over really rugged terrain. That, combined with the altitude, means that the going will be slow.
You can, however, hike up to Dakesawa hut, which will put you right around the treeline. From there, you could do an hour or so hike into the alpine terrain above the hut. It usually takes 2 hours of steep hiking to reach the hut. The next peak above the hut is Mt. Mae-hotaka, which takes 6 hours ONE WAY from the hut.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Wes
June 10, 2013 at 2:16 am
I just come back from a very nice hike did yesterday (Saturday June 8th 2013) from Kamikochi (上高地) to Nishi-Hotakadake (西穂高岳, 2909mt), which makes it a 1400 mts hike. Ii was nice and I can recommend it.
I was in Takayama (高山) but you can of course leave from Kamikochi: instead of the usual start at Kabba-bashi, go back one bus stop to the Imperial Tokyo hotel. From there, follow the signs to Nishi-Hotakadake (in kanjii’s only), pass a small cabin where you write your name and start climbing. It is very well signed, often staired and you should be at the Nishi-Hota-Sansou (西穂山荘 at roughly 2300mts) in two and a half hours or so – the guide says 3h50 but it is way too much. Yesterday it was full of snow and I sweared for not having rampoons but by July it might be away. From Nishi-Hota-Sansou, it is a 1h45 to 2hrs hike to the top of Nishi-Hota-dake at 2909. If you google the Mount name, some sites refer to the place where the hut is, but it is incorrect. The last leg from an intermediate 2701 pick marked “Piramida” (ピラミダ) to the top is a bit funny, with some chains, but nothing hard. Oddly enough, there was no snow up there, I guess because it gets much more sun than the wood down before the hut. From the top, you should get a wondeful view on the rest of the Hota-Dake, but yesterday it was a bit foggy.
Coming down, you first trace back to Nishi-Hota-Sansou. From there, you can even take a 45mins almost flat leg to a cable (新穂高ローペウェイ which brings you down to the small village of 新穂高温泉, Shin-Hotaka-Dake-Onsen; or you do the follow your way back to Kamikochi. I took the first option, and from down the cable took a Nohi bus (only one per hour) to Hiraiu-Onsen bus terminal (平湯温泉) where buses leave either to Kamikochi or to Takayama.
I was alone all my way up to the hut, then met some people – most of those climbing the Nishi-Hotakadake use the cable also for coming up, but I liked my hike a lot. If you buy Map 37 of Shōbunsha you have everything on it, although there are only kanjii.
Filippo
June 10, 2013 at 3:08 am
Yake it is, and it sounds like it will be great. Thank you very much for the thoughtful (and quick!) reply. My wife and I actually are trail runners. This summer we have done day hikes in the Western U.S. exceeding 20 miles with greater than 5,000 feet of elevation gain, to summits at altitudes of +/- 12,000 feet. Having said that, this will be our first hike in Japan after our arrival, so Yake should be a good match, considering our likely jet-lagged state. The details that you describe make it sound like it will be more than worthwhile. July can’t come soon enough! Thanks again for this and all of the other useful information that you have provided on these pages.
Jude
June 10, 2013 at 8:09 am
good to hear June. You’ll really enjoy Mt. Yake. If you still have energy, you could continue along the ridge towards Mt. Nishi-hotaka. When you hit the main junction just past the small hut on Mt. Yake, instead of turning left to reach Mt. Yake, you turn right and ascend via the forest covered ridge. Just below Nishi-hotaka hut you’ll see a trail to your left that will take you back to Kamikochi. Again, a lot will depend on the weather and how you’re dealing with the jetlag. Yake is challenging enough and offers great views and spendid volcanic scenery. Enjoy
June 10, 2013 at 8:11 am
Thanks again!
August 29, 2013 at 3:44 am
Hi Wes,
thank you for the great website with all this valuable information!
A friend and me are thinking about climbing mount Hotaka at 1.-2. November. We want to go from Kamikochi to the Karasawa Hut, stay there, and then climb Oku-Hotaka and, depending on the weather conditions, return on the same way or cross Mae-Hotaka and retun to Kamikochi via Dake-sawa.
