Posted on Oct 8, 2018
22 0

Posted on Oct 8, 2018

22 0
665km

Distance

4 days

Time

6500m

Ascent

1133m

Highest point

6/10

Difficulty

90%

Paved

NOTE: The gravel road route from Onneyu over the Kachikita Pass is now impassible due to multiple large-scale washouts.

Highlights of this trans-Hokkaido Abashiri to Sapporo cycle touring route include Mikuni Pass, Hokkaido’s highest at over 1,100m. Sounkyo Gorge and the cycle road alongside the Ishikari River is also a nice long downhill if coming from the Abashiri direction. The gravel forestry road part from Onneyu to just below the Mikuni Pass is rough and steep, but worth the effort.

Last updated Jun 3, 2019

Route Map

Route Overview

This trans-Hokkaido cycle route from Abashiri to Sapporo is a fairly straight forward route. But this route guide is for those who like big, gargantuan days in the saddle. The first two days are around 100km as a warm up for the following two days of around 150km each.

An important caveat to the route guide is that unfortunately the gravel road crossing from Onneyu to the southern side of Mikuni Pass is now all but impassible (as of October 2018). Massive washouts have completely destroyed the road in numerous places. This means that instead of the gravel route, you’ll need to head up and over Hokkaido’s third-highest pass – the Sekihoku Pass – instead.

Daily Route notes

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REGION: The general mountain/geographical region the route is in.

BEST MONTH(S): Time of year a route is suited to visiting. Some pop all season, some are more limited.

DIFFICULTY: How strenuous a route is, and how technical it is. Full details here.

FREERIDE/SKITOUR: Very subjective, but is a route more-of-a-walk-than-a-ski or the other way around? Some routes are all about the screaming downhill (freeride), some are more about the hunt for a peak or nice forest (ski-tour). Some are in between. 

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Abashiri to Sapporo Trans-Hokkaido Difficulty Rating

Category

Grade

Points

Strenuousness

Vertical Gain

D

25

Time ascending

D

0

Technicality

Altitude

D

0

Hazards

D

Navigation

D

Totals

25/100

GRADES range from A (very difficult) to D (easy). Hazards include exposure to avalanche and fall risk. More details here. Rating rubric adapted from Hokkaido Yukiyama Guidebook 北海道雪山ガイド.