Wow...! That's so cold!

It's amazing.

Japan is a place where 70% of the land is mountainous.

Hiking is actually very popular here.

From beginners to experts, men and women of all ages

are able to appreciate the wide variety of nature that mountains offer.

Wow!

This time, we are going on an intermediate trail for experienced hikers.

The route is a bit tough but offers incredible views throughout the hike.

Even though it's in the middle of summer, you will be climbing up a steep snow field...

And making your way across narrow ridgelines.

The trail is a long, but a beautiful alpine route taking you across the skyline.

An extraordinary world, atop an extraordinary mountain.

You'll also be able to sit back and relax in a natural outdoor hot spring on top of a mountain.

Come and discover a new side of Japan, up in the mountains with Trek Japan.

Hi! I'm Pauline Kitamura, and I've been in Japan for 20 years.

And I work as a hiking guide in Japan.

Pauline Kitamura is the host of this program.

She moved to Japan after falling in love with the mountains here.

She shows how fun mountains can be while being a tour guide.

This time, we will introduce to you a fun-filled, action-packed intermediate trail.

I would recommend hiking the Hakuba Three Peaks.

So many amazing things that you will experience during the hike.

For example, the Great Snow Valley route.

The Japanese people call it the "Daisekkei" route.

It has snow all-year round, and you put on crampons and walk across a snow field.

The views are amazing.

And in Japan, we call it "Ju-so," which means connected peak to peak - connecting the three big peaks of Hakuba.

And it's just fantastic to walk along that ridgeline and to experience all the different views from on top of the mountains.

Hakuba Sanzan are located in the middle of Honshu, the main island of Japan, between Nagano and Toyama Prefectures.

These three peaks are in the Northern Alps Mountain range, an area with amazing views of Japan.

They are Mt. Shirouma, Mt. Shakushi, and Mt. Hakuba-Yarigatake.

All are almost 3,000 m high.

To get to Hakuba Village, where the trail starts,

you can take the Shinkansen from Tokyo, then an Express Highway Bus.

The trip takes about 3 hours.

Guess who's climbing these exciting mountains...

It's me! My name is Hannah, and I moved to Japan about 8 years ago from Australia.

I absolutely love hiking in Japan.

Hannah is a content creator who loves Japan.

She started posting mountain climbing videos, and it's one of her most popular subjects.

Mountain Lodge Sarukura So is at an altitude of 1,250 m.

So, let's start hiking from here.

Okay. So, I've just arrived at the Sarukura Trailhead.

I took the bus here from Hakuba Station, and it only took about 30 minutes.

I'm so excited to hike the Hakuba Sanzan, so... should be right up there. Let's go!

This time a 3-day trek.

The cumulative elevation gain is 2,597 m and is a bit challenging,

but it's a trail with unbelievable sights along the way.

On the first day, we'll leave Sarukura Lodge, climb up the Great Snow Valley,

walk on treacherous rocky terrains and get to a mountain lodge near the summit.

On the second day, go along the long ridgeline connecting Mt. Shirouma, Mt. Shakushi, and Mt. Hakuba-Yarigatake.

Then, we'll unwind in a hot spring on top of the clouds.

The total distance is about 19 km on a 3-day 2-night trek!

We leave the trailhead, and walk for a while, in a broadleaf forest.

Ooh! The color of the trees is so beautiful. Wow.

You know, even though we're here in the middle of summer, it's actually already quite cool.

It's a welcomed break from the city.

Oh, wow! Oh, so this river here is created from snowmelt from the mountains.

So, let's check what the temperature is like.

Whoa! Wow, that's cold.

Oh, that is freezing.

Maybe I should use a bit to cool down before the hike.

Wow, that is refreshing.

There are 3,000 m class mountains in the Northern Alps.

Even in mid-summer, the temperature remains at 15 degrees Celsius.

And cold snowmelt, flows into the streams.

After about an hour, we see the first highlight of the trail.

Oh my gosh.

Wow, there it is.

So up there, that is called the Great Daisekkei Snow Valley.

And I've always wanted to see it in person, so I'm really excited to get closer to it.

Wow, amazing.

This is like my favorite kind of scenery while hiking.

That's lush green plants, wild flowers, that's snow, got a blue sky, a few clouds.

It's amazing. So dramatic and dynamic.

Feels like I'm in a movie.

So many things to look at that you don't even really realize how tired you're getting.

It's amazing. Love it.

Wow, what a view!

The Great Snow Valley is over 3.5 km long and is filled with snow.

Japan is known for its heavy snowfall.

In particular the Northern Alps, which is near the ocean and gets heavy snow.

