Alain, this was so helpful! My youngest and I (they just graduated from college and this is a congrats! You! trip) are hiking the Nagahechi Route as part of a trip to Japan in May, and I confess i was a bit overwhelmed trying to plan for it. Your video really helped clarify some of the fuzzy areas., so again, thank you!
Thanks for the shout out Alain :) You've made a very detailed video with fantastic information; we'd love to link your video in ours as well. Thanks for the support and keep up the great content!
Thanks for the informative video Alain. Do you know whether we can send the luggage every 2 days instead of every day? i.e. backpack to carry day 1 and 2 attire, then got our luggage at the end of day 2, and repeat for day 3 and 4. Also, curious how you do your day 2 hike (which is the longest segment of the 4 days) with such a short day light hours + you need to take the bus in the morning back to the hiking route. Cheers mate!
Hey @Ivanghi, thanks for the comment. Good question. Regarding luggage, I'd say you can simply send your luggage to the accommodation to where you'll be staying at on night 2, then send it to where you'll stay on night 4 ect. I'm sure each accommodation will be able to hold your luggage until you arrive, but best to let each accommodation know in advance your luggage situation. You can even contact the Kumano Tourism Bureau to confirm that this can be done. Sounds like a good tactic to save some transportation costs. For each day, including day 2, I caught the bus in the morning and afternoon. Best to bring a head torch with spare batteries just incase you take longer than you think. Hope it helps, and happy to chat via instagram (Alain.stewart) if you have more questions.
hello, need help: Planning this, pick on 17th August a train from Kyoto to Kii-Tanabe and sleep there the first night. Second day wake up early and pick bus to Takijiri and do from Takijiri to Yunomine Onsen, it's around 35 km (I am used to walk and run a lot, I did Camino some stages of 30 and 35 km per day with a rucksack, I'd bring a lighter one since is summer and clothes need to be light). Arrive at afternoon in Yunomine and rest. Third day wake up around 7 AM and walk in chill pace to Hongu, register there as Dual Pilgrim, pick bus to Shingu and visit Hayatama taisha (is it big?) then from Shingu to Nachi should be at noon and from Nachi around 5 PM pick a bust to Kii Katsuura and leave around 6:45 PM there's a train all the way back to Osaka. Do you think is doable? it's a bit rush I know but I am used to do long walks, I did Sarria to Santiago in the Way of Saint James, 110 km in 3 days and half so I'd say I'm fit
Sorry for the late replay. Yeah, if you're used to walking long distances, I think you can definitely do it. The trail is easy to follow, but there are a lot of mountains to go over. You might want to make yourself aware of the bus time tables and bring food, snacks ect just incase you get delayed. Not a totally isolated place, but would villages are a bit far between a not many food options available and limited business hours. Good luck
Can i ask you a question ? (or anyone here who read this comment) I wanna try the Kumano Kodo too (the "easy" one , the Nakahechi ) but i also wanna travel here during february (i wanna see some other thing that occur during february). Is it okay to do that ? how cold is the path and will i encouter snow ? What should i wear ? Also i'm affraid of spider , what should i expect here ? I read a few thing about spider and snake but i don't know how often you will encounter those one . Thanks for the answers , i should add that i was in japan in march 2023 and i've done one little hike on mount takao so i'm not very well experienced . I didn't encounter any wild life and it was hot so i was using t-shirt + short (my pants can become a short if needed ) Edit: other video here respond partialy to that , sorry for the fuss , thanks again for the time to make these , very informative , very usefull !
Thanks for the comment and I hope my video helped. I did the Nakahechi hike at the end of January, in which the temperatures were relatively cold. Perhaps 6 to 12 degrees Celsius during the day. I don't recall seeing any snakes or spiders but I do notice that insects and snakes are not very active in colder temperatures. There is a possibility that It could snow in February, so it's best to be prepared, but I think it's unlikely. You may want to search on RUclips about 'cold weather layering' to understand better about what to wear hiking in colder temperature. :)
@@AlainStewart "I do notice that insects and snakes are not very active in colder temperatures" That true , but i didn't want to assume it was the same in japan (i'm from france ). Snow will slow me but i love it so much that i would be a welcomed surprise if it's not too dangerous . I will follow your advice nonetheless , better safe than sorry! (i've also saw that a hiking store exist at tanabe for a last buy if needed ) Anyways , i wish you the best hike for the time to come , thanks again : )
Thank you for this!! Superb overview of hiking preparations for the KK. Great production!!
Alain, this was so helpful! My youngest and I (they just graduated from college and this is a congrats! You! trip) are hiking the Nagahechi Route as part of a trip to Japan in May, and I confess i was a bit overwhelmed trying to plan for it. Your video really helped clarify some of the fuzzy areas., so again, thank you!
very welcome
Just completed the Nakahechi route. Your video was hugely helpful in planning. Cheers mate!