As our luggage is limited, we probably can only bring crampons and a short rope for emergencies.
An alternative would be to do the tour the other way round, and start going up through the Dake-sawa, staying in the (seemingly newly re-opened) Dake-sawa hut (http://www.yarigatake.co.jp/dakesawa/).
As it will be so late in the season, I also thought about doing mount Yari instead of Hotaka (and staying at Yarisawa lodge for the night).
I would be very interested on your opinion on my ideas!
Thank you very much,
Max
August 31, 2013 at 7:46 pm
Max,
Thanks for the comment and for checking out the site.
I just checked out my calendar and I hope you realize that November 1-2 is a public holiday, which means Kamikochi will be flooded with hikers. The 1st will be ok, but the crowds will converge on November 2 to the 4th. If you’re Kamikochi on the 2nd then you’ll have no problems, but if you’re staying until that Monday then it could become quite an adventure trying to get on a bus.
As far as routes go, I think a lot of it will depend on the snow depth at that time. The first snows usually fall around mid-October, but don’t start accumulating until the end of October or so. (It varies year by year. I remember there was already over a meter of snow on the ridge one insanely early start about 7 years ago or so). The “safer” route would be up Yarisawa to the summit of Mt. Yari. Mt. Oku-hotaka can some tricky sections that can be tough in the ice/snow (not impossible, but there’s no margin of error if you should slip).
Karasawa is a tent city on the weekends. If you’ve never been there then it might be worth checking out a “true Japan experience” with tons of hikers wearing fashionable gear.
The route from Dakesawa to Oku-hotaka is long and laborious, so it would be much easier to descend via that route. I would say to plan two different routes (Oku-hotaka and Yari) and then decide when you get to Kamikochi that morning (camp sites don’t have to be reserved).
Here’s a blog report about an early November ascent of Yari (it’s in Japanese but it has good pictures)
http://www.kasai.fm/2004Yari/
I hope that helps
Wes
September 1, 2013 at 9:52 pm
Hi Wes,
Thank you for the information! In fact, I didn’t know that November 1 is a public holiday in Japan, too. It is a public holiday in Germany, but probably for completely different reasons :-)
We will try to flee Kamikochi at November 2, which is hopefully before everybody else will leave.
Thank you for the link, the photos on that website look very promising!
Also, we intend to sleep inside the mountain huts and not in a tent. Do you know if we need to reserve the places (and meals) or can we just show up there?
Thanks again,
Max
September 6, 2013 at 11:34 am
Hi Wes,
Thank you for all the information and your great website.
I came in Japan one month ago, I’m used to do hikking in french Alps and I have one week free next week that I’ll be glad to spend in Japanese Alps.
I would like to plan a 2 or 3 days hike because carying the food for longer could become a problem… I am not familiar with japanese huts, are they occupied? Is it possible to eat there? Is carrying a hamac an alternative to sleep in the forest?
If you have any advice about potential trip within the area or any recommandation I will be glad.
Thank you in advance.
Nicolas
September 15, 2013 at 9:49 pm
Thanks so much for this helpful guide in English! We hiked this route this weekend, and despite it taking us a bit longer on the descent, your guide was spot on! Thanks again, and we really appreciate your guidance!
July 16, 2015 at 8:56 pm
This site is just so great! I’ve used your guides for a few trips into the mountains in the past few weeks, and I’ve found them to be great.
I did a loop from Kamikochi to Hotaka via Daresawa, then descended straight to Karasawa hut, Yokoo and return to Kamikochi. The descent to Hotaka dake hut is, as you say, steep and its probably a good idea to rest a little after the climb. From the hut down to Karasawa hut I was a little shocked by the amount of steep snow (in mid-July) that I had to cross/descend upon. If I did the loop again I’d definitely be taking some mini crampons like microspikes. I was trying to move quickly but I was at snails pace while kicking steps across and down the snowfields in running shoes. This is a legit route!