This is why even in mid-summer; you are able to see such fantastic views.

To walk on the snow valley, it's essential to have climbing equipment - lightweight crampons.

Their sharp spikes can pierce through the snow and prevent slipping.

If you don't have a pair, you can also rent them from the mountain lodge at the trailhead.

There are a lot of falling rocks here so a helmet is also essential.

- Hello!
- Hello!

The Great Snow Valley can be quite dangerous, so we asked for a guide.

Our guide is Matsumoto Masanobu.

He's an expert in the mountains, and the captain of the rescue team in the Northern Alps for many years.

Let's go!

- Today, the snow is very hard.
- It's very hard. Okay.

So use your crampons,
and step down firmly. Exactly.

Step down firmly so that your feet stick into the snow.

Rain and wind naturally chip away the snow.

I call this a "spoon-cut."
It's easier if you put your foot inside.

Because it's flat, you put your foot in,
and climb up from there.

To ensure all the crampon spikes are able to grip the snow, try to step, flattening the entire sole of your shoe.

Hannah, here the valley is quite big, right?

So to prevent people from getting lost,
we put down red markings on the ground.

This red line helps people
make sure and not lose their way.

With the snow melting constantly, you may find crevices in some places.

Since there is a risk of falling, it's important to walk along the red line to ensure safety.

These big rocks are rocks that fell from the mountains.

Rocks that fall through snow do not make noise, so be careful.

Check your surroundings constantly and beware of falling rocks.

Why is there so much snow here?

Yeah, there's a lot of snow here.
The valley is really deep and snow piles up.

Or avalanches bring snow and it accumulates.

Even though it's summer.

- It's called "mannen-yuki" (perpetual snow).
- "Mannen-yuki."

The Great Snow Valley may be closed, when too much snow melts.

Try to do some research beforehand.

- Hannah, seems like it's sunny up there.
- It's so beautiful! I'm really lucky.

From here you'll be proceeding on your own.

- Be careful and good luck!
- I will, thank you!

Good luck!

When the sun is high, fog will start to form in the valley.

Strong freezing winds begin to blow.

Even in mid-summer, temperatures could fall below 10 degrees Celsius.

You must have winter clothes to keep you warm.

The view looking up the valley right now is just unbelievable.

It's so... so unique and so dramatic.

With all the clouds rolling down, and the fact that we're on the mountain, because the weather is always changing.

So right now we've got a bit of blue sky, got some white clouds here, thin clouds rolling around.

It's always changing.

Oh, it's so, so interesting. So beautiful.

I've never been to any place, any kind of hike like this before in my life.

Just amazing.

Heavy snowfall in Japan, not only created this beautiful landscape on the mountains,

but also cultivated interesting culture in the villages at the foot of the mountains.

Hakuba Sanzan in the dead of winter.

Snow is 5 m deep, and the mountains shine with a silvery coat.

In Japan, when the mountains are covered in snow, people call it "snow makeup."

As if it used snow as makeup.

People admire its beauty.

In areas with a lot of snow, a unique game was created.

Look! A crane... A lion.

It became a custom to look at the snow on the mountains and see the shape of something else.

Here, on Mt. Shirouma... the shape of a horse.

Shirouma means "white horse."

It is said that Shirouma got its name from a shape in the snow.

It's a unique culture in Japan, where many people live near the mountains.

Looks like this is the end of the snowy part of the hike,

so now we can take off my crampons, and continue onwards.

And it suddenly got really warm somehow, now that the wind has stopped.

We are now at an altitude of 2,400 m.

We have 400 m to go, and have to go up this treacherous rocky terrain.

It's a tough route, but there's more to the hardship.

A great view awaits!

So many beautiful wild flowers in this field just here.

So many different colors - I can see like purple, yellow, orange, pink.

It's amazing. There're so many different things to look at along the way in each little section.

And now we're on the wild flower section.

Such an amazing landscape. It feels like a fairy tale.

In this area, the snow begins to melt in May.

When the snow disappears by July and August,

the alpine flowers bloom all at once, turning the mountain into a field of flowers.

There are said to be more than 300 species of alpine plants found on the mountain.

Flowers bloom one after another, and welcome hikers who visit the area.

In summer, the Northern Alps are beautiful, with bright, small pieces of nature beneath our feet.

Wow!

So many flowers.

It's incredible.

After gaining 1,500 m in elevation from the start,

we finally see our destination today, which is a mountain lodge.

Oh, there it is!

You can just see it through the clouds.

Wow, that is one big hut.

I can see so many separate buildings.

