Below, I’ve outlined how we actually walked this route, with a few photos and links to the daily blog posts. We did the full hike from Genshigahara to Aizankei, but compressed a couple of days into one. We also had to sit out a storm for two days.
From August 8th till August 15th, 2021, we hiked the longest version of the sought-after Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse in Japan’s northern-most island of Hokkaido. 68.4km from Genshigahara (Furano City) in the south, to Aizankei Onsen (Kamikawa Town) in the north (not including side-trips). Our group was made up of experienced outdoors-people, but all only occasional hikers. Preparations for the hike began a few months ahead of the planned 8-day self-supported hike. They included meal prep, hiking training (!), and agonizing over gear. Click here for a deep-dive into those preparations, food, and kit lists.
Genshigahara Trailhead (原始ヶ原登山口) to Kamihoro Hut (上ホロ避難小屋)
11hrs 1388m 10.7km 8th August 2021
GPX KML
On Day One of the Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse we started walking from the lonely Genshigahara Trailhead 原始ヶ原登山口 at the southern-most terminus of the traverse. We climbed through the ancient forests of the Genshigahara marshlands, bush-bashed through low creeping pine buffeted by foggy gusts, and enjoyed fleeting moments of clear weather. The long 1200m ascent from the trailhead to the summit of Furano-dake 富良野岳 (1912m) was the most climbing we’d do in a single ascent on the 8-day trip. I had received my second Moderna vaccine shot the day before, so it was a long, slow day, hiking with a fever of 38.5°C (101.3°F) for most of the day. Full blog post with photos and video snaps here.
Sheltering from a Typhoon
With wind-speeds forecast up to 90km/h, we spent Days 2 & 3 (9th/10th Aug 2021) on the Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse in the leaky but safe Kamihoro Hut. The hut shook for 24 hours as the storm raged. Only a few kilometers away, another hiker lost his life during the storm. We’d banked on spending up to two days in a hut or tent waiting out weather so we had the extra rations we needed. A mix of serendipitous sleeping through an alarm, a stormy forecast, planning, and fortunate scheduling meant we got off lucky. Our hearts go out to the chap who didn’t. Full blog post here.
Kamihoro Hut (上ホロ避難小屋) to Futago-ike Campsite (双子池キャンプ指定地)
12hrs 965m 1342m 14.8km 11th August 2021
GPX KML
On Day 4 of the Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse, we walked from Kamihoro Hut to Futago-ike Campsite via the Martian volcanic landscape of Tokachi-dake 十勝岳 (2077m), and the dramatic knife-edge ridge of Oputateshike-yama オプタテシケ山 (2012m), one of Daisetsuzan Range’s more remote peaks. After sheltering from a typhoon in a hut for 48 hours, it felt great to stretch the legs with a big day, essentially combining two days into one. Once again the diversity of landscape, topography, and vegetation was spell-binding. This has to be the most engaging and variety-rich hikes I’ve ever done. Full blog post with video snips here.
Futago-ike Campsite (双子池キャンプ指定地) to Minami-numa Campsite (南沼キャンプ指定地)
9hrs 882m 347m 12.1km 12th August 2021
GPX KML
Day five on the Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse again felt like a completely different hike to the previous days. We spent a large portion of the day hiking through tall, fragrant dwarf pines. We strode through thickets of bamboo grass. Approaching Tomuraushi-yama トムラウシ山, the high plateau of Sansendai 三仙台 gave us expansive views of mountain tarns and the distant peaks we’d come from in the preceding days. We capped the day off with a quick summit of the rocky Tomuraushi-yama, with our campsite nestled into the saddle below. Blog post here.
Minami-numa Campsite (南沼キャンプ指定地) to Chubetsu-dake Hut (忠別岳避難小屋)
7.5hrs 293m 626m 10.4km 13th August 2021
GPX KML
Despite being the middle of summer, we woke to frost on the ground on Day Six of the Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse. Camped at a shade over 2000m altitude, it was a chilly but calm start to the day. Our route would traverse the iconic volcanic boulders north of Tomuraushi-yama トムラウシ山 (2141m), and brush past a number of pristine alpine tarns. The shorter day allowed us time to relax and rejuvenate at the rustic but beautifully situated Chubetsu-dake Hut 忠別岳避難小屋. We even managed a refreshing wash in the snowmelt creek. Full blog post here.
Chubetsu-dake Hut (忠別岳避難小屋) to Uraasahi Campsite (裏旭キャンプ指定地)
7.5hrs 1020m 584m 19.7km 14th August 2021
GPX KML
On day seven of our Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse journey we covered some of the most iconic scenery in the northern end of the Daisetsuzan National Park. We compressed two days walking into one, walking across the expansive Takanegahara 高根ヶ原 alpine plateau, dropping in on the newly rebuilt Hakuun-dake Hut 白雲岳避難小屋, and skirting around the great expanse of the Ohachidaira crater 御鉢平. We topped the day off with a quick foray into the colorful volcanic scenery of Ura-asahi, just below Hokkaido’s highest peak of Asahidake 旭岳 (2291m). This would be our last night on the trail. Full blog post here.
Uraasahi Campsite (裏旭キャンプ指定地) to Aizankei Onsen (愛山渓温泉)
9hrs 425m 1485m 14.5km 15th August 2021
GPX KML
It was a bitter-sweet last day on our Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse journey today. We hiked across inspiring volcanic ridgelines, floated above seas of clouds, and finally made our descent to the terminus of this ‘full’ Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse, Aizankei Onsen. Along the way we would summit Hokkaido’s second-highest peak, Hokuchin-dake 北鎮岳 (2244m). After eight days on the trail with no proper wash, the hotspring soak at Aizankei Onsen was just reward for our efforts. Now, it was back to reality in the lowlands…full blog post here.