Awesome! did this circuit via the daikiretto a month ago under terrible weather conditions. it was rainy for 3 days straight. no views at all. fog was so thick, extremely windy and we were completely drenched on our final stretch. we had to hike from yarigatake straight to dakesawa in one day. normally, climbers rest and stay for the night in okuhotaka hut or set up camp but we had to keep pushing before another downpour. This is totally doable, and is actually considered non-technical (with chains and ladders). as long as you are confident enough with your footing and do not have fear of heights. Japanese people tend to be overly safety conscious so you can take it down a notch when they say...it's VERY dangerous. Many people want to hike these mountains but are easily put off by what they see online especially from sources that exaggerate it. idk, i guess that's just me. i hope more people will just go for it.
hahaha true!! there was this lady from new zealand who asked me some question about this specific trail. Ofcourse I gave her all the info she needed and was ready to go but then the people in the hut, that she was going stay at, told her it’s too dangerous for her to go alone. But she went anyways and did it! 😂 This is a nice take! Thank you so much! I’m planning to do it again to really see how dangerous and tricky this route is.
too bad we had the same experience. the only reason why we had to stay for a night in yarigatake hut was because the staff convinced us to lodge there for the night. they were quite pissed that we were headed to okuhotakadake on a bad weather. a number of them literally huddled over us and convinced us to stay in the hut because it was TOO DANGEROUS. in the end, we had to change our plans. in retrospect, we shouldve just went on with our plan. What a bummer! same here. i am gon do it again in fall. but will start from shinhotaka and through Gendarme to okuhotakadake then exit through kamikochi. i was told by some japanese climbers that gendarme is tougher than daikiretto. ha! happy climbing! @@JohnHikerDolar
The chains look terrifying! Glad you made it. When hiking alone, do you worry about encountering dangerous wild animals? We have bears living in the wood so that’s usually my biggest fear when i’m out hiking.
Hmmmmm… it’s one of those things I watch out for like bears and killer hornets. Honestly, I’m scared of them. But If ever I encounter them I know what to do.
I really want to hike these peaks but I was hesitant. When I saw the kids obachans, I think l can do it as well. I wonder if there is less terrifying way to get there.😅
Hi! haha! Yeah that part is at Yarigatake or Mount Yari. Although I don’t see many obachans and children traversing daikiretto. To answer your question, I don’t think there’s another way to get there if you really want to traverse daikiretto and summit hasegawa peak. Actually the course described in this video is the easiest way to complete the Yari hotaka course.
Hi!! honestly, I haven’t heard about it. So I’m not sure. But I don’t think you can. You can rent at Yarigatakesanso and climb yarigatake but you have to return it after summiting mount yari.
Hey! V thrilling hike you did and thinking about doing the same circuit this coming late July! :) Am wondering, since I cannot find much information about this, but when crossing the Daikiretto, is it optional or necessary to climb up to Hasegawa Peak to cross to the other mountain?
For Yari-hotaka circuit, if you’re passing through daikiretto then you have to climb up Hasegawa peak. Your exit is towards kawasawa cirque via Kitahotaka. And minamidake is your exit if you’re skipping daikiretto. I hope this helps.
@@JohnHikerDolar Thank you v much for your response! May I know where did you reserve your stays at both mountains? Was it also compulsory to send in a itinerary to the official Kamikochi Alps authorities?
I'm literally just ahh ahh ahh the whole time (hiker with a fear of heights here hahah)-- also, the decisions for no gloves...was that just for more real feel? either way, amazing video, thanks for sharing the ride!
Hi!! You are definitely on point there for the no gloves decision. it wasn’t cold so didn’t need them. You are very much welcome! Are you planning on hiking in Japan?🇯🇵
@@tinwenwalks There’s a lot of beautiful hikes in the alps. The difficulty range varies as well. But all beautiful and scenic. If you need help deciding I can probably help. Have a safe hike.
