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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...
Paul
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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....
Paul
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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...
Paul
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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...
Paul
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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...
Paul
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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...
Paul
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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...
Paul
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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:...
Paul
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Mt. Shirouma & the 'Daisekkei'
Amongst the numerous climbing routes in the Hakuba Valley, one in particular has achieved almost legendary status - the 'Daisekkei.'
Paul
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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.
Paul
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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.
Paul
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![Mt. Fuji Sea-to-Summit-to-Sea [Video]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a4676b_c345be764bbc4c27827bcd20a06c141a~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_333,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_35,blur_30,enc_avif,quality_auto/a4676b_c345be764bbc4c27827bcd20a06c141a~mv2.webp)
![Mt. Fuji Sea-to-Summit-to-Sea [Video]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a4676b_c345be764bbc4c27827bcd20a06c141a~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_514,h_386,fp_0.50_0.50,q_95,enc_avif,quality_auto/a4676b_c345be764bbc4c27827bcd20a06c141a~mv2.webp)
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.
Paul
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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...
Paul
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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...
Paul
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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...
Paul
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![Mt. Karamatsu in Winter [Photo Album]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a4676b_a47c3367890f41bebc5671a686284a56~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_333,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_avif,quality_auto/a4676b_a47c3367890f41bebc5671a686284a56~mv2.webp)
![Mt. Karamatsu in Winter [Photo Album]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a4676b_a47c3367890f41bebc5671a686284a56~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_514,h_386,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_avif,quality_auto/a4676b_a47c3367890f41bebc5671a686284a56~mv2.webp)
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....
Paul
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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...
Paul
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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...
Paul
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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...
Paul
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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...
Paul
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