Hiking in Japan: Top Outdoor Adventures Awaiting You

Yuske did a great job. He chose the perfect day and changed to a day tour. Only then could we reach the summit. His quiet and safety-minded nature we liked very much.

I have had an opportunity to take advantage of an brief weather opening to SkiMo Mt Fuji with Yusuke and enjoy some very skiable powder on the way down in spring snow conditions quite typical for the Alps. The pre-trip communication were spot on and Yusuke proved very efficient in monitoring the rapidly changing forecast to make the call whether we SkiMo up or just do an Alpine ascent. Even though the ascent doesn't present any technical challenges the rapidly changing weather might dictate that the 2000+ vm trip is taken in one day and thus a good pre-trip aclima would be essential. The first part thru the forest along the old pilgrims' trail is a regular approach hike, however upon entry of the high alpine terrain the gradient stiffens and good kick turns and crampon skills are essential to enjoy the amazing landscapes. The guide's choice to switch to bootpacking would generally appears a bit too early for European skiers as terrain could yield itself for at least 400 vm more of skins switchbacks but there was reason for the choice, and is generally down to personal preference. The way down if VERY varied snow conditions and requires a versatile skill set and appropriate speed management. During our trip there was no significant avalanche traps, however some of exposed terrain is prone to rock falls and thus should be negotiated at a prompt pace. Night over in a traditional Japanese mountain hut is a fantastic experience in its own right and not to be missed. If one ski toured in France, the hut would appear a luxury accommodation but is slightly below the comparables in Austria and Switzerland. Dinner and b'fast are served as traditional meals and provide more then sufficient cals of warm homemade food. A visit to the local shrine followed by a relaxing session at a near by Onsen is the cherry on the cake for the trip and is definitely recommended as a supplement to the trip. If I come to Ski Tour in Japan again would surely contact Yusuke for his availability.

I am not going to talk about summiting Mount Fuji, I 'll let you experience this first hand, but I'll tell you that it was an amazing experience which will stick in my memory forever. I will however praise Yuske, the guide, who is one of the most professional guides I have ever met. We agreed and did a one day preparation before on Komagatake where I learned to perform self arrest, practiced climbing with an ice axe and crampons and he has also a lot of other tips about the equipment. The climb was amazing and he always put safety first but in the same time being a very pleasant companion. He could easily become my friend if we where to live in the same country. He has a lot of years of experience and he knows Mount Fuji very well and would find the way probably in his sleep. I am saying this because we had performed the descent in a very dense fog (clouds) and we could barely see a few meters in front of us but he always knew the way. Climbing with him was a real pleasure and we talked a lot and he is a very interesting person. I would follow him on any mountain on this planet because I know he has a lot of experience, he is very professional and know a lot of secrets and not the least he is a very nice companion which you can trust. He also helped me with a lot of tips about my travel to Japan. I highly recommend him as your guide in Japan.

Chika is a perfect guide!

Yuske is very friendly and thanks to his excellent guidance, I was able to complete my hike in wet conditions. He is very knowledgeable with the environment and could assess my ability and chose the right trail for me. Thank you very much!