9

I plan to go for hiking in Hokkaido next spring. I'd like to hike two weeks and to keep away from the cities during this time.

I'd like to visit Daisetsuzan Park and Shiretoko Park. I've read about Daisetsuzan grand traverse, but with 55km it's far too short for what I want (in 2 weeks I'd like to cover at least 300 km or 400 km (I'm a seasoned hiker)). Ideally, I'd like to cross the island from one point to the other.

Are there some good online resources? Ideally I'd like some online maps (like this map of Switzerland for example) to help me define my itinerary. Other resources like detailed blogs are also welcome, or personal information if you have some.

I've seen opencyclemap maps, but they are not so detailed:

Improve this question
5
  • 1
    Daisetsuzan is what the name says: "Great Snowy Mountains". Even experienced hikers will need at least 5 days to complete the 55 km, and the trails will not even be open in early spring.
    – lambshaanxy
    Feb 2, 2017 at 20:29
  • @jpatokal: I've hiked accross the Alps (1100km in 37 days) or accross Iceland (450km in 13 days). For the later, some told me here that I was too ambitious, and in the end I was not enough ambitious... So please believe me when I say I'm a seasoned hiker.
    – Shan-x
    Feb 3, 2017 at 8:08
  • @pnuts: well, I don't speak japanese at all, so I would have to find a way to understand something...
    – Shan-x
    Feb 3, 2017 at 8:08
  • I'm not sure Japan has peak to peak hiking like there is in the Alps. Some brief searching online only yielded single-mountain climbs... although there was a few that they recommended 3-days-2-night to climb. I guess that doesn't mean it doesn't exist though ;)
    – Jeff B
    Feb 3, 2017 at 14:01
  • 1
    The closest thing I can find is this topographic map. I think the trails are the dotted red line.
    – Craig Curtis
    Feb 10, 2017 at 22:08

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

You may be able to use something like Galileo. It's a vector map that lives on your phone with no need to connect to the internet. You can download the area you want to go to. You can also create or upload gpx files for route tracking.

Here's the website: http://galileo-app.com

If you are using the track creation option, be aware that it kills batteries. I used Galileo on my motorcycle trip with some good success.

Improve this answer
1

AFAIK the most detailed Japan map is considered to be from Geographical Survey Institute. But there are only third party apps (Android/iOS) to view that map online and it's visible only at the highest scale and they are not that user friendly.

There are better OSM map renders with contour lines and shading than the mentioned opencyclemap. E. g. mapy.cz with app that can also route on the trails offline. I used it to navigate on the Daisetsuzan traverse (my photo worldcast). Other OSM maps specialized on hiking can work as well. Most tracks are there, yet the marked trails are often not distinguished. Japan tracks I visited were quite well marked in the terrain.

Improve this answer
3
  • if you are affiliated with any of the links in your answer, please disclose that affiliation in your answer.
    – mlc
    Jul 26, 2022 at 14:41
  • 1
    @mlc, these are quite well known map apps. I do not suspect affiliation.
    – Willeke ♦
    Jul 26, 2022 at 15:50
  • @mlc edited to distinguish the apps vs my affiliation with the photo worldcast of the Daisetsuzan traverse
    – HoursFrom.World
    Jul 26, 2022 at 20:20

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .