TRAIL RUNNING JAPAN

MT FUJI AND HUT RUN HUT

AUGUST 17th - 25th, 2024

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WHAT Japan is a long and highly volcanic archipelago. It is over two-thirds mountains, with bubbling hot springs at every turn. Trail running in Japan provides an opportunity to experience amazing trails through cedar groves and fields of wildflowers as well as peaks and ancient shrines. Japan is a place where ancient traditions and cultures are fused with modern life as if it were the most natural thing in the world. There is something for everyone from living culture, monks, green tea, temples, onsens, food, mountains and trails. The Japanese cuisine has great variations, hearty hotpots of the mountains, delicate sushi, seasonal and completely different to any taste experience before.

***New for this trip: We have added an extra day to explore the amazing city of Tokyo. We will pack our running bags and hit the streets for an evening and a morning of exploring, culture, and adventure is this great place.

On this adventure we will head to Hakuba for three days fastpacking in the Japanese Alps from mountain hut to hut. These huts are almost like villages and are perched on the tops of ridges and mountains that get the best sunrise and sunset views. We will be immersed into the Japanese culture at the same time as moving quickly in the mountains as we will only have small packs to carry. There is always more options for Japan trail running in the afternoon once we reach the hut. There will be onsens often throughout the trip to relax in and soak the sore muscles from the day.

We then head to Fujiyoshida City to run/hike to the summit of Mt Fuji and back. Mt Fuji (3776 meters) is Japan's highest and most prominent mountain. Climbing Mount Fuji is an amazing experience and one of the most iconic adventures you can have in Japan. The climb is not technical, but can be very difficult due to altitude, distance, vertical gain, and especially weather. The weather on Fuji is famous for being extremely harsh, so you will need to have the proper gear before attempting this climb.

*The distance of the routes each day can be deceiving, due to the vertical +/- and technical aspects of the trails. Most of the runs will be slow moving, so prepare accordingly.

DATE August 17th - 25th, 2024

WHO This adventure is for anyone who can cover (by running or power hiking) an average of 15km each day with a 15L bag or larger on their backs. We believe that the stronger you come into the trip the more fun you will have. With that said, we also believe that this trip is accessible to anybody that is up for the challenge. If you think that you can run 60km over 4 days through the Japanese Alps, then we do too!

GUIDES FOR THIS ADVENTURE

Lead Guide: Paul Deckret - Paul is a permanent resident of Japan based in rural Nagano, though he originally hails from Oklahoma - just like Braz! Paul has trekked all over the world, but sharing the mountains of Japan is his main passion; especially the Japanese Alps. He has over 20+ years of experience exploring every corner of the Alps, and became the first non-Japanese person to summit the country’s 100 Tallest Mountains in 2022. Though not particularly strong on the climbs, Paul excels on the downhills (the more technical the better), and rumor has it drinks are on him if you can beat him on a rocky descent!

Local Guides: Shinya, Yoshida

PRICE US$3795

  • US$700 non-refundable deposit required to secure your spot. Deposits for this trip can NOT be transferred to another adventure.

  • Remaining balance due by May 1st, 2024. Registrations after that date must be paid in full.

INCLUDES

  • Airport transfers and all transportation while in Japan

  • All meals (please refer to itinerary)

  • Accommodations (Will vary from hotels to mountain huts, with up to 4 people per room in huts)

  • Local guides

  • Permits

  • Tips (We take care of all tips so you don’t have to)

EXCLUDES

  • Flights to and from Tokyo, Narita Airport (Please do NOT make travel arrangements until we notify you that the group size has met the minimum)

  • Personal travel and medical Insurance. We recommend: IMG through Global Rescue

  • Alcohol and other drinks *You will need cash for purchases at the huts

  • Additional snack foods (gels, bars, electrolytes etc) *You will need cash for purchases at the huts

  • Personal spending - souvenirs etc.

ADVENTURE ITINERARY

DAY 1 SATURDAY - AUGUST 17th

  • Arrival to Narita Airport – Tokyo

  • You may also arrive into Haneda Airport, but you will need to get yourself to Tokyo, as we will not provide shuttles

  • Shuttle to hotel in downtown Tokyo, evening beer/dinner run in the city.

