10 day Kumano Kodo Nakahechi with Koyasan

DISTANCE - ~AVERAGE

Distance training should be a consideration in your overall training program, so take every opportunity you can to walk. As you progress, incorporate longer walks into your training plan.

Schedule one or two long walks each week, gradually increasing the distance until you can comfortably cover 16km in a single day. Also include walks on consecutive days to help your body adapt to the demands of walking for multiple days in a row.

Ensure you can comfortably walk the average distance per day displayed in the graph, at least one month before you undertake your hike.

ELEVATION - ABOVE AVERAGE

Elevation training is a major consideration in your overall training program. You must include walks with serious hill climbs.

If you do not have access to hills, it is essential to replicate the elevation level you will be undertaking in any way possible such as on a treadmill or stair climber. Walking up and down stairs at work, at a local oval with a grandstand, or up and down small hills is incredibly useful. Also, prioritising resistance weight training will help you develop overall muscle strength.  Elevation is often where walkers encounter problems, opposed to distance, as it uses an entirely different set of muscles to everyday flat walking.

If high altitude is a factor, incorporate sessions at a higher altitude to acclimatise your body to reduced oxygen levels if you are able to. Ensure you can comfortably walk the average elevation per day displayed in the graph, at least one month before you undertake your hike.

MOUNTAINOUS / UNDULATING TERRAIN

As terrain associated with mountain climbs is often somewhat uneven and rocky, balancing and core exercises are vital.

Try to also include some form of elevation in more than 50% of your walking and prioritise resistance training, whilst incorporating stairs anytime you can. Walking up mountains or hills, up and down stairs at work, or up and down at a local oval with a grandstand is incredibly useful. Elevation is often where walkers encounter problems not distance, as it uses an entirely different set of muscles to everyday flat walking. Concentrate on doing lots of squats and lunges to build your glute muscles.

UNEVEN TERRAIN

Preparation for hiking on uneven terrain demands a blend of physical and mental readiness.

Begin with balance-enhancing exercises, such as one-legged stands and stability ball workouts, laying a groundwork for stability and coordination. Strengthening the lower body is especially important, achieved through the incorporation of squats, lunges, and step-ups. Gradually increase the complexity of the terrain on which you walk, moving from gravel paths to rocky trails. Cultivate mindfulness during your practice, directing focused attention to both your immediate surroundings and precise foot placement.

The importance of suitable footwear cannot be overstated; prioritise options that offer robust support and reliable grip to navigate varying terrains with confidence. Build endurance through consistent hikes, progressively increasing distance and difficulty.

HIGH SEASON TIMES

In Japan, there are some periods when locals travel en masse as they are on holiday. These times are best avoided as the accommodation costs escalate considerably (more than double). It would make a lot of sense if you could avoid these times. Otherwise, see below for high-season periods. This could lead to the cost of the trip increasing by 30% or more.

NEW YEAR PERIOD – 30TH DECEMBER TO 4TH OF JANUARY 

GOLDEN WEEK – GENERALLY BETWEEN 29TH APRIL TO 5TH MAY

OBON PERIOD – MID-AUGUST ( BETWEEN THE 10TH TO 20TH OF AUGUST)

AVAILABILITY

This walk is available all year round, but you may encounter some snow from December to February. Many people prefer to walk in spring to see the cherry blossoms and in autumn because of the change of seasons and the good weather.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

On this walk, you will have to catch at least 3 buses; most of the rides are very short.  These cannot be pre-booked and are by far the best way to get around the mountains. These bus fares are at your own cost.

HOW TO GET START AND FROM END OF WALK

Travelling to the Start of the walk

The first part of this walk starts in Koyasan on Mount Koya. You will need to get yourself to and from the start and end of your walk (i.e. you will need to organise your travel to the start of the walk in  Koyasan and then onwards from your last accommodation).

From Koyasan, you will travel to Tanabe and the walk ends in Nachi-san or Nachi-Katsuura. To make it easy, we have collated some useful information that will assist you in making arrangements for your travel.

By Air: By far, the best option is to fly into Osaka and take the train from there. You can take the train direct from Osaka Kansai Airport to Koyasan.  The train station is at the airport, and there are English-speaking staff at the ticket office. The train ticket You might consider spending some time in Osaka. Osaka is a very interesting city with many beautiful temples and Osaka Castle. In spring, it is particularly beautiful. It also has a sophisticated restaurant culture and markets that seem to go on for kilometres.

By rail: Japan has one of the best train systems in the world, so it’s very easy to catch a train to any destination in the country. An express train is the fastest way to travel to the area. Travelling in Japan on trains is a seamless experience, and it is not necessary to always pre-purchase tickets. There’s plenty of Rail staff that speak English well enough to direct you the right way and to converse with you about how to buy your ticket. We can provide more information if you wish, so please ask one of our destination consultants. However, Hyperdia is easily the best resource when planning your train travel in Japan.