@@JohnHikerDolar watching your videos helped me narrow it down, so thank you! (Mostly decide to save some routes for the second trip hahah), and so much is weather dependent, fingers crossed for a bit of good skies while I’m out. Cheers!
Great video! I am planning a solo hike in mid Sept'24 on the same route except that I will descent to Karasawa then back to Kamikochi. Do you have any advice like equipment and time fence for each portion of the climb? I am a little worried about the Daikiretto portion though.. Along the way, there is Mt Minamidake and Hasegawa. Are those peak branch off from the main trail or its part of the main trail?
Yes, they are part of the main trail. If you’re not sure of traversing Daikiretto and Hasegawa peak then your exit is at Minamidake down to shin hotaka or back to yokoo i think, I haven’t done those route though. There are times hikers get altitude sickness before traversing Daikiretto so asses your condition at Minamidake before proceeding. I hope this helps
I'm really interested in doing this multi day hike. About the mountain hut, do we need to book earlier or just walk in during the hike? I'll be solo hiking in late august/ early september.
I strongly recommend booking earlier for a smoother process and relaxing stay. Although they won’t turn you down if you walked in, they’ll prioritize those who booked earlier. So if it’s the peak season, the chances that you’ll have to wait until all the reserved guests check in before they accommodate you, is pretty high.
Hi! Yes, it is from Montbell. I think it’s called storm cruiser. en.montbell.jp/products/goods/disp.php?product_id=1128615 here is the link. Please check! Thank you for watching.
Wow. Just watched this and my heart was racing the whole time watching you traverse the Daikiretto. What a hike! And such a great video documenting it!
@@JohnHikerDolar It looked hard! But so inspiring that you did it. We're not planning to do this any time soon haha. Mayybbeeee after a few more seasons of climbing other mountains.
Hi :) That's amazing 😍 I want to do it! Dis you stay at the mountain huts for both nights ? Is it manageable to sleep in a tent ? Is there a camping site near huts ?
Hi!!! Yes, this route is truly beautiful. I stayed at the huts for both nights. It is possible to do it with tents. But it will be quite heavy in my opinion. For kitahotakagoya, I don’t think you can pitch a tent near the hut. I believe you have to get down a little bit to pitch your tent. For the first night in Yarigatakesanso, there’s a designated camping site there. Very convenient! I hope this helps. Thanks btw!
congratulations! i really want to go and climb at least one of the mountains in kamikochi. i guess next year because the climbing season is now ending. thank you for this wonderful video.
Hi!! Do you happen to live in Japan?? It’s still the climbing season. Kamikochi is beautiful in Autumn. The best time to climb mountains around Kamikochi is during this time. Anyways, I wish you could get the chance to explore it.
Great video! I have some questions! Which time of the year did you do this trip? I’m planning to do this hike in mid June with 3 other friends. I’m wondering if I will need crampons and/or ice axe? Would you think bringing a harness is an overkill? Thanks!
Hi! Thanks 🙏. I did this hike in Summer time from July to August. In June, some parts of the route will still have some snow and ice left. I suggest checking the live camera of Kamikochi before doing the hike. Bringing some crampons and ice axe would add a lot of weight though. Lastly for the harness, it is always a good idea to have one so that you could clip to some of the dangerous sections. It’s doable with out a harness in summer but I’m not sure in icy conditions. Are you guys going to do the whole Yari-Hotaka route? 😊
@@JohnHikerDolar Yeap I’m playing to do the yari-hotaka circuit! Looks like an axe is a overkill at this point. Probably some micro spikes and harness will do the trick. Will monitor the situation as the snow melts! Thanks a lot :)
Amazing video and very insightful, including the uncut versions of the daikiretto! Can i ask if you would recommend the route the other way round? from Kamikochi, Dakesawa to Okuhotaka to Yarigatake? coz i was planning to head towards Tsubakuro then exit via the Nakabusa hot spring
Woah!! That’s an intense hike! Are you pitching a tent or using mountain huts? If you are using mountains huts that would be possible. The route to Dakesawa going to Okuhotata is quite steep and very long that’s for Day 1. For day 2 You’ll do a lot of Technical climbing being light is a must. Traversing Daikiretto is fun but very dangerous if you are carrying a heavy load. After Yarigatake it would be a walk in the park considering what you’ve been through.