The Mountain Lodge Hakuba Sanso located at an elevation of 2,832 m.

It is the first mountain lodge built in Japan, that is open to recreational hikers.

It can house up to 800 people and is one of the largest in Japan.

I think we have finally arrived!

Wow. What a hike.

I'm not gonna lie, it's quite a long distance and it's quite a lot of elevation gain,

but because the views are so beautiful, you don't notice it that much.

Space in mountain lodges in Japan usually need to be reserved in advance.

Be careful as it tends to get crowded on the weekends in summer and during autumn foliage, which are the peak seasons.

It's so clean.

And it feels really nice to walk on such a smooth surface actually.

Inside the lodges, just like in Japanese homes, remove your shoes before you go in.

Hello.

There're a lot of other hikers here.

Hello.

Very very popular hut.

Wow, this looks just like a hotel!

This is very strange to see in a mountain hut.

Let's see. Ohh, nice.

One big Japanese-style room, just for me.

This time we have a private room, but when it's crowded, you may have to share a room with others.

Most of the rooms in mountain lodges are Japanese-style rooms.

You have to lay out your own futon.

Perfect!

And you need to take turns to have dinner at predetermined time slots.

Thank you for waiting.

Hannah is in the 6 pm group.

It's now my turn.

Please go straight forward.

Japanese mountain lodges usually provide dinner early.

As a golden rule, you should arrive early so you can be on time for dinner.

Hi. I'm vegetarian.

Thanks for coming. This way, please.

- This is the vegetarian menu, vegetable curry.
- Thank you.

Wow. It's so nice that if you call them in advance,

then they will let you book a separate kind of meal depending on your dietary requirements,

so I have the vegetarian meal.

Let's eat! I'm so hungry.

This is one of the mountain lodges that provide specially-made vegetarian meals.

What amazing service.

Thank you for the meal.

Let's see how the curry tastes.

I already feel less tired from the hike, just because I've got a nice, warm, delicious meal in front of me.

One that I didn't have to prepare, and I'm now staying at this nice, cozy, warm mountain hut.

Really excited for a good sleep tonight.

So I think tomorrow's going to be another great day.

At Hakuba Sanso, in addition to a dining room for lodge guests,

there's also a restaurant that welcomes drop-in visitors.

You can enjoy drinks and desserts here.

Even though you're high up in the mountains, you can enjoy this indulgence, as if you were in a hotel.

Mountain lodges as well-equipped as this one are very rare.

This is all thanks to one man's hard work one hundred years ago.

In Japan, mountains are considered a holy place where gods lived.

In the past, only a small group of people, such as praying monks and hunters could go into the mountains.

The person who sought to change that was Matsuzawa Teiitsu, founder of the Hakuba Sanso Mountain Lodge.

He renovated a surveying site near the top of Mt. Shirouma, and, in 1906, opened a mountain lodge for the general public.

Back then, locals didn't want people to enter
so as not to offend the mountain gods.

As hikers, botanists, and the wealthy started coming in,
the mountains grew livelier.

Rumors about the mountain lodge spread throughout the country, which brought a huge increase in visitors.

Lodge after lodge started opening in the Northern Alps, and hiking as a hobby gained popularity.

Furthermore, Teiitsu created an association for mountain guides.

He also worked hard to promote skiing.

He was committed to helping Japanese people enjoy mountains.

These days in Japan, there are over 7 million people who enjoy hiking as a hobby.

It has gained such popularity thanks to the efforts of mountain lovers.

Good morning. It is about 4:20 in the morning right now.

And we're just gonna take a quick little hike up to the very top of Shirouma-dake to see the sunrise.

There's a lot of people waiting here, so I hope it's a good one.

Let's go!

It takes only 20 minutes to walk to the summit from the lodge.

I did it! Wow!

It feels so good to finally get to the top, to the peak. It feels amazing.

The ocean is all along there as well.

You can even see it over there! Ahh!

Oh, the sun's coming up!

Wow. Here it comes.

Oh my gosh!

How is this real? It's so beautiful!

Wow. That's just crazy.

In Japan, it is believed that gods dwell in everything in nature.

In particular, the sun is one of the most revered beings.

Sunrises seen from the mountains are considered especially sacred to the Japanese.

Since long ago, people have been climbing mountains to see this view.

I feel like my hard work paid off.
It was tough coming up here.

It's so beautiful.

I feel like my dreams will come true.

Wow.

Yeah, so you can see the route that goes all the way along the ridgelines

to these two mountains - so that's where we are going to today.

To Shakushidake and Yarigatake from Hakuba.

