HIKING

Paul

Shinetsu Mountain Madness - Day 3

The previous day of fastpacking had proven to be an unexpectedly eventful one, but little did we know that the adventure quotient on this...

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Paul

Shinetsu Mountain Madness - Day 2

Our run up and down Mt. Kurohime on Friday was just a warm-up for the bigger, bolder adventure we had lined up over the next two days....

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Paul

Shinetsu Mountain Madness - Day 1

Shinetsu (信越) refers to the region of central Japan comprised of Nagano and Niigata prefectures. The term is derived from a combination...

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Paul

Raicho: Japan's Mountain Bird

The name raicho (雷鳥) literally translates to "thunder bird," and refers to members of the population of Japanese Rock Ptarmigan that...

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Paul

Our Go-To Fastpacking Gear: "Go Suit"②

If you've been following along with our series on fastpacking gear, you'll know that so far we've gone through 10 pieces of kit and 7...

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Paul

Our Go-To Fastpacking Gear: "Go Suit"①

Over the last two posts we've introduced the 10 major pieces of our trusted fastpacking kit. This time we'll continue to showcase more...

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Our Go-To Fastpacking Gear: Items 6 - 10

Paul

Our Go-To Fastpacking Gear: Items 6 - 10

In the first blog post of this series we introduced 5 major pieces of fastpacking kit; pack, shelter, bivvy, mat & poles. This time we'll...

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Paul

Our Go-To Fastpacking Gear: Items 1 - 5

Maybe we need to start off by first answering the question, "What is fastpacking?" REI's excellent article on the subject calls it:...

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Paul

Mt. Shirouma & the 'Daisekkei'

Amongst the numerous climbing routes in the Hakuba Valley, one in particular has achieved almost legendary status - the 'Daisekkei.'

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Paul

Spring Snow / Edible Plant Hike

Spring is an amazing time to explore the mountains in Japan, with fresh greenery, lingering snowfields, good weather and far less crowds.

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Paul

The Salt Road: Jizo Pass & Mt. Ato-Sugi

In a village blessed with nature, history and culture, there is no better way to experience them all than on a hike along the Salt Road.

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Paul

Mt. Fuji Sea-to-Summit-to-Sea [Video]

I believe it was 2013 when I first heard of the insane idea... to climb from the ocean to the top of Japan's iconic Mt. Fuji.

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Paul

Otari Green Season PR Video

Hike and Bike Japan's base of operation, the small rural village of Otari, is a culturally-rich and naturally-blessed area that we take...

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Paul

Attempt on Mt. Yakushi (Pt. 2)

U.L. SLEEPING SETUP I dozed off shortly after dinner, sometime past 8 p.m. In general I'm a cold sleeper, so I went into the evening...

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Paul

Attempt on Mt. Yakushi (Part 1)

PLAN A More than a month ago I was contacted by two-time Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR) finisher Otokozawa-san, who I first became...

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Paul

Mt. Karamatsu in Winter [Photo Album]

This week I had the privilege of guiding a fellow American I met on the slopes of Tsugaike last month, up to the summit of 2,696m Mt....

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Paul

Yake-Dake (Mt. Yake)

We recently came back from a day-hike up to the summit of one of central Japan's most active volcanoes, whose name literally and...

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Fastpacking in the Southern Alps (Part 2)

Paul

Fastpacking in the Southern Alps (Part 2)

We initially set out on an ambitious 3-day blitz of the Southern Alps, but midway through a tough day 1 doubts about the viability of our...

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Fastpacking in the Southern Alps (Part 1)

Paul

Fastpacking in the Southern Alps (Part 1)

I recently came back from a brutally tough, but rewarding fastpacking trip with friends through some of the less-traveled trails at the...

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Paul

TJAR Training Camp - Day 2

OVERNIGHT I had a hard time getting to bed initially, due mostly to the cacophonous chorus of snores emanating in full surround sound...

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