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Mount Rishiri, Hokkaido, One day Guided Traverse

Mount Rishiri

Join JMGA certified guide Toshiya for a full day traverse of the beautiful Mount Rishiri off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, utilising 2 different routes.

Not specified

1 Day

Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Fit

Intermediate


Description

Mount Rishiri (1,721m) is a beautiful volcano to behold, and when you see it rising high from the centre of the island bearing its name, it is not difficult to see why.

This Japanese wonder is one of the country’s 100 most famous peaks. The island where it proudly stands is located off the coast of Hokkaido. And while it may appear to be an isolated location, it is actually quite accessible from the mainland.

There are different routes a person can take both ascending and descending this wonderful peak. And due to the varied routes we will take, this trip to the summit of Mount Rishiri will be more challenging than the more conventional round trip Oshidomari route. As a result, participants on this trip should be physically fit, and have some previous hiking experience. However, because this trip is more challenging, the rewards are even greater!

You will get to enjoy some spectacular views during the nearly 12 hour hike. And on the summit, you will get to admire the faces of Candle rock and the the Senpoushi ridge. However, it will be during the descend along the much lesser used Kutsugata route where you will really get to see some glorious scenery. This route is very quiet, has an abundance of lovely alpine flowers, and offers a number of variations. Thus making it a wonderful way to end this amazing adventure.

Mount Rishiri is a magnificent peak that offers a memorable experience for anybody who wants to hike to its summit. And on this trip, I want to present you with a more challenging way to the top. So if you would like to join me, please send me a request.

I can also lead you to the summit of Mount Rishiri along the more traditional route on this one day hike.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

- Transport during the trip


Details

Accommodation

There are several hotels where you can stay in the Oshidomari area of the island.

More info

This traverse can be changed or cancelled due to weather conditions or other unforeseen events. The tour guide may change from Toshiya Watanabe to another equally qualified JMGA certified guide. Also, when there are more than 4 participants in a group, an additional guide will be present. Participants should bring with them the following items: hiking clothing and shoes, Rain wear, portable toilet, drinking water, gloves or army cotton gloves, hat or cap, sunscreen, towel, change of clothes, backpack (25 to 40L), head light for emergency use after dark, personal first aid kit, trash bag, snacks.

Meeting point

You can fly from Sapporo's Okazu Airport to Rishiri Airport or from Haneda Airport to Wakkanai Airport, where you can come to Rishiri Island by ferry from Wakkanai. If you come by ferry we'll be able to pick you up at the ferry terminal for free.

About the guide

I was born on the island of Rishiri in 1969. I still live here today! Since my childhood, I have spent most of my time in the sea, going fishing, and in the mountain going skiing. I’m a ski guide (level 2) from the Japanese Mountain Guide Association. I’m the only one on the island. I have reached the summit of Rishiri more than 500 times… It’s my great pleasure to guide here and let people from all around the world discover this beautiful island all year round. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you are looking for a local expert to guide you in Rishiri. Besides mountain guiding, I'm managing a family hostel here so I can help you with the accommodation as well.

Languages

Japanese | English

Certificates

JMGA

Residence

Rishiri-gun, Japan


What people are saying about -Toshiya Watanabe

Mikko Vanska

5.00

March, 2023

Outstanding service in pension and guiding.

Ben Rowlinson

5.00

January, 2023

Had a great time on Rishiri with Toshi. He really knows how to make the best out of all weather conditions. Had some of the best skiing of my life, plus the food was great!

Angela Gillespie

5.00

April, 2021

If it were possibke to award 100 Stars I would !

Davide Jacks

5.00

March, 2020

The traveller did not leave a comment.

M. R. Grimshaw

5.00

March, 2020

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Joel Schy

5.00

January, 2020

Toshi is world class from pick-up to drop-off. Very friendly, very professional and he knows Rishiri inside out. His guest house is outstanding and the food they serve like nowhere else. Will be back very soon!

Anonymous

5.00

April, 2019

Toshi and his crew gave us a truly remarkable experience! From the food to the accommodations to the epic skiing: this trip was out of this world!

Chris Pierce

5.00

March, 2019

Toshi and his staff are great! Very knowledgeable of the local terrain. Definitely recommend bringing a group of people with similar abilities and objectives. If you end up in a mixed group they do their best, but they have to slow the pace to the least experienced people in the group. The accommodations at the pension were very comfortable and the staff was excellent as well. Food was fantastic, including several unique and authentic Japanese dishes.

Paul Johnston

5.00

March, 2019

We had a great trip to Rishiri! The snow gods were not on our side but Rishiri is a mountain of many slopes and aspects and thanks to a great guiding team we always managed to find good snow! Toshi ran a great operation with 3 other guides which meant we were split into two groups with a max of 9 per group and two guides. This allowed the group to be split even further on the day... Special thanks to Shohei and Kosukei - very professional guides!! Arigatou-gozaimashita!!