@@JohnHikerDolar Thanks very much for the prompt response. It's just an idea at the moment.. but judging from your video, am having second thoughts. Indeed planning to use the mountain huts with little load. But my problem is I only reach kamikochi in the afternoon. Hence concerned about the timing of everything. How long would u think it took for the traverse across the daikiretto?
@@4o0l63 From Yarigatake - Daikiretto - Kitahotaka took me over 5 hours I started very early coz I had to go up yarigatake. For the bus, you can take a night bus from Shinjuku directly to Kamikochi so that you could start very early.
In October 2019 I hiked up to spend the night at Karasawa Cirque and had a loose plan to either hike up Hotakadake or Kitahotaka the next day. I eventually decided to hike up Kitaho in the morning just because the entrance to the route was behind Karasawa Goya. One hour in and I knew I wasn't prepared for it. I had no helmet and I knew I couldn't scramble up the many exposed rock faces with my 12 kg pack. Finally I gave up, walked down to Yokoo and hiked up Chogatake instead. It was 4 hours of pure steep ascent and I only discovered later other people usually prefer using this route for descent since the ascent from Tokusawa is much gentler. 🤣Anyway, the night at Chogatake gave me a panoramic view of all the mountain huts on the Hotaka range including Yari. This September I'm planning to go back to Kamikochi and hike up Yari although I probably won't do the Daikiretto yet. Your video really gives me encouragement that I may someday tackle it though. Many thanks for the inspiration!
Wow! Thank you so much. In time I believe you’ll be able to do it. Btw, since you’ve already hiked chogatake. Please also try the Panorama Ginza and hike up Mount Jonen. It is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan. The whole course should take 4 days.
Hi!!! no worries man. Thank you for watching. Although, May might be tricky coz of ice and snow. You’ll need crampons and ice axe. I would suggest climbing in July - October. I hope this helps.
check out how to do the whole Yari-Hotaka-Circuit here: ua-cam.com/video/ESsVAoREck0/v-deo.html
Awesome! did this circuit via the daikiretto a month ago under terrible weather conditions. it was rainy for 3 days straight. no views at all. fog was so thick, extremely windy and we were completely drenched on our final stretch. we had to hike from yarigatake straight to dakesawa in one day. normally, climbers rest and stay for the night in okuhotaka hut or set up camp but we had to keep pushing before another downpour.
This is totally doable, and is actually considered non-technical (with chains and ladders). as long as you are confident enough with your footing and do not have fear of heights. Japanese people tend to be overly safety conscious so you can take it down a notch when they say...it's VERY dangerous. Many people want to hike these mountains but are easily put off by what they see online especially from sources that exaggerate it. idk, i guess that's just me. i hope more people will just go for it.
hahaha true!! there was this lady from new zealand who asked me some question about this specific trail. Ofcourse I gave her all the info she needed and was ready to go but then the people in the hut, that she was going stay at, told her it’s too dangerous for her to go alone.
But she went anyways and did it! 😂
This is a nice take! Thank you so much!
I’m planning to do it again to really see how dangerous and tricky this route is.
too bad we had the same experience. the only reason why we had to stay for a night in yarigatake hut was because the staff convinced us to lodge there for the night. they were quite pissed that we were headed to okuhotakadake on a bad weather. a number of them literally huddled over us and convinced us to stay in the hut because it was TOO DANGEROUS. in the end, we had to change our plans. in retrospect, we shouldve just went on with our plan. What a bummer!
same here. i am gon do it again in fall. but will start from shinhotaka and through Gendarme to okuhotakadake then exit through kamikochi. i was told by some japanese climbers that gendarme is tougher than daikiretto. ha! happy climbing! @@JohnHikerDolar
@@jejuenglish9683 Thank you!! You’ll definitely enjoy Gendarme!! Have safe trip
start till end both my hands and feet are sweating lol.. very nice view indeed.. ayos kaayo bai!
