CHOOSING THE RIGHT HIKING / TREKKING TOUR

We want you to have the best possible time during your hiking tour in Japan with us, and matching your experience level, and current physical conditioning to an appropriate adventure is the most important part of ensuring you have a truly enjoyable trip.  With that said, it is incredibly hard to create a one-size-fits-all system that accurately portrays the difficulty and challenges of each unique hike within the context of its particular environment, trail conditions, technical aspects, distance, duration and elevation gain.  Perhaps this is why there is no universal standard for rating the difficulty of hiking trails.

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We have drawn largely our own experiences, and have also consulted with other hiking organizations and professionals in the industry to come up with a scale that we feel does the best possible job of boiling all the variables down into a relatively  simple, accurate and easily understandable ranking.  This is a two-part system that assigns a 6-level number scale to describe the necessary level of fitness, and combines it with a 3-letter scale to grade the technical difficulty.  Please see the detailed explanation of each system below.

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When choosing a tour, be honest when evaluating yourself - and if you are unsure whether you could realistically handle the demands of a particular hike on offer, just ask!  Send us a message or give us a call and we will be happy to talk you through it.

 

FITNESS LEVELS: 1 through 6

  • LEVEL 1

    ​Easy

    • SUITABLE FOR:

    Individuals of all ages from young children to senior citizens; anyone in fair physical condition who is able to walk normally.

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    • DURATION

    Trail time can vary greatly depending on conditions, but you should be able to comfortably walk between 1~3 hours per day.

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    • DISTANCE・ELEVATION

    Typical daily distance is between 3~8 kilometers with elevation gains of up to 250 meters.

  • LEVEL 2

    MODERATE

    • SUITABLE FOR:

    Individuals of most ages who are in generally good physical condition and have some basic hiking experience.

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    • DURATION

    Trail time can vary greatly depending on conditions, but you should be able to comfortably walk between 2~4 hours per day.

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    • DISTANCE・ELEVATION

    Typical daily distance is between 6~11 kilometers with elevation gains of up to 450 meters.

  • LEVEL 3

    ​HARD

    • SUITABLE FOR:

    Individuals of most ages who are in good physical condition and have hiking experience over a variety of terrain types.

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    • DURATION

    Trail time can vary greatly depending on conditions, but you should be able to comfortably walk between 3~5 hours per day.

    ​

    • DISTANCE・ELEVATION

    Typical daily distance is between 9~14 kilometers with elevation gains of up to 700 meters.

  • LEVEL 4

    CHALLENGING

    • SUITABLE FOR:

    Young adults and adults who are in very good physical condition and have moderate hiking experience over a large variety of terrain types.

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    • DURATION

    Trail time can vary greatly depending on conditions, but you should be able to comfortably walk between 4~6 hours per day.

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    • DISTANCE・ELEVATION

    Typical daily distance is between 12~17 kilometers with elevation gains of up to 1,000 meters.

  • LEVEL 5

    STRENUOUS

    • SUITABLE FOR:

    Young adults and adults who are in excellent physical condition and have extensive hiking experience over a large variety of terrain types, including those with technical aspects.

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    • DURATION

    Trail time can vary greatly depending on conditions, but you should be able to comfortably walk between 5~8 hours per day.

    ​

    • DISTANCE・ELEVATION

    Typical daily distance is between 15~21 kilometers with elevation gains of up to 1,500 meters.

  • LEVEL 6

    EXTREME

    • SUITABLE FOR:

    Adults over 18 years of age who are in their physical prime and have years of experience hiking over a large variety of terrain types, including those with technical aspects.

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    • DURATION

    Trail time can vary greatly depending on conditions, but you should be able to comfortably walk between 7~10 hours per day.

    ​

    • DISTANCE・ELEVATION

    Typical daily distance is between 19~25 kilometers with elevation gains of up to 2,000 meters.

TECHNICAL LEVELS: A to C

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LEVEL A

Non-Technical

​No Exposure

Hiking is done entirely on maintained trails that are well-marked and in good condition.  Surfaces are largely hard, smooth and stable, but may include occasional small rocks or other minor obstacles.  These trails can be walked entirely on foot without requiring the use of your hands, and there is little to no chance of injury.

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LEVEL B

Somewhat Technical

​Limited Exposure

Hiking may be done at least partially on unmaintained trails or those that are not well-marked.  Trails may be narrow in places, and could include soft and unstable surfaces, with a variety of larger rocks, roots, simple water crossings and other obstacles.  This is essentially mountain climbing, and as such you may need to use your hands to ascend or descend boulders or short sections of fixed implements such as ladders and chains.  There is an increased but limited chance of injury.

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LEVEL C

Technical Terrain

Extensive ​Exposure

This is mountain climbing that includes scrambling, and will have both steep ascents and descents, some of which may occur on unstable terrain in exposed areas.  No technical equipment is required, but you can expect to use your hands often and may need to rely on multiple areas of fixes ropes, chains and ladders to safely navigate extended portions of the trail.  Due to the combination of technical terrain and exposure, falls could result in serious injury or even death.

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