Chikako
4.70
(53)
Mountain Guide- Fuji-yoshida, Yamanashi
Certificates
JMGA
I am a Mt Fuji guide and a backcountry ski guide, certified by the JMGA. I was born in Tokyo but currently live in Fuji-Yoshida city, located at the foot of Mt Fuji. Teaching was something that interested me since my school years, and thus chose to join a specialized college for coaching, instructorship, and sports biology, where I also started climbing and skiing in the mountains. After my graduation, I worked as a ski patrol for 10 years, 5 of which I worked through the year - Hakuba in the winter (of northern hemisphere) and in Methven, New Zealand in the summer (of northern hemisphere), and a backcountry ski guide for 10 years.
My main and favourite field of guiding is on and around Mt Fuji, but backcountry skiing is my favourite mountain sports! I guide backcountry skiing mainly around Hakuba areas but also have been a guide in Hokkaido for 2 years, and know Furano and Niseko areas very well. I also currently teach Japan Avalanche Network level 1 courses on avalanche risks and safety. I also enjoy rock climbing in my free time and love to share with you the beauty of the Japanese mountains through my favourite guiding routes, let it to be in trekking the mountains, snowshoeing with an onsen stay or backcountry skiing in Hakuba areas!
For me, mountains are a part of my life. It teaches me upsides and downsides of life, and I want guests to join me in this environment to realize the conveniences that surround us in our ordinary life and to be grateful of everything that lets us live.
I guide visitors from abroad quite frequently. Contact me if you’re also up for fun mountain adventures!!
Programs
Reviews
Marc Calilan
5.00
October, 2023
Chika was an amazing guide and extremely knowledgeable. Highly recommend the 2-day tour!
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James Henderson
5.00
October, 2023
Thank you for a wonderful day! Chika is an incredible guide. Very smart, very friendly, and very helpful. She arrived on time and explained everything very well. I was nervous because I have not hiked much at high altitude, but she helped keep a slow and steady pace so I never felt too tired. At the summit she surprised me with hot tea and mochi!! Thank you Chikako! You made my 40th birthday hike a very memorable and wonderful experience for the rest of my life!
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Joshua Larkin
5.00
October, 2023
Chikako was an amazing guide. I am not your typical client as I guide here in United States, so my lens that I see guides through can be somewhat critical and I watch for things that I would do differently. That being said, I wouldn't change a thing. Chika is incredibly smart, considerate and safe. She was constantly in tune with my needs and we carried conversation for most of the day. She was full of stories and her knowledge of Japanese culture and nuance was so appreciated. I learned so much from her that day. She has great judgement and was able to make sounds decisions every step of the way. She even surprised me with a glorious cup of hojicha (happens to be my favorite tea) at the top, which is a core memory that I will carry with me forever. She went the extra mile and even showed my a wonderful place to grab dinner which served hoto, Kawaguchiko's famous food, and it was exactly what I needed after a long pilgrimage up Fuji. Thank you for an amazing experience and memory that I will take with me forever! Explore-Share is a great company and I am glad that I was able to book this trip through them. At some point, a glitch happened and I was charged twice for my trip and before I'd even noticed, I was contacted through email explaining that I would be getting a refund to set everything straight. I was impressed by their urgency and honesty.
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Justin Hahn
5.00
October, 2023
Chika did a great job of communicating with me prior to the climb and giving me many options to rework the scheduling due to weather issues. She also did a great job st pacing when we climbed as well as gave me so nice hot cocoa at the summit. Thanks Chika!
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