That’s great to hear. Glad I was helpful. And hope you had an epic time.
Thanks for the shout out Alain :)
You've made a very detailed video with fantastic information; we'd love to link your video in ours as well. Thanks for the support and keep up the great content!
Hey Guys, that would be great and thanks for your support too.
This is so informative, clear.Grateful, Alain
I'm glad it is, and grateful for your comment. Thank you.
thank you for this detailed video!
Most welcome.
Thank you very much for the tips for the route. We are heading there for early December.
Glad it was helpful!
Well I gotta hope I can get accommodations still I will go in September lol
Thanks for the informative video Alain. Do you know whether we can send the luggage every 2 days instead of every day? i.e. backpack to carry day 1 and 2 attire, then got our luggage at the end of day 2, and repeat for day 3 and 4. Also, curious how you do your day 2 hike (which is the longest segment of the 4 days) with such a short day light hours + you need to take the bus in the morning back to the hiking route. Cheers mate!
Hey @Ivanghi, thanks for the comment. Good question. Regarding luggage, I'd say you can simply send your luggage to the accommodation to where you'll be staying at on night 2, then send it to where you'll stay on night 4 ect. I'm sure each accommodation will be able to hold your luggage until you arrive, but best to let each accommodation know in advance your luggage situation. You can even contact the Kumano Tourism Bureau to confirm that this can be done. Sounds like a good tactic to save some transportation costs. For each day, including day 2, I caught the bus in the morning and afternoon. Best to bring a head torch with spare batteries just incase you take longer than you think. Hope it helps, and happy to chat via instagram (Alain.stewart) if you have more questions.
hello, need help:
Planning this, pick on 17th August a train from Kyoto to Kii-Tanabe and sleep there the first night.
Second day wake up early and pick bus to Takijiri and do from Takijiri to Yunomine Onsen, it's around 35 km (I am used to walk and run a lot, I did Camino some stages of 30 and 35 km per day with a rucksack, I'd bring a lighter one since is summer and clothes need to be light). Arrive at afternoon in Yunomine and rest.
Third day wake up around 7 AM and walk in chill pace to Hongu, register there as Dual Pilgrim, pick bus to Shingu and visit Hayatama taisha (is it big?) then from Shingu to Nachi should be at noon and from Nachi around 5 PM pick a bust to Kii Katsuura and leave around 6:45 PM there's a train all the way back to Osaka.
Do you think is doable? it's a bit rush I know but I am used to do long walks, I did Sarria to Santiago in the Way of Saint James, 110 km in 3 days and half so I'd say I'm fit
Sorry for the late replay. Yeah, if you're used to walking long distances, I think you can definitely do it. The trail is easy to follow, but there are a lot of mountains to go over. You might want to make yourself aware of the bus time tables and bring food, snacks ect just incase you get delayed. Not a totally isolated place, but would villages are a bit far between a not many food options available and limited business hours. Good luck
Can i ask you a question ? (or anyone here who read this comment) I wanna try the Kumano Kodo too (the "easy" one , the Nakahechi ) but i also wanna travel here during february (i wanna see some other thing that occur during february). Is it okay to do that ? how cold is the path and will i encouter snow ? What should i wear ?
Also i'm affraid of spider , what should i expect here ? I read a few thing about spider and snake but i don't know how often you will encounter those one .
Thanks for the answers , i should add that i was in japan in march 2023 and i've done one little hike on mount takao so i'm not very well experienced . I didn't encounter any wild life and it was hot so i was using t-shirt + short (my pants can become a short if needed )
Edit: other video here respond partialy to that , sorry for the fuss , thanks again for the time to make these , very informative , very usefull !
Thanks for the comment and I hope my video helped. I did the Nakahechi hike at the end of January, in which the temperatures were relatively cold. Perhaps 6 to 12 degrees Celsius during the day. I don't recall seeing any snakes or spiders but I do notice that insects and snakes are not very active in colder temperatures. There is a possibility that It could snow in February, so it's best to be prepared, but I think it's unlikely. You may want to search on RUclips about 'cold weather layering' to understand better about what to wear hiking in colder temperature. :)
@@AlainStewart "I do notice that insects and snakes are not very active in colder temperatures" That true , but i didn't want to assume it was the same in japan (i'm from france ).
Snow will slow me but i love it so much that i would be a welcomed surprise if it's not too dangerous .
I will follow your advice nonetheless , better safe than sorry! (i've also saw that a hiking store exist at tanabe for a last buy if needed )
Anyways , i wish you the best hike for the time to come , thanks again : )
great info tq