It looks amazing.

It looks quite long though, so I think we're in for another big one today.

On the second day - we will have the biggest highlight of this trip - Ju-so hiking,

which means to go from peak to peak along the ridgelines.

The Northern Alps is a mountain range with mountains that stand close to each other.

If you wanted to, you could climb a route nearly 3,000 m up,

the "Long Trail in the Sky," going over numerous mountain peaks.

This is like one of my favorite parts of doing a ridgeline hike.

It's when you're walking down the mountain, looking at the incredible view of where you're about to hike next.

Such a great feeling.

Ju-so is the highpoint of hiking in Japan!

For now, we walk along the gentle ridgeline and head for the top of Mt. Shakushi.

I think we're gonna get incredible views, like the ridgeline hikes are always my favorite.

You get to see both sides.

It never gets old, no matter how many times you see it.

It's amazing. It's always changing.

A little bit too late, but there's the monkey.

There. He was sitting on top at first.

Like a human. Just like...

And then, yeah, he's already gone down now.

Wow. I never expected to see a monkey up here, like so high.

Very rare. Very exciting.

On ridgelines with clear views, you often get to see wild animals.

This is a Raicho which is a nationally protected species.

It is a very popular symbol in the Northern Alps.

In Japan, these birds are considered a messenger of the gods.

At this time in summer, you might even see some baby birds with their parents.

As we continue walking, the clouds started to thicken.

The weather at the top of the mountains changes quickly.

Wow, clouds have really started to cover up the top of the mountain now.

If you're doing a long kind of traverse like this, along the ridgeline, you can expect all different kinds of weather.

Like it's sunny, or windy, or rainy even, or misty, like it is right now.

But that can be part of the fun as well.

The steeper slope indicates that we are getting closer to the peak.

It's quite tough.

Mt. Shakushidake peak. We did it.

Two of three completed.

With all of the loose rocks and things, it's actually a little trickier than I thought it would be to get up here,

but, not too bad.

It's a bit of a shame that we can't see much, because of all the mist.

But it's a kind of an interesting kind of environment to be hiking through, where you can't see too far.

Everything's a mystery.

Okay. Since the weather keeps changing so much and so frequently,

might wait here a little bit, just in case the clouds decide to open up.

While we're waiting, it's lunch time!

So, the Hakuba hut actually prepared this bento for me, which is very exciting.

I don't know what's inside it yet, but I asked for it without meat.

So, we'll see what we've got.

If you pre-order the day before, the mountain lodge will prepare a bento lunch for you.

Ooh, looks good!

It's great that when hiking in Japan, you don't have to carry a lot of food with you.

So fresh. How do they get fresh salmon on a mountain?

When you've finished, carry it out with you.

Bringing your garbage home with you, is considered the common rule in the mountains of Japan.

Okay, so for now we're going to head to Yarigatake of Hakuba.

I can't really see a whole lot right now, but hopefully it will be beautiful by the time we get there.

Let's go!

It takes about an hour to get to Mt. Hakuba-Yarigatake.

You walk along a ridgeline that is as sharp as a knife.

The ridgeline on the mountain is covered by rocks and gravel.

However, even here you can encounter flowers that thrive.

Wow, look at these flowers!

They are so cute and small.

I feel like we've seen like more than 10 different varieties of flowers on this hike.

There're just so many of them, and all just growing out of the rocks. It's amazing.

Komakusa, known as the queen of alpine plants.

It's a flower commonly seen in rocky terrains on ridgelines.

There are other types of colorful alpine plants on the ridgelines as well.

Professor Harayama teaches geology at a local university.

The reason why there are so many species of flowers in the Hakuba Sanzan is because of its geography and geology.

Various geological events occurred prior to
the volcanic activities 700,000 years ago.

Every time, this creates a new formation,
resulting in a diverse range of rocks here.

On the ridgeline, the types of rocks keep changing,
which bring diverse vegetation.

These beautifully curved mountains were shaped after being shaved by glaciers on the mountains, ages ago.

You can see alpine plants, resistant to cold and snow, coloring the landscape.

The beauty of these flowers at Hakuba, was brought about by the severity of nature.

This area is really geologically diverse.

I feel like walking along the mountain while
enjoying that is part of the experience.

Hopefully the weather will clear up. Please!

The slope becomes steeper again.

We're near the top of Mt. Hakuba-Yarigatake.

Wow!

My goodness.

We're so close!

And... done!

Hakuba-Yarigatake. Three of three finished.

Oh, and we can see the other two from here.

Oh, wow, that's incredible.

We can see Shiroumadake, Shakushidake, and here we are.

