We’d heard there is snow to be seen, even in the throes of summer. The Daisekkei 大雪渓 beckons, a 3.5 km snow & ice corridor stretching from the belly of the mountain to the summit (with a vertical span of 600m). It is the main reason why many hikers are […]
Before you head to Kansai, realise this: a) it will almost seem like a different country and b) the JR pass wouldn’t bring you to many places. In Kansai, the dominant rail companies are Nankai 南海, Kintetsu 近鉄 and Hanshin 阪神. These rail companies usually have their own stations in […]
The weather was dismal when I got off the bus at Nozawa. It was raining/snowing, I couldn’t tell which; I had enough on my hands battling strong gusts of wind that threatened to veer me off the uneven slope. While Zao had been bright, cheerful and calm, Nozawa […]
It was March 2015. Snow was on the agenda, as was skiing and ice monsters 樹氷 (Juhyo in Japanese). But for that to materialise, we needed good weather. And good weather, we were blessed with. For a while. Getting to Zao 蔵王 was straightforward. From Tokyo, we took […]
Final Destination The bus journey from Shiretoko-Shari station 知床斜里駅 to Utoro ウトロ was one of the most scenic rides ever. For the most part, that 60-minute ride brought us close to the coast and we were able to get a good view of the beautiful Okhotsk sea. I […]
