ALPINE WORLD HERITAGE HIKE
We highly recommend Tachudake for anyone wanting a full day hike with variety and beauty! This is a wonderful Yakushima trail that is amazing in most weather conditions… except during typhoons! Traversing into the UNESCO World Heritage Area of 1993, Tachudake is 1497m of spectacular geology!
TACHUDAKE 7 – 9 hours
- ¥35 000 private solo guide
- ¥20 000 per person for 2 clients
- ¥15 000 per person for 3 clients
- ¥13 000 per person for 4 or more
- Solid footwear
- Waterproof jacket
- Spare warm layer
- Sunglasses
- Sun hat & Warm hat
- 2 litre water capacity
- Lunch included but bring extra snacks!
- Day Pack (~25 litre)
- Moderate/Difficult (Mountain Trail, Steep Ascent)
TACHUDAKE COURSE DESCRIPTION
At 1497m Tachudake is a challenging full day hike. If your fitness is good the hike can be done in a return hiking time of around 7 hours, but I recommend taking a bit longer so you can truly enjoy the surroundings and views from the top rock outcrop.
The course starts from the Yakusugiland Park entrance and there are a couple of entrance options depending on the conditions on the day. The trail is a lovely variation of mosses, ferns, deciduous and evergreen trees, and this variety is the basis of the temperate rain forest. The large tree varieties Stuartia, Yamaguruma, Japanese Hemlock, Japanese Fir, Hinoki, and of course the famous Cryptomeria japonica (sugi) are in abundance and make the surroundings truly enjoyable.
The trail eventually passes the Tenmon no Mori, a traditional shinto night sky observatory to ancestral Yakushima people. A little past Tenmon no Mori has a great fresh water source with a wonderfully tall Yakusugi tree called Shakasugi. The water here has a natural filtration as it seeps through the granite sangs that that make up a large part of the ground mass. This makes the water incredibly refreshing to drink.
From the stream the trail winds its way up through giant granite boulders and passes the Ishizuka Saddle. Once you get into this more alpine style setting you will notice an abundance of the local alpine rhododendron `Shakunage`. This hardy tree flowers in late May and into June.
The approach and last section to Tachudake is a ridge line with multiple views in several directions, a very satisfying way to reach the top! Tanegashima, Taikoiwa and an awesome coastline are all visible from the top in clear weather. In windy or rainy conditions the raw energy at the top is exhilarating!
There are a few ropes and ladders near the summit to negotiate, but the peak is truly awesome & your guide will be there to help you…
