Karasawa – Kamikochi

Sunday, July 28, 2013Nagano

涸沢

Cover photo: Karasawa – Kamikochi — Back through the Azusa valley
View 6 photos

Distance: 17.9km
Ascent: 47m; 795 m of descent
Walking time: 4 h 14; 5 h 44 with breaks
High point: 2,301m; low point 1,523 m
Season: Summer; July 2013

Back to the valley floor

The return route leaves Karasawa for Kamikochi via the Yokoo-dani and the Azusa valley. From the cirque visited the previous day, it descends to the woods and valley paths, passing through Tokusawa and Myōjin.

Karasawa-Goya with its lit windows on a green slope, at dawn — At dawn, the lit windows of Karasawa-Goya (涸沢小屋, 2,350 m), seen from Karasawa Hütte.

Before you return

Today’s trail conditions and recent trip reports:

穂高岳YAMAP YamaReco

Map and profile

Download the GPX track How to read this map Hover over the profile to follow the track on the map. The thumbnails show where each photo was taken; click one to enlarge it.

Photos 6

Mountain cirque with snowfields and scree, ridges in the clouds — The Karasawa cirque in the morning, snowfields and ridges in the clouds.

Deep green valley with patches of snow, a cloud caught on the ridge — Going down the Yokoo-dani, at about 2,020 m, a small valley still streaked with snowfields.

Stream cascading between large granite boulders — At about 1,800 m in the Yokoo-dani, the stream cascades between the boulders.

The vast pale face of Byōbu-iwa above grassy slopes — The great walls of Byōbu-iwa (屏風岩) above the path down, at about 1,790 m.

Clear pond in the forest, fallen trunks in the water — A clear pond in the forest, between Tokusawa and Myōjin, at about 1,560 m.

River between conifers, valley drowned in mist — Back at Kamikochi: the Azusa in the mist.