Hi everyone! I can’t find much specific info on Kamikochi in the web and will like to hear more of people’s experiences there 🙂 We are thinking of hiking karasawa cirque in Kamikochi as well. Here is how our rough schedule looks like:
Day 1 – Walk from Taisho Pond to Yokoo, stay over at Yokoo Sanso
Day 2 : Hike up Karasawa Cirque in the morning, and walk back to Kamikochi bus terminal to leave for Hirayu Onsen
A few questions that I will like some advice:
1. How’s the climb up Karasawa Cirque? Is the climb ok for someone with beginner fitness level?
2. Understand autumn colours are more pronounced in Karasawa Cirque during late sept to early Oct, is the view still worth it to climb for in mid Oct?
3. Will there be snow during mid Oct? Do we need to prepare crampons?
4. Let me know if there are recommendations to tweak the schedule. I worry it may be too tiring for Day 2 so was contemplating whether we should finish the hike up karasawa cirque in Day 1. But that will mean an early start in Day 1 :/
Thank you! Any advice or tips on Kamikochi is greatly appreciated 🙂
3 comments
YouTube’s Current Hannah recently put out an e-guide to trails around Tokyo and Osaka, and it includes Kamicochi. There’s some transport info and suggestions for what to do in the area. She’s got a couple of videos on the hikes she did there too if you want to get an idea of the info provided in the guide). It seems like such a stunning place!
(I’m not affiliated with her at all – just a big fan who also happened to buy her guide for an upcoming trip).
The Day 2 seems quite tiring especially if you are a beginner since it would take about 3 hrs to Karasawa Cirque then another 6-7 hrs back down.
Have you checked the [official Kamikochi website?](https://www.kamikochi.org) Lots of helpful info on there. Particularly [this page on sightseeing/hiking in the park.](https://www.kamikochi.org/plan/sightseeing)