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North Japan Alps scenic ‘Omote Ginza’ traverse

Mount_Yari_from_Mount_Otensho

3-day hiking traverse along the famous climbing route 'Omote Ginza', with impressive views of the North Japan Alps, together with a JMGA mountain guide.

Private

Japan Alps

3 Days

Jul, Aug, Sep

Fit

Intermediate


Highlights

  • Explore the wonderful natural sceneries of the North Japan Alps.
  • Spend the night in one of the best mountain huts in Japan.
  • Reach the summit of beautiful mountains and get to see great views.

Description

'Omote Ginza' (which means 'Main street') is an extremely popular hiking route in Japan. Come with me and discover incredible panoramic views!

The North Japan Alps (also known as Hida mountains) boasts some of the most spectacular sceneries in Japan. On this 3-day hiking trip, we will traverse around some popular peaks in Nagano Prefecture.

Our starting point will be Nakabusa Onsen (hot spring). From there, we'll hike for almost 6 hours to Enzanso Hut, where we'll stay for the night. This is one of the oldest mountain huts in the country (built in 1921) and it's on a number 1 position in the ranking for a ‘mountain hut you want to stay in Japan’.

At a short distance from this mountain hut, we will find Mount Tsubakuro (2763 m).

The following day we'll reach Mount Otensho (2922 m) and stay at Jonen Hut. Finally, the last day the trail will lead us to Mount Jonen (2857 m), which is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan.

Along the way, we'll enjoy 360 degree views of the Hodaka mountain range, including the beautiful Mount Yari (which is called the Japanese Matterhorn, due to its similar shape).

Do you want to join me for a wonderful mountain trail in the Northern Alps in Japan? Please contact me so we can organize your trip together!

You can also check other options for hiking in this area, like a trip to the 3 Mountains of Hakuba or a hiking traverse in the Yatsugatake mountains.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

- Mountain guide expenses

Price details

You'll have to add your expenses to the price: JPY 35,000

- 2 nights mountain hut stay (half board)

- lunch boxes

- transport taxi from tail end to beginning

This expenses need to be paid on the spot.


Itinerary

Day 1: Enzanso hut

Start at Nakabusa Onsen – Enzanso Hut – Mt Tsubakuro – stay overnight at Enzanso hut.

(Course time: ca. 5.5hrs)

Day 2: Jonen hut

Leave Enzanso Hut – Mt Otensho – stay overnight at Jonen hut.

(Course time: ca. 5.5hrs)

Day 3: Descend via Ichinosawa

Leave Jonen hut – Mt Jonen – descend via Ichinosawa.

(Course time: ca. 5hrs 40min)

 

 

Details

Accommodation

Mountain huts: -Enzanso hut -Jonen hut

Meeting point

Nakabusa Onsen

About the guide

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!!

Languages

Japanese | English

Certificates

JMGA

Residence

Fuji-yoshida, Yamanashi


What people are saying about Chikako Hayashi

Javier felip leon

5.00

November, 2022

Short story: Chika is awesome, hire her. Long version: We are very satisfied with the experience. Chika made sure we had the proper gear and kept us informed on what to expect and what to bring weeks in advance. One or two days before our reservation, the weather was uncertain and she offered us the flexibility to wait until the last second to decide whether to cancel, change the date (we could not change for another date) or go ahead with the activity. On the morning of the activity, the forecast was dangerously windy (70-80 Km/h) but she is very knowledgeable of the mountain and its weather and made the call to change the climbing route. Since the wind was expected to be mostly NE, she hoped the Yoshida route would be less windy since the mountain offered some cover. She was right, we enjoyed a fantastic climb. Moreover she picked us up in our hotel in the fuji area and dropped us off at the train station, and even helped us with the train tickets! couldn't ask for more! Thanks Chika!

Mauricio Matsumoto

5.00

October, 2022

Awesome climbing with Chikako-san, weather was perfect and she was really good, being able to provide us an excellent experience!

Graeme Raphael

5.00

August, 2022

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Sekai Colling

5.00

August, 2022

What an amazing climb we had with Chikako Hayashi. She is the best guide and very knowledgeable. We are thankful that she was our guide and she maintained communication all throughout the whole process and will 100 percent refer her to my friends and family for future climbs. Thank you 🙏

Mami El-asmar

5.00

July, 2022

Our family (age 9y to 48y, 7 people) had great 2 days with Chika. Without her we could not manage to get top of the Mt. Fuji. She quickly catch analyzed each one of the level calculate walk speed. We enjoyed to learn Her knowledge of climbing skill and nature, her experience. Thank you very much Chika !!

Simon GarciaVega

5.00

July, 2022

Great tips and pace

Tanner Woods

5.00

June, 2022

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Christian Krückemeier

5.00

May, 2022

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Jake Everitt

5.00

June, 2021

Chika was the best!

Hamish

5.00

November, 2019

Cheka, made Mt Fuji for me. Cheka, ensured I had all the right gear, checked weather forecaste to select the best climbing day and provided a cultural experience. All the time ensuring I was ok. Definitely the best day of my Japan experience. Thanks Hamish

James Huang

5.00

October, 2019

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Zubin Ibrahim

5.00

October, 2019

The whole trip was well planned in advanced, about 2 months that I started communicating with Chika. There were rapid responses to questions, even before a confirmation/payment was made. As the dates grew closer, good advice on gear and other practical issues were passed. Typhoon Hagibis had just left significant damage, and the weather was quite unpredictable. It was clear that is was safest to delay the climb, and I was lucky the extra day that I had came with excellent weather. Chika was excellent in communicating the reasons for the delay, as safety was paramount. I had done an earlier trip during the usual summer season a few years back, but with light snow up top, this was one of my best treks/climbs so far.

