Hakuba Day Treks
For overnight hikes please go to the overnight treks page . Make sure you are properly prepared for any hike in the alps with waterproof clothing and decent boots.
Hakuba Daisekkei (Snowy Gorge)
Hakuba Daisekkei is one of the most popular trails in Hakuba, but it is also one of the hardest having quite a steep pitch. It is the only place in Hakuba where you can see snow all year round and in fact you can ski down it even in July! Part of the trail involves walking over the snowy section for quite a way so it is a good idea to have waterproof boots. It is also one of the trails you can take to get the to peak of Mt Shirouma which at 2932 metres is the tallest peak in Hakuba and one of the tallest in Japan. It will take you about 6 hours from the base to get to the top of Mt Shirouma although many people just hike through the forest till they get to the beginning of the snowy section and are satisfied with that. If you do want to get to the summit you will need to start very early in the morning or else either camp or stay in the lodge at the top (see the overnight hikes page)
Access
The easiest access to Daisekkei is to walk to the Happo Bus terminal from the hostel (about 15 minutes walk) and then there are buses (20 minutes and 900 yen) that will take you to Sarukura which is the start of the trail. The bus runs from early July until mid October. You can hike the course from mid June but you will have to catch a taxi each way which will set you back about 3,700 yen one way.Happo Ike (Happo Pond)
Happo Ike is a small pond on the ridge line above Happo One Ski area and provides you on a clear day with fantastic views of the Northern Japan Alps including a very photogenic view of the 3 major peaks of Hakuba. Along the way you will be enchanted by the many species of native alpine flowers. This is a relatively easy walk thanks to the existence of the gondola and ski lifts which will get you to within an hours walk of the pond. You can do this hike all year round but the pond itself starts freezing over sometime in October and reappears in mid-late May.
Access
The easiest way from the hostel is to walk directly to the Happo Gondola (about 30 minutes walk), and catch that (1300 yen one way) and the 2 lifts above it (about 300 yen each). Access is possible all year round but be wary of the ever-changing Alpine weather.Tsugaike Shizen Koen (Tsugaike Nature Park)
This hike will take you to a natural highland wetlands abound in skunk cabbage flowers (a white aroid type flower) known as "Mizubasho" in Japanese. Until mid June the whole area is still covered in snow and it is quite a sight to see the white flowers emerging from the ground as the snow melts around them. The marshland walk differs from many others in the Hakuba area as it is flat and mostly on boardwalks. This walk will take you about an hour return. From early July most of the snow will have melted in the park and you can do a much longer hike of about 4 hours return. By this time most of the Mizubasho flowers will have disappeared but they will have been replace by many different species of summer flowers. There are spectacular views of the alps along the way.
You can also hike up to Mt Shirouma from Tsugaike but allow 6 or 7 hours to do so.