Oi Theodoreeee! haha salamat bai! if ever mulaag ka diri give me a call.
The chains look terrifying! Glad you made it. When hiking alone, do you worry about encountering dangerous wild animals? We have bears living in the wood so that’s usually my biggest fear when i’m out hiking.
Hmmmmm… it’s one of those things I watch out for like bears and killer hornets. Honestly, I’m scared of them.
But If ever I encounter them I know what to do.
I really want to hike these peaks but I was hesitant. When I saw the kids obachans, I think l can do it as well. I wonder if there is less terrifying way to get there.😅
Hi! haha! Yeah that part is at Yarigatake or Mount Yari. Although I don’t see many obachans and children traversing daikiretto.
To answer your question,
I don’t think there’s another way to get there if you really want to traverse daikiretto and summit hasegawa peak. Actually the course described in this video is the easiest way to complete the Yari hotaka course.
Hi John, do you know if it's possible to rent a helmet from the huts to take to the other side of daikiretto?
Hi!! honestly, I haven’t heard about it. So I’m not sure. But I don’t think you can.
You can rent at Yarigatakesanso and climb yarigatake but you have to return it after summiting mount yari.
How does this have so little views, youtube alg i guess, awesome video!
haha could be but it’s alright as long as it’s reaching the target audience and helps as many hikers as possible.
Hi! Can you tell me how long it would take to move from yarigatake sanso to kitagotaka sanso??
It should take 4 hours at least. But it’s best to take it slow and enjoy the adventure hehe…
nice vid. the main thing i wanted to see was the hiking plan and it flashes for 0.001 seconds even on 0.25 speed you can't catch it.
lol haha!! sorry about that. you can always pause it. I was a newbie at editing during this time.
@@JohnHikerDolar no worries man beautiful vid and saw the itinerary in your images
Hey! V thrilling hike you did and thinking about doing the same circuit this coming late July! :) Am wondering, since I cannot find much information about this, but when crossing the Daikiretto, is it optional or necessary to climb up to Hasegawa Peak to cross to the other mountain?
For Yari-hotaka circuit, if you’re passing through daikiretto then you have to climb up Hasegawa peak. Your exit is towards kawasawa cirque via Kitahotaka.
And minamidake is your exit if you’re skipping daikiretto.
I hope this helps.
@@JohnHikerDolar Thank you v much for your response!
May I know where did you reserve your stays at both mountains?
Was it also compulsory to send in a itinerary to the official Kamikochi Alps authorities?
I'm literally just ahh ahh ahh the whole time (hiker with a fear of heights here hahah)-- also, the decisions for no gloves...was that just for more real feel? either way, amazing video, thanks for sharing the ride!
Hi!! You are definitely on point there for the no gloves decision. it wasn’t cold so didn’t need them.
You are very much welcome! Are you planning on hiking in Japan?🇯🇵
@@JohnHikerDolar moved here recently and been getting out and about, heading towards the Alps for the first time soon! Hikers’ playground for sure
@@tinwenwalks There’s a lot of beautiful hikes in the alps. The difficulty range varies as well. But all beautiful and scenic. If you need help deciding I can probably help. Have a safe hike.
@@JohnHikerDolar watching your videos helped me narrow it down, so thank you! (Mostly decide to save some routes for the second trip hahah), and so much is weather dependent, fingers crossed for a bit of good skies while I’m out. Cheers!
Great video! I am planning a solo hike in mid Sept'24 on the same route except that I will descent to Karasawa then back to Kamikochi. Do you have any advice like equipment and time fence for each portion of the climb? I am a little worried about the Daikiretto portion though.. Along the way, there is Mt Minamidake and Hasegawa. Are those peak branch off from the main trail or its part of the main trail?
