Tsukuba Mountain & Walking Club

Kamikochi Hike
Kamikochi
An easy walk and hike in the Nagano Prefecture

2007/07/01
The Location

Kamikochi is a popular resort in the Japanese Alps of

Nagano Prefecture,, offering some of Japan's most
spectacular mountain scenery. It is open from mid/late
mid
April until November 15, and shuts down during winter.
In 2007, Kamikochi is open from April 24 to November
15.

Kamikochi is a roughly 15 kilometer long plateau in the

Azusa River Valley, about 1500 meters above sea level.
It is surrounded by tall mountains,
ountains, including
Nishihotakadake (2909 m), Okuhotakadake (3190 m),
Maehotakadake (3090 m) and the active volcano
Yakedake (2455 m). In
n the center of Kamikochi, a short walk from the bus terminal, stands the
Kappabashi (Kappa Bridge). From the Kappabashi, hiking trails lead up and down the valley and
towards the summits of the surrounding mountains.

The simplest way to enjoy a day in Kamikochi is by hiking the trails along Azusa River from
Taisho Pond to Myojin Bridge. It is a mostly flat terrain and requires no hiking experience and
only a few hours of time. The climbs to the surrounding peaks, however,
however, are more challenging
and only recommended between mid June and
mid September.

Kamikochi is particularly beautiful

during the autumn foliage season,
which usually peaks in mid October. A
wide range
e of alpine flora can be viewed
from May through October, with the best
time being mid May through July. Among
the wildlife to be observed are monkeys
and various birds. Bears are rarely
ra
encountered.
The Hiking Trail

http://www.kamikochi.or.jp/english/index.php
About the Club

The Tsukuba Walking and Mountaineering Club (TWMC) was founded in

May 1998 and has already visited many places in Japan like Fuji-san,
Fuji the
North and South Alps and of course Tsukuba-san,
Tsukuba san, to name but a few. Our
aim is to provide walks at all levels to give everyone the chance to
experience the natural beauty of Japan, and of course to also leave no
onsen untested!
http://eve.bk.tsukuba.ac.jp/twmc/
p://eve.bk.tsukuba.ac.jp/twmc/