One, two, three.

What an amazing view.

This is just breathtaking.

Wow, the clouds really just opened up at the last second, and we managed to get an incredible view from the top.

Like it's... we haven't been able to see a whole lot while walking here,

but now that I am here, the clouds have opened up.

Very satisfying.

Hakuba Sanso, where we started our hike this morning, can be seen there in the back.

The satisfaction of being able to have a bird's eye view of the trail you've been on draws many to Ju-so hiking.

Incredible! Amazing.

Amazing looking mountain range.

Well, there's still more to come after this, looking forward to it.

So, let's go down the mountain.

Oh wow!

They even got a little onsen sign painted here on the rock, so we must be getting really close.

This sign all around Japan is kind of known everywhere on any sign or poster or anything like that.

If you see one of these, there's probably an onsen nearby.

The destination we're headed for next is a hot spring.

And it is a particularly unique one.

Oh, there it is! I made it!

Oh wow.

Feels so good to finally make it to the hut.

Quite tiring on the body, so yeah, I'm looking forward...

There's the onsen!

Yeah, there's the onsen that I've wanted... I've been most excited for.

Hakuba Yari Onsen is located at an elevation of 2,100 m.

There are very few onsens where you can enjoy breathtaking scenery at such a high altitude.

Even though it is common to enter onsens, naked in Japan, this hot bath allows swimsuits.

Whoa, this is so beautiful!

Oh, wow.

It's so nice.

Feels great, and especially if there's an open onsen like this.

It's just so rare to come by in Australia, outside of jacuzzis or something like that.

Yeah, this is just amazing.

Especially after a long hike.

The perfect way to end the day.

It's also great fun meeting fellow hikers at the onsen.

I climbed here specifically for the onsen.

It's nice that it's on top of the mountains.

It's not a place that anyone can come to,
only the people who put in the effort for it.

In addition to the onsen, there's also a mountain lodge that you can stay at.

There are proper rooms and even a cafeteria.

What is surprising though is that, though only open for three months a year, the building is rebuilt every year.

We asked the mountain lodge manager how difficult that is.

The mountain hut gets destroyed by avalanches,
so we build and tear it down every year.

Well, the materials get swept away,
and this year the foundation swept away too,

so there's no choice but to rebuild every year.

Before the snow starts to fall, the lodge is torn down around the end of September.

The next year, when the snow begins to melt, around the end of June,

they begin the yearly process of rebuilding the mountain lodge.

So why spend so much effort?

There's no foundation, so a block isn't enough.

I put a board underneath to clamp it and
used levelling lines to ensure it's straight.

The height changes every year.

Our customers look forward to coming here,
so we want to do it for them.

The customers come here to see the sunrise,

and at night they can see the shooting stars
while bathing in the onsen here.

The thought of customers enjoying their time here
keeps me motivated and makes me happy.

The next morning.

Oh my gosh!

It's turned into a beautiful sunrise. Wow!

Oh my gosh!

It's just the perfect cherry on top of the most incredible hike.

Ah, it's so beautiful.

While bathing in an onsen, a blessing from nature,

you are able to appreciate the sunrise as well as the breathtaking view of the mountains.

It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, where you can enjoy the essence of hiking in Japan.

At the end of our hike, we finish our descent among lush greenery.

Our 3-day 2-night trek is finally coming to an end.

We've made it, that's the hut!

We're so close, I can feel it.

I made it! Ahhh. Wow.

It's such a crazy feeling to be coming back to exactly the same spot that I was at just a few days ago,

but I'm feeling like a completely different person.

The Daisekkei, the big giant snowy gorge that we went up in the beginning, was absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing.

All of the wonderful flowers that we saw on the way.

And then of course staying at the hut at the top.

Beautiful, so big, and with delicious food.

Two completely different places to watch a sunrise, but still so beautiful in their own way.

Wow! What an amazing experience.

Going up so high, and then getting to see so many different things on the way down.

I feel so accomplished, you know, and inspired.

Now I wanna go and hike some more mountains, I think.

This time we hiked up Hakuba Sanzan.

The total distance was about 19 km with a cumulative elevation gain of 2,597 m.

The best season is from July to September.

And this is a dangerous trail even in summer, so make sure you have the appropriate mountain gear.

Before you hike, try to gather information about accidents or warnings from the mountain huts at the trailheads.

It's also important to submit a Hiking Itinerary.

Plan your hike in advance, write down your destination and emergency contacts.

If anything happens to you in the mountains, you can get help.

It can also be submitted online.

Once you're ready, let's go trekking in Japan!