Yes, they are part of the main trail.
If you’re not sure of traversing Daikiretto and Hasegawa peak then your exit is at Minamidake down to shin hotaka or back to yokoo i think, I haven’t done those route though.
There are times hikers get altitude sickness before traversing Daikiretto so asses your condition at Minamidake before proceeding.
I hope this helps
for the equipment helmet 🪖 and a sturdy hiking boots should be fine and a light backpack would be nice as well. So, I suggest staying at the huts.
The view is definitely worth it!
Indeed it is! So beautiful in many ways.
Wow, what an adventure! Beautiful, challenging, and adventourous. Nice upload brother.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching. Sorry I replied late. 😅 Hopefully you could visit Japan some day and hike some. 😊
I'm really interested in doing this multi day hike. About the mountain hut, do we need to book earlier or just walk in during the hike? I'll be solo hiking in late august/ early september.
I strongly recommend booking earlier for a smoother process and relaxing stay. Although they won’t turn you down if you walked in, they’ll prioritize those who booked earlier. So if it’s the peak season, the chances that you’ll have to wait until all the reserved guests check in before they accommodate you, is pretty high.
I fell in love with the view😍
demo yabai sugiru😱😰
omedetou👏💪
Thank you very much!! Yep the views are amazing up there. No risk no reward!
Hey. Great video!
What kind of jacket did you use (the brown rain jacket)? Is it Montbell? Do you have a link?
And can you recommend it?
Hi! Yes, it is from Montbell. I think it’s called storm cruiser.
en.montbell.jp/products/goods/disp.php?product_id=1128615
here is the link. Please check!
Thank you for watching.
Wow. Just watched this and my heart was racing the whole time watching you traverse the Daikiretto. What a hike! And such a great video documenting it!
Hi!!👋 Thanks for coming by. It is one of the hardest hikes I’ve experienced to be honest. Are you guys planning to do this one?
@@JohnHikerDolar It looked hard! But so inspiring that you did it. We're not planning to do this any time soon haha. Mayybbeeee after a few more seasons of climbing other mountains.
Hi :) That's amazing 😍 I want to do it!
Dis you stay at the mountain huts for both nights ? Is it manageable to sleep in a tent ? Is there a camping site near huts ?
Hi!!! Yes, this route is truly beautiful.
I stayed at the huts for both nights. It is possible to do it with tents. But it will be quite heavy in my opinion.
For kitahotakagoya, I don’t think you can pitch a tent near the hut. I believe you have to get down a little bit to pitch your tent.
For the first night in Yarigatakesanso, there’s a designated camping site there.
Very convenient!
I hope this helps. Thanks btw!
congratulations! i really want to go and climb at least one of the mountains in kamikochi. i guess next year because the climbing season is now ending. thank you for this wonderful video.
Hi!! Do you happen to live in Japan?? It’s still the climbing season. Kamikochi is beautiful in Autumn. The best time to climb mountains around Kamikochi is during this time. Anyways, I wish you could get the chance to explore it.
Great video! I have some questions! Which time of the year did you do this trip? I’m planning to do this hike in mid June with 3 other friends. I’m wondering if I will need crampons and/or ice axe? Would you think bringing a harness is an overkill? Thanks!
Hi! Thanks 🙏. I did this hike in Summer time from July to August.
In June, some parts of the route will still have some snow and ice left. I suggest checking the live camera of Kamikochi before doing the hike.
Bringing some crampons and ice axe would add a lot of weight though.
Lastly for the harness, it is always a good idea to have one so that you could clip to some of the dangerous sections.
It’s doable with out a harness in summer but I’m not sure in icy conditions.