June 4, 2016 at 2:11 pm
Could I do this hike alone or do I need a buddy?
June 5, 2016 at 9:21 pm
Are you an experienced hiker? It’s always a good idea to go with a friend if you can, but even if you go alone, it’s a really popular peak in the summer, so you’ll never really be alone
July 4, 2016 at 11:54 pm
Hi Jane, planning to hike this end of july or alternatively 2ND week of August. Let me know if you would be interested to tag along
August 10, 2016 at 4:07 am
Hey Wes, I just did this hike and wanted to give you an update and some impressions I had.
First, the Dakesawa Hut has been rebuilt. There is a gorgeous, very new hut there with a nice raised deck with a fantastic view down the valley to Kamikochi.
Second, I did this hike alone (just got back today), basically took your route, only started late Sunday because Nagano city’s first bus doesn’t even get to Kamikochi until 11:30, and had to camp overnight at Dakesawa. The next day, I did Mae and Oku, went down to Hotaka lodge, and from there went up Karasawa and then did the descent. You are right. It is hair raising. The initial near vertical chain is only the first in a series of sharp declines, including one spot where you have to shimmy down around a corner, and down pass a deep indention of the wall where footholds are a little too far away, and then directly onto the a ladder also going straight down onto a tiny ledge. Now, after this, I wanted to add for people thinking about doing it, things aren’t too much harder but basically here are some pointers for people wanting to do Kita-Hotaka.
1. If anything about the first set of chains scares you, stop right there.
2. If you are in good shape and make fast time, it will take you, at minimum, 2 1/2 hours to get there from Hotaka-sansou. There really isn’t any rushing or making up time in any part of this trail.
3. After the steep descent down, it is a long series of gradually ascending peaks that finally concludes in Kita-Hotaka. But, the path along these is nearly always narrow and hanging off sharp drops, once I was literally standing at the top of a twenty foot drop with one hand holding the top of the ridge and my feet on 4 inches of protruding rock. It also requires some relatively simple technical rock climbing, and be prepared for several hours of intense mental concentration and some at times steep scampers.
Lastly, if you want to get to Kita-Hotaka, you can also avoid all of this by going down to Karasawa lodge from Hotaka-sansou, and then climbing it from the valley floor, where its no harder harder than Maehotaka. The hard way is really hard’ the Japanese are serious when it comes to Kamikochi, its not like some areas where routes label “advanced” aren’t difficult at all.
Kita-Hotaka is not a bad place to start an alternate route to Mt. Yari either, going along the apparently infamous and scary Dai-Kiretto ridge line for several hours to Minami-Dake, from which you can cross over to Yaridaira and then on to the mountain summit itself.
October 8, 2016 at 9:30 pm
Hey! I was wondering how far I could do this hike for just a day trip and no camping. I am planning on waking up very early to hike but have to catch a bus back around 4pm. Is it worth only doing a day hike?
-Talia
May 21, 2017 at 9:04 pm
What maps do you use for navigation in Japan’s backcountry? I am trying to plan a trip and want to do some treks like the one described here, but I’m having a hard time finding maps to go along with all these amazing trail guides! I can’t imagine just taking off into the mountains without a good visual of the trail I’m taking, and besides, what better way to plan a trip than on a map? Thank you for your wonderful hiking guides! I’ll see you out there soon. : )
May 21, 2017 at 10:41 pm
Alex,
The Yama-to-kogen map series published by Shobunsha used to be the best maps for Japan’s mountains, but the latest series have been overloaded with too many symbols and the design is messy.
Lucily Yama-to-keikoku has jumped on the map-making bandwagon and have now published a great map for Yari and Oku-hotaka. Here’s the Amazon link but you can also buy it at any major bookstore or outdoor shop in Japan.
If you’re looking for an English map then you’ll have to wait until next summer when my guidebook to the Japan Alps is released. I’ll have full color contour maps in there as well.
