Hi everyone!
I'm planning a hiking trip in mid-October (14th-20th) and would love some feedback on my itinerary. I'll be spending 6 nights and 7 days in the Northern Alps, carrying a light hiking setup with an 8kg base weight. My gear is rated for temperatures down to -1°C, and I intend to stay and book overnight at huts (huttes) in the high-altitude areas, particularly around Mt. Yari. I'm quite an active person and consider myself quite fit and able for the multi-day hike. I also work in Emergency Services so have survival and emergency medical experience if that helps.
I have created a Hiking plan trail below to help with guidance and planning for this journey – obviously still have more planning to do, but keen to get ahead of the curve:
Day 0: Nakabusa Onsen
Staying at Nakabusa Onsen the night before the journey to rest up from my flight 2 days earlier and enjoy the onsen.
Day 1: Nakabusa Onsen to Enzan-so Hut
- Distance: ~6 km
- Elevation Gain: ~1,200 m I'll start the hike from Nakabusa Onsen, passing through 合戦小屋 (Battle Hut?) for lunch, and plan to arrive and stay overnight at Enzan-so Hut. Depending on the weather, I might summit Tsubakuro-dake peak (2,763 m) either in the afternoon or the next morning.
Day 2: Enzan-so Hut to Jonen Hut via Daitenso
- Distance: ~12 km
- Elevation Gain: ~800 m Depending on whether I summit Tsubakuro-dake, I'll head to Daitenso, aiming to summit Mt. Otensho-dake (2,846 m). I'll stop for lunch at Daitenso Hut before finishing the day by heading to Jonen Hut for an overnight stay (camping).
Day 3: Jonen Hut to Yarisawa Lodge via Chogatake Hut
- Distance: ~13 km
- Elevation Gain: ~700 m I'll start by summiting Mount Jonen (2,857 m) in the morning and then make my way to Chogatake Hut. I’ve heard it’s an easy summit to Chogatake (2,677 m), so I plan to have lunch there before descending to Yokoo. If I have the energy, I'll push on to Yarisawa Lodge; otherwise, I'll stay at Yokoo.
Day 4: Yarisawa Lodge to Yarigatake Lodge
- Distance: ~8 km
- Elevation Gain: ~1,300 m If I made it to Yarisawa, I'll head to Yarigatake Lodge to stay overnight. I plan to summit Mt. Yari (3,180 m) in the afternoon or the next morning, weather depending. Since it's a weekday, I'm hoping it won’t be too crowded, though I still expect some crowds due to the autumn foliage. I'll stay overnight at the hut due to the altitude and potential low temperatures.
Day 5: Yarigatake Lodge to Yokoo Lodge
- Distance: ~10 km
- Elevation Loss: ~1,300 m I'll descend from Yarigatake Lodge and stay overnight camping at Yokoo Lodge.
Day 6: Yokoo Lodge to Kamikochi
- Distance: ~11 km
- Elevation Loss: ~200 m I'll walk from Yokoo back to Kamikochi to stay overnight, leaving for Kyoto the next morning.
I'm open to any tips or suggestions, especially since I’m looking to avoid the Daikiretto and other dangerous regions due to the time of year (Hotaka Range). I’d also appreciate any advice on the best ways to approach this trip, considering the weather and trail conditions in mid-October.
Thanks in advance for your help!
by DoobsMcgee