Hakuba Fastpacking Trip

The Hakuba Traverse is a full north-to-south fastpacking run along one of Japan's most celebrated alpine ridgelines, compressed into two big days.

We have an inn booked in Happo on Friday night (14 August) so the group can get an early taxi to the Sarukura trailhead first thing Saturday morning. From Sarukura, the route climbs 1,500m to join the main ridgeline at Maruyama before tracking south through Tengusanso and finishing the night at the Goryusanso campsite. Day two begins at 3:45am for sunrise from Goryudake, then continues the full length of the ridge, past Kashimayarigatake, across the Hachimine Kiretto, and down to Ogizawa by early afternoon.

The route covers 34.5km with 4,475m of ascent across the two days. It includes two of Japan's famous knife-edge ridge sections, the Kaerazu Kiretto on day one and the Hachimine Kiretto on day two, with exposed scrambling, chains, and ladders throughout. A helmet is mandatory for the Kaerazu section in particular. This is serious mountain terrain and is suited to those with alpine experience, solid fitness, and comfort on exposed rocky ground.

Date: Saturday 15 - Sunday 16 August 2026
Start: Sarukura Bus Stop, Hakuba
Finish: Ogizawa Station
Day 1: 17.5km, 2,867m up, 1,614m down
Day 2: 17km, 1,607m up, 2,680m down
Price: ¥20,000
Spaces: 4 female, 4 male. Campsite reservations already made.