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    • Spring
      • video

        Finding the Flow from Kansai to Kochi

        Shikoku’s many mountains, valleys and proximity to the ocean has made it a hidden gem for rafting, kayaking and canyoning enthusiasts willing to take a step or two further from the Golden Route of Kyoto and Osaka.

        Solace and Giant Salamanders in Akiota

        Just beyond Hiroshima City is a tranquil outdoor destination home to some of Japan's last remaining oosanshouo, the elusive giant salamander.
        Kyoto Oni Trail Outdoor Japanvideo

        The Oni Trail: Hiking Coastal Kyoto

        The mystical oni is prevalent in Japanese children’s stories, usually as a way to scare kids straight. Adventure Travel Kyoto is shedding a new light on this folklore and developing a new hiking route in the countryside of Kyoto.
    • Summer
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
        adventure travel world summit in hokkaido

        Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido

        The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
        mead brewing in japan

        The Sweet Secrets of Brewing Mead

        Wander into the world of mead brewing and find yourself immersed in a fascinating journey spanning centuries and continents.
        the knights in white lycra

        The Knights in White Lycra

        Each year a group of cyclists head to the deep north towards Tohoku’s vast rice fields and coastal trails to help transform the lives of neglected children.
        sea to table yamagata

        Sea to Table in Yamagata

        An unforgettable way to intimately explore the Shonai Region in Yamagata is a culinary experience bringing bounty of the sea straight to your table.
    • Autumn
      • Pow Bar Founder Megumi Scott

        Beyond the Brand: Pow Bar

        An interview with Megumi Scott, the founder of Niseko brand Pow Bar.
        Churamura Okinawa Sea Turtle Marine Conservation

        Churamura: Footprints in the Sand

        Churamura, an NPO in Okinawa, work to conserve marine life and protect endangered sea turtles in Japan's southernmost prefecture.
        Kawazu

        Fall in Love with Kawazu

        Enjoy waterfall hikes and hot springs, beautiful beaches and delicious seafood in Kawazu on the western coast of Izu Peninsula.
    • Winter
    • Near Tokyo
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Near Kyoto
      • video

        Finding the Flow from Kansai to Kochi

        Shikoku’s many mountains, valleys and proximity to the ocean has made it a hidden gem for rafting, kayaking and canyoning enthusiasts willing to take a step or two further from the Golden Route of Kyoto and Osaka.
    • All Regions
    • Article Map
    • Ocean and Beach
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • River and Lake
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Mountain and Land
    • Sky
      • getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
    • Snow and Ice
      • climbing mt. fuji off season

        Mt. Fuji: The Path Less Traveled

        Fuji-san is the most climbed mountain in the world. If you are in good shape, there is a way to avoid the traffic for a more peaceful Mt. Fuji experience during the off-season.
    • Travel
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
        adventure travel world summit in hokkaido

        Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido

        The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
        getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
        maota sustainable fashion

        Weaving Stories with Maota

        Maota is a small-scale clothing line working with local craftsmen in the countryside of Aichi and Gifu prefectures. While their focus is on small, local and “slow” fashion, they are moving fast toward some big goals.
        the knights in white lycra

        The Knights in White Lycra

        Each year a group of cyclists head to the deep north towards Tohoku’s vast rice fields and coastal trails to help transform the lives of neglected children.
    • Food and Drinks
      • the nomad pasche family

        The World is Our Playground

        The Pasche family has been cycling and living out of a tent in remote corners of the planet for the past 13 years on four continents spanning 50 countries.
        adventure travel world summit in hokkaido

        Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido

        The ATTA will host their first Adventure Travel World Summit in Asia in Hokkaido, Japan. We caught up with ATTA Director Shannon Stowell to find out more about the adventure travel industry and how it continues to grow and evolve.
        getting dirty in japan

        Getting Dirty in Japan

        “Getting Dirty in Japan” is about getting out of your comfort zone and into some exciting outdoor adventures and destinations in Japan.
        maota sustainable fashion

        Weaving Stories with Maota

        Maota is a small-scale clothing line working with local craftsmen in the countryside of Aichi and Gifu prefectures. While their focus is on small, local and “slow” fashion, they are moving fast toward some big goals.
        the knights in white lycra

        The Knights in White Lycra

        Each year a group of cyclists head to the deep north towards Tohoku’s vast rice fields and coastal trails to help transform the lives of neglected children.
    • Races and Events
      • fuji rock japan

        2023 Summer Music Festivals

        Get into the groove this green season while enjoying the great outdoors with family and friends.
        Summer Events Fireworks Festivals in Japan

        2023 Fireworks Festivals in Japan

        Enjoy these fireworks festivals held throughout Japan this summer and autumn.

Close Encounters of the Furry Kind

About this time last year I did a trip to one of Hokkaido’s great peaks – Mt. Ashibetsu. This hike has one of my favorite huts—beautiful stone, simple and rustic, which is what I love about huts in Hokkaido. Inside there’s a dirt floor with a raised wooden area on which to sleep, and that’s about it.
I break this hike into three days. Day one, getting to the hut; day two doing the trail loop from left of the hut up along the ridge track to the peak, then back down the trail to the hut where you spend another night. Day three you hike out.

I woke up on the third day feeling a bit sore from the tough hiking (and the hard sake) the day before. The morning was warming up as the sun was peeking its head over the tree tops and the birds were in full voice. Once I got my act together, I started hiking back to the trailhead and my car. It was a nice hike.

The trail follows the river and there are many river crossings, plus a few tricky parts. About an hour out the trail leaves the river and heads up the bank, taking a route along high rocks, then heads inland for a while before making its way back to the river.

I was hiking the trail high above the river when everything suddenly went wrong. My head not being clear, and not really paying attention to what I was doing, I suddenly felt the trail (and my legs) give way underneath me. Suddenly I found myself sliding down the rocky bank towards the riverbed (My fatal last words on earth would have been ‘S-H-I-T!’).

I hit the river bed hard (carrying a heavy backpack didn’t help). A bit shaken, but not stirred, I shook myself off and checked the situation. There was no way I was getting back up to the trail, but I knew it looped back to the river a few kilometers down.

I wasn’t keen on hiking down this section of the river, since the trail leaves the river for a good reason—a waterfall. To cut the story short, I made it down the waterfall (another tale in itself). Once down, I was still on the river bed, making my way along the river and thinking nothing else could happen to me, when I turned around a bend and suddenly, right in front of me, head down and back to me looking for something under a rock in the river, was a bear! A Hokkaido brown bear!

I didn’t move a muscle. I don’t even think I blinked. I thought about taking a photo, but my body was saying, “Don’t move, don’t you move, boy!” It must have been 10 or 20 seconds, but it seemed like hours. Then the bear suddenly turned its head, looked at me, and took off as fast as it could go. As quick as it happened it was over. What a day. I just wanted to get back to my car, as I was sure nothing else could happen. Or could it?

Pig Tip: The two-hour trail to the hut follows the river, so be aware and careful when it rains, because the river can get very high and cut you off, sometimes for days. Check Lonely Planet’s Hiking in Japan for more details on the hike and the hut. Word from The Pig.

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