This sounds complicated, but it is not and is all part of the adventure; normally you will need to buy just two tickets for the whole journey. You will need to get from Osaka to Shin-Imamiya Station on the Osaka Loop Line, There are 5 limited express trains per day that will take you directly to Gokurakubashi on the Nankai line (not a JR line). It is also possible to take an express or rapid train (departure every 20-30 minutes) that will take you to Hashimoto in less than two hours, from there you will have to take a local train to reach Gokurakubashi.

From this station, the Koyasan (Mount Koya) cable car will take you to the Koyasan stop for 390 yen for a 5-minute journey. Once off the cable car, you will be directed by a conductor onto the right bus (not part of the ticket) for your accommodation (see day-by-day summary) for a 10 minutes ride to Koyasan Senjuinbashi and your accommodation.

Japan Transit Planner is a great website resource to figure out when and where your train departs. It might be best to buy your train ticket on the JR train network when you first arrive in Japan so you can relax. However, the trains run often and are so efficient that you shouldn’t have any trouble just arriving 20 minutes beforehand and buying a ticket. JR passes can be a convenient and reasonable way to get around the area. There are two regional JR passes that cover the Kii Peninsula: Kansai WIDE Area Pass and Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass.

Getting to Kii Tanabe and the Kumano Koda from Koyasan

By rail: Much the same as getting there; take the cable car and Nankai Railway from Koyasan to Hashimoto (one hour)  and transfer to the JR Wakayama Line onto Wakayama Station (about one hour). From Wakayama, take a limited express train along the JR Kinokuni Line (aka Kisei Line) down the coast to the Kumano region (80 minutes to Shirahama, 2 hours to Tanabe). The one-way fare from Hashimoto to Tanabe is around 4500 yen.

By local buses through the mountains via Ryujin Onsen (no service in winter)

From April through November, there are one or two bus connections per day from Koyasan to Gomadanzan, from where it is possible to continue to Kii-Tanabe Station or Hongu Taisha. The entire one-way trip between Koyasan and Kii-Tanabe Station takes around 3.5 hours and costs about 5000 yen. During winter, there is no bus service between Koyasan and Ryujin Onsen. Please ask the information centre as per the details to what time it leaves (it was 9:45 am the last time we checked, please let us know if this has changed). The bus departs from outside the Koyasan Tourism Association Central near the Takano Post Office and the Koyacho Fire Department (near the Koyasan University).

Travelling from the end of the walk

By rail: The train from Katsuura (Kii- Katsuura train station is a short distance from Nachisan) back to Osaka takes about 4 hours and costs about $50. You can also choose to go to Tokyo or anywhere else for that matter in Japan. However, you most likely will need to travel through a major city to get there.

By Air: See above

LUGGAGE TRANSFERS

Luggage transfers are only needed on the Kumano Kodo Nacahechi route, as you walk in and out of your accommodation in Koyasan. You will need to bring your luggage with you to and from Koyasan. It is an unnecessary cost to incur having your luggage travel separately from you, to Koyasan and from Koyasan to Tanabe.

WALKING

The walk is 91km in length and is moderate to moderate to challenging, with some long days if you wish. Full-day walks average about 17 km with 5 –9. hours walking each day; however, they can be as long as 24 km (You can shorten most days). But with rest days in between, this is very achievable. The walking is over well-maintained paths, but expect each day to start with some reasonable elevation gains. All good, though, as the tracks do flatten out. The total km walk is

This is a historic route with stacks of small temples (Oji)  and statues to admire along the way. For much of the time, you are walking under forest canopy, which makes for mild conditions other than the height of summer.

For what to bring, please refer to Gear Advice in our FAQ section.

WEATHER

From the end of  March, the temperature begins to increase. In summer it’s quite warm and humid but still good for walking,  particularly if you enjoy warmer temperatures and taking a dip in a stream.

The walk is offered in winter, but bring some warm clothes and good rain gear.  The area is just as beautiful if not more and is not busy at all. Soaking in an outside onsen in the cool of the night is one of those real authentic Japanese experiences that you can look forward to after a big day on the track.

As walkers, we believe spring and autumn are the best times as the weather is perfect for walking.

See the weather information about Osaka’s average weather at different times of the year.

INSURANCE

We require that you have adequate travel insurance against potential losses, damage or injury, including cancellation costs and loss of luggage.

For all trips requiring international travel, you must have purchased travel insurance including medical evacuation coverage.

We also charge a cancellation fee if you cancel your walking holiday after we have confirmed it to cover costs incurred by our suppliers and in the office.  See the FAQ section for more information.

INFORMATION PACK

For nearly 30 years, we have taken pride in providing seamlessly organised walking holidays, but we know, even with that in mind, that you’ll have many more questions. You will receive a detailed information pack and itinerary approximately 6 weeks out from departure outlining all the fine detail and much more.

CONTACT

If you have any questions, feel free to ask one of our destination consultants, or if you have specific track-related questions, ask Magnus, Brett or Tash who have all walked the track. You can get in touch with us via our contact form, email us at info@auswalk.com.au, or call us on +61 3 9597 9767.