Day 2 SUNDAY - AUGUST 18th

  • Morning run around the Imperial Palace

  • Breakfast at hotel

  • Bullet Train to Nagano and visit the Zenkoji Temple

  • Lunch at restaurant

  • Drive to Hakuba (1.5hours) for sightseeing

  • Dinner/accomodation at Lodge Hirata


DAY 3 MONDAY - AUGUST 19th

  • Breakfast at the lodge

  • Leave the luggage you don't need and take just your fastpack with all required gear (We will send you a gear list)

  • Take the Gondola to the start of the fastpack run. Run past the beautiful lake and hut of Hakuba-Ooike

  • Packed lunch

  • Stop for snacks (Not included in price - we will pick up snacks at the convenience store)

  • Arrive at Hakuba-Sansou hut. Route: 10km

  • Optional afternoon run

  • Dinner/accomodation at the Hakuba-Sansou hut


DAY 4 TUESDAY - AUGUST 20th

  • Breakfast at hut

  • Fastpack run past Mt Yukikura and Asahi-dake

  • Packed lunch prepared from the hut

  • Arrive at Asahi-Koya hut. Route: 10km

  • Optional afternoon run

  • Dinner/accomodation at the Asahi-Koya hut

DAY 5 WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 21st

  • Breakfast at hut (***As of 1/18/23 - Not Included in price this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. Snacks can be purchased)

  • Fastpack run to Renge-Onsen hut. Route: 10km

  • Optional afternoon run

  • Packed lunch prepared from the hut (***As of 1/18/23 -Not Included in price this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. Sushi and snacks can be purchased)

  • Dinner/accommodation at the Renge-Onsen hut

DAY 6 THURSDAY - AUGUST 22nd

  • Breakfast at hut

  • Fastpack run back to Tsugaike-Kogen. Route: 7km.

  • Lunch in Tsugaike

  • Pick up luggage

  • Dinner/accomodation at Lodge Hirata

DAY 7 FRIDAY - AUGUST 23rd

  • Breakfast at Lodge Hirata

  • Drive to Fujiyoshida City (4 hours drive)

  • Lunch and easy run in Fujiyoshida

  • Dinner at restaurant

  • Accommodation at Fujiyoshida Hotel

 DAY 8 SATURDAY - AUGUST 24th

  • Early ‘on the go’ Breakfast

  • Drive to Umagaeshi (1 hour drive) to start Mt Fuji summit run.

  • Take packed lunch/snacks for run.

  • Weather can be very harsh on the mountain so you will need to bring plenty of warm and waterproof clothes, lots of snacks/water, and be prepared to keep yourself comfortable. The warming huts may be full, and other huts are only for guests, so you can’t easily escape the weather to warm up or get dry. ***You will not be able to join us unless you bring the required gear today. This will be strictly enforced, so please plan accordingly.

  • Route: 20km (10km each way, about 6hours up, 3hours down. Start at 1450m, summit at 3776m)

  • Accommodation at Fujiyoshida Hotel

  • Dinner at restaurant

  • Karaoke Party to finish off an amazing week!

DAY 9 SUNDAY - AUGUST 25th

  • Breakfast at hotel

  • Drive to Tokyo (4 hours)

  • Departure in the evening from Tokyo, Narita Airport (We plan on arriving to Tokyo at 1:30pm, so please plan flights accordingly)

  • *Departures can be from Haneda Airport, but you will need to arrange your own transportation from Narita to Haneda

  • ***Departures can be on Sunday if you would like to stay and explore more of Tokyo (highly recommended). All extra accommodations and transport will need to be organised by you. We are happy to answer any questions.

JAPANESE CULTURE

  • This is an incredible culture like no other. If you choose to come on this trip you will need to be extremely open minded and ready to accept and follow the Japanese way

  • There is etiquette for eating, dining, slipper wearing, toilet-ing, showering, communicating with others and more. We are in this together and will be shown the right ways by our 2 Japanese guides

  • The mountain huts are like mountain villages and fully functional

  • There isn’t always a trail etiquette for letting people past. So you will need to read each and every situation differently

  • The Japanese will get up early to start their breakfast and hikes so if you don’t want to be woken so early bring earplugs

  • Hot tub - Onsen rules and culture are wonderful and so different to ours. Please do your research and be ready