Cheers,
Wes
July 4, 2017 at 1:47 am
Hi,
I would like to hike up mount hotaka at the end of july/begin august.
But I don’t have any experience with hiking up a mountain that high.
The explanation on this website is a little scary because al of the ladders and ropes. It’s hard to decide if I’m capable to hike that mountain without any climbing material.
The highest I ever hiked was 2500 meters up and down in one day.
Maybe some can help me to estimate if I can hike that mountain.
Thanks in advance
August 4, 2017 at 2:10 pm
Hylke,
A lot of beginners do head up Hotaka, but it does take a bit of bravery and comfort with exposure. Altitude sickness can occur anywhere above 2400 meters, so make sure you drink plenty of fluids and stay away from alcohol.
The clouds usually roll in over Hotaka in the late morning and stay there all day. You’ll have a better since of the scale of the mountain once your arrive in Kamikochi and see it with your own eyes.
July 11, 2017 at 8:30 pm
Hi, Thanks for a really awesome site. I hiked up to Yarigatake 4 years ago and enjoyed it but did not have the time to do the Daikiretto. Could you tell me a bit more as me and my partner plan to do the Daikiretto this September 13.
We plan to start from KAMIKOCHI early in the morning – I have already made a bus booking. So we start at 7.30 am….how long will it take to get to the HOTAKADAKE Hut ? — this is where we should stay I suppose.
Then we plan to do the ridge between Hotakadake and Kitahotakadake onwards to Yarigatake the following day…and stay overnight at Yarigatake Sanso. Is this possible ? The following day we plan to head back to Kamikochi…I know its a long hike but I have done this before and we are reasonably fit. WOuld love to hear your advice ! Thanks so much ! I enjoy reading your posts!!
August 4, 2017 at 2:07 pm
Shaky,
Sorry for the late reply. I hope your trip planning is going well.
From Kamikochi to Hotakasanso hut (via Karasawa) should take about 7 hours or so, depending on your speed.
Hotakadake to Yari isn’t a problem to do in a day. I’d budget about 6 hours, depending on the crowds. The section between Kawasawadake and Kitahotakadake is actually worse than the Daikiretto – if you aren’t comfortable in that section that I would give the Daikiretto a miss. Also, don’t attempt the route in wet weather. September is typhoon season, so keep an eye on the weather in the days leading up to your trip.
I hope that helps.
August 6, 2017 at 12:22 am
Thanks Wes we take note and appreciate your awesome site and experience ! super thanks!
July 16, 2017 at 8:58 pm
Hi Wes,
Im planning to do Yari-Okuhotaka aroud mid of september.
Since im not sure to cross the daikiretto, below is the route planned:-
Kamikochi-> Yokoo -> Yarigatake Sanso (Camping) -> Mt. Yari -> descend back to Yokoo -> Hike up to Karasawa -> Hotakadake Sanso(Camping) -> Mt.Okuhotaka -> Pass thru Mt. MaeHotakadake -> descend to Dakesawa -> Kamikochi
So, here are few questions:-
1) Is the route above doable in 3days 2night or should i extend one more day?
2) If Yokoo-> Karasawa is around 3hours, how many hours the hike between Karasawa -> Hotadake Sanso?
3) How many hours the descending between MaeHotakadake -> Kamikochi
Also appreciate if you could advise other options/route for this Yari-Okuhotaka hike. Thanks!
August 4, 2017 at 2:03 pm
Fiu,
Here are the answer to your questions:
1) 2 nights may be a little tight. It’s 11km one-way from Yokoo to the summit of Mt. Yari, so it’s a very long round-trip, especially if you try to then climb all the way up to Hotakadake sanso.
2) Karasawa to Hotakadake sansou is another 2 to 3 hours, depending on your speed. It’s about 700 meters of vertical elevation through a trail laden with switchbacks.
3) Maehotaka to Kamikochi will take 5 – 6 hours. It’s a knee-knocking 1500 vertical meters of descent that will have your knees screaming by the end.
I hope that helps. Let me know what other questions you might have.
Wes