Anonymous

5.00

October, 2019

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Tommie OBrien

5.00

September, 2019

Chika is an Incredible guide alongside being an fantastic person. The 1day hike up and down Fuji was great, speedy, with enough rests at different stages. At the top she made us coffee which was very thoughtful. En route home she stopped into a number of shops in order for us to get some food, water and some great recommendations for Sake as gifts home to out friends and family's A fantastic trip was had thanks to Chika and her excellent organisation and communication skills. Not to mention she is lovely and fun to hike alongside. If you are looking to climb Fuji whether it be a 1 or 2 day trip, look no further than Chika as your guide.

SPUD CROSSE

5.00

September, 2019

awesome expreience - perfect weather and great guide

elizabeth garcia

5.00

September, 2019

Absolutely wonderful!!!! Chikako was absolutely amazing! We had the most amazing time and was one of the highlights of our 3 week trip! Thank you so much for being so wonderful.

Jon-Arild Gjerde

5.00

July, 2019

Chika, you must be the best guide in the world! Service-level 10+ ! Everything from transport suggestions, rentals and the whole climb was perfect! Thanks a lot! Niklas, Peter, Floris, Alex, Pär and Jon

Murali Krishnan Rajagopalan

5.00

June, 2019

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Lukasz Swiatowski

5.00

June, 2019

Chika is a perfect guide!

Giustina

5.00

October, 2018

I am rating my experience with Exlore-Share and my Guide Chikako Hayashi % Star +! The platform was user friendly both in the search/selection phase and also in settling the agreement with the guide. Chikako is an amazing guida and a wonderful person. She is competent, attentive, friendly and very experienced. It was a pleasure to spend the day with her: she made the hike interesting and rewarding. The Mt Fuji hike is quite challenging, especially the last part of the ascent because of the snow and the steep incline but mostly the descent is nerve wrecking (in a nice way) because it is entirely slippery because of the type of terrain.

Judy and Norm Fujita

5.00

October, 2018

Thank you again for taking us up Mt. Fuji today.  We thoroughly enjoyed the hiking, but also loved spending time with you and learning more about Mt. Fuji, Japan, Japanese culture, Japanese religion, other things to do in your beautiful country, etc.  Thank you also for picking us up at our hotel, for letting us use your crampons and for helping us return what we rented from Yamarent.  Please feel free to use us as a reference if any of your clients want to know about our experience with you.  Will easily give you a 6 star rating on a scale of 1-5.  Would love to come back and do a trip with you in the Japanese Alps.  By the way, I never found the big sushi with shrimp and mayo.  Gotta believe Norm ate it.  His cold is better, though, so letting him have it is the least I could have done.

Sam

5.00

September, 2018

Our trip went flawlessly. Chika is a true professional who put together a trip that my wife and I will not soon forget. The route was challenging, airy exhilirating and we wouldn't change a thing.

Nadine

5.00

July, 2018

Best experience of our life and was definitely made better with Chikako guiding us. She is an expert in hiking and did everything to make sure we are ok. Communication from the start was perfect and everything well organised.

Gary Jeter

5.00

July, 2018

The trip was absolutely amazing and Chika was the best.  After fours days of backpacking in Japan, Chika picked up my daughter and I at the hotel at Yamanakako early in the morning and brought us to Mt Fuji.  During the drive, Chika shared with us her background and expereince in climbing and guiding mountains and back country ski trips throughout the Japan and the world.  We actually saw a bear along the side of the road at Mt Fuji during our drive to station 5.  During the ascent, it was  evident, Chika's primary concerns were safety and a successful ascent.  The climb was paced perfectly for our fitness level, and the hike around the crater at the top provided amazing views due to the perfect weather.  Chika's great personality, knowledge of the outdoors and Japanese history kept the conversation flowing and enriched the entire experience.  Anyone visiting Japan with an adventurous spirit should climb Mt Fuji, and I highly recommend using Chika as your guide.  Without reservation, she is the best!

Patrick Blaim

5.00

June, 2018

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Cissy Suen

5.00

June, 2018

It was fantastic! Chika is an excellent guide. Makes good decisions and is very well-prepared and also great company! Planned around my schedule and the weather as well.

Matteo

5.00

August, 2017

My experience was outstanding, and Chikako made everything easy and fun. I shared with her that I am not an expert climber and from time to time I suffer of vertigo. Well, she managed everything perfectly, giving me many tips and letting me always feeling safe and secure. Also, the sunrise on the top of Mt. Fuji is breathtaking, you will never forget it. I am very grateful to Explore and Share and Chikako for this experience!

Wim Somers

5.00

July, 2017

The Yatsugatake area is a very beautyful area with Both Mountain scenery and dense forrests. It is challenging To Reach The summit, bjt the views are Worth It. The Mountain huts are very cosy, clean and have All very friendly staff. The food is very food and the lunchboxes they provide are varied and more Than sufficient. You can even take a hot bath in the Mountain hut next To the summit. The onsen (hot spring) is a perfect way to end This Mountain trek.. Chikako is a very friendly and experienced Mountain guide, who is Always willing To help and her English is excellent. I definitly recommand This trip To other hikers, the help of a guide is advisable as locals do NOT speak English and maps are NOT available in English either. Chikako is the best guide One can imagine.


 

 

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