Are you guys going to do the whole Yari-Hotaka route? 😊
@@JohnHikerDolar Yeap I’m playing to do the yari-hotaka circuit! Looks like an axe is a overkill at this point. Probably some micro spikes and harness will do the trick. Will monitor the situation as the snow melts! Thanks a lot :)
@@Wenhao3 No worries. Just be careful and have a safe trip. Let me know if you have more questions. 👊
このコース今度行きたいと思います。素晴らしい動画をありがとう！
ども！！ぜひ！とっても楽しいですよ！😊
Amazing video and very insightful, including the uncut versions of the daikiretto!
Can i ask if you would recommend the route the other way round? from Kamikochi, Dakesawa to Okuhotaka to Yarigatake? coz i was planning to head towards Tsubakuro then exit via the Nakabusa hot spring
Woah!! That’s an intense hike! Are you pitching a tent or using mountain huts? If you are using mountains huts that would be possible. The route to Dakesawa going to Okuhotata is quite steep and very long that’s for Day 1. For day 2 You’ll do a lot of Technical climbing being light is a must. Traversing Daikiretto is fun but very dangerous if you are carrying a heavy load. After Yarigatake it would be a walk in the park considering what you’ve been through.
@@JohnHikerDolar Thanks very much for the prompt response. It's just an idea at the moment.. but judging from your video, am having second thoughts. Indeed planning to use the mountain huts with little load. But my problem is I only reach kamikochi in the afternoon. Hence concerned about the timing of everything. How long would u think it took for the traverse across the daikiretto?
@@4o0l63 From Yarigatake - Daikiretto - Kitahotaka took me over 5 hours I started very early coz I had to go up yarigatake.
For the bus, you can take a night bus from Shinjuku directly to Kamikochi so that you could start very early.
What a scenery bud, this looks insanely gorgeous!
Yeah!! Thank you!!! It was fantastic for sure.
Well done and beautiful photos. Congrats and thank you.
Many thanks! 🎉❤
💪💪 Great Vids.
Stay strong and safe 👍
Thank you very much! Let do this together someday!
Gorgeous view.....
thanks 🙏 a lot!! indeed it is
Maayu kaayu story telling nimo bai. Next goal nako diri sa Japan. I just need to finish my marathon goal before moving to mountain hiking.
Thanks kaau bai!! hehe… Good luck sa Marathon. If may pangutana ka about mountains, I’ll help u hehe.
@@JohnHikerDolar naa kay vlog or blog regarding tools and gears for hikers?
@@FirstStep2023 wala pa raba bro. Planning palang for now hiking guides plang akong content. Hopefully in the future. I’ll let you know.
@@JohnHikerDolar Alright, thanks bai. I will wait and for the meantime I will check your other vids.
Wow!!!
thank you 🙏!
What month is this?
hi!!! it’s in August! summer. Are you going to try it?
In October 2019 I hiked up to spend the night at Karasawa Cirque and had a loose plan to either hike up Hotakadake or Kitahotaka the next day. I eventually decided to hike up Kitaho in the morning just because the entrance to the route was behind Karasawa Goya. One hour in and I knew I wasn't prepared for it. I had no helmet and I knew I couldn't scramble up the many exposed rock faces with my 12 kg pack. Finally I gave up, walked down to Yokoo and hiked up Chogatake instead. It was 4 hours of pure steep ascent and I only discovered later other people usually prefer using this route for descent since the ascent from Tokusawa is much gentler. 🤣Anyway, the night at Chogatake gave me a panoramic view of all the mountain huts on the Hotaka range including Yari. This September I'm planning to go back to Kamikochi and hike up Yari although I probably won't do the Daikiretto yet. Your video really gives me encouragement that I may someday tackle it though. Many thanks for the inspiration!
Wow! Thank you so much. In time I believe you’ll be able to do it. Btw, since you’ve already hiked chogatake. Please also try the Panorama Ginza and hike up Mount Jonen. It is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan. The whole course should take 4 days.
Thanks so much for putting this video together. It's just the info I need. Planning to do this trip in May next year.
Hi!!! no worries man. Thank you for watching.
Although, May might be tricky coz of ice and snow. You’ll need crampons and ice axe. I would suggest climbing in July - October.
I hope this helps.