Bruce Barnett

4.00

February, 2019

I recommend this trip for any backcountry skier who likes to ski Japan powder. Toshi has a great set up with snow mobiles for initial access and a large variety of steeper terrain for skinning up and skiing down. Can suit a range of wind directions and conditions. The accommodation is new and comfortable and the Japanese dinners and breakfasts are great if you like seafood. There is also an onsen there. Unfortunately we were there at a time when there was no new snow however this was compensated for with the magnificent views we had if Rishiri mountain and surrounding islands.

Craig

3.00

February, 2019

I can not rate Toshiya because he was not our guide. Our experience was marred by a void of communication prior to the trip. We never recieved email or other communication prior to our trip, despite frequent requests. Simple questions like, "Do we need crampons?" were unanswered. The day before our arrival, we called Toshiya (whos phone number was being withheld). He was unaware of what day we were visiting, he did not know how many days or how many people in our group.

Elisabeth Smajda

5.00

January, 2019

English very limited. But otherwise the experience, the accommodation, the snow, the place and the guide were truly amazing!

Nick Oats

5.00

March, 2018

Toshi and his team are fantastic - great guiding and accom, and Rishiri has some amazing terrain for backcountry ski/snowboarding.

James Ramsay

5.00

February, 2018

One of the best trips I have ever done. One of the most beautiful places I have visited in Japan and the rest of the world. Toshi is an exceptional guide, is an expert on the islands skiing and has a fantastic set up including accomodation. His pension is perfect for daily excursions into the backcountry. I cannot recommend this trip enough except that I don't want eveyone else to know about this very special place.

Fred

5.00

February, 2018

Rishiri You Beauty! Toshiya is an amazing guide, a great character and also a very good host surrounded by a friendly team at Maruzen Pension. How special to have Toshiya sharing his local knowledge of Mount Rishiri, his "back garden" as he like to call it! A perfect playground for all powder enthusiasts, so many faces and ridges to use; make first lines in waist deep pow and ride all the way back down to sea level! I wish I had never left and I cannot wait to come back! Thank you Rishiri.

Pascal

5.00

February, 2017

We had an amazing experience on Rishiri, perfect snow, good weather and a guide who knows the island like his pocket. The very steep slopes and the overwhelming nature satisfied every wish we had.  We have been looking for a guided tour avoiding the normal tracks on Hokkaido and then saw the pictures of the floating mountain. And definitively the adventure included.  We went to the southern part of the island, as Toshi-san knew that there would be the best snow conditions. The first 5km we have been toed in by a snow mobile and then climbed up a several times, riding different gullies each time. Toshi-san is an amazing person, always happy, friendly and very welcoming. As said before, he knows every bit of the island and guided accordingly bringing us to breathtaking places. We all would and will totally recommend him to friends visiting Japan. The reality was much better than expectations! We had some concerns regarding the weather conditions and difficulty but got lucky with the weather and never felt that Toshi chose a route too difficult. Rishiri is a floating mountain! Steep like in the Swiss alps, but just one single mountain, which makes the it much more imposant. On the sunny day, we could see the Sibirian mainland. What are your top 3 memories during the trip ?  Riding very steep slopes in perfect snow, Toshi-san with his warm and welcoming attitude, and the travel to get there and back

Christine

5.00

October, 2016

Our two guides have been really great and showed us the beauty of Rishiri and Rebun Island by sharing their knowledge and passion. We did learn a lot about the flora on Japan's most Northern islands! Rishiri-Zan was a great, pleasant summer hike and must be beautiful and fun for ski touring in Winter time. thanks again!

Aubrey

5.00

March, 2016

Incredible scenery, terrain with endless possibilities, no crowd, pure Japanese ambiance. What do you want more? A experienced guide that will share his passion with a legendary smile? Check! Toshiya and his family are the additional element that make this kind of trip just epic.

Michiel

5.00

August, 2015

The trip was truly amazing. Toshiya was our guide, he is the only winter guide on Rishiri (in summer there are 5 guides apparently). He is great, he and his sister run a ryokan (hotel) which is nice, great food and with a nice onzen (natural hot spring) to relax after skiing (they can open a big door so you can see the mountain and the stars whilst enjoying the bath. Bit hard to get to Rishiri but the powder on the big mountain pays for everything, truly amazing. Toshiya climbed the top over 500 times so he knows the mountain and the good spots to find the best conditions depending on wind etc. According to him the best season is February/early March. The wind is the main factor whether or not to reach the top and that is the same most months however powder is best not too late in the season (we were in early March). Temperature is not too bad despite being very close to Siberia. I may go again next year!


 

 

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