Climbing Mt. Oku-hotaka-dake at the end of Oct.

by Alvin

Hi Gary. I want to say thanks to you for sharing your experience on climbing Mt. Oku-hotaka-dake (奥穂高岳). My buddy and I are planning to hike up to Hotaka-dake-sanso from Kamikochi at the end of Oct.

We are skipping Mt. Yari-ga-take (槍ヶ岳) and going straight for Hotaka-dake-sanso. Do you think our route will work?

We have zero experience in hiking mountains of such scale. What should we prepare? Will there be snow? Is there a detail map which you can share with us? We only have a Google map and I am worried we might get lost.

Thanks in advance for your help.


************

Hi Alvin,

Good to hear from you. Just returned back this afternoon from the states.

Linked from my Mt. Oku-Hotaka page is this topo map by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.

...and I suggest you pick up from a local bookstore this Oku-Hotaka/Yari route map, part of the Yama-to-kogen Chizu series published by Shobunsha.

Yes, anytime from early Oct. you should expect the possibility of snow. Best wishes...

Cheers,
Gary