Ukegawa - Koguchi (Kumano Kodo)
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 7.8 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,549 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 2,513 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,686 ft
- TrailRank
-
70
5
- Min elevation
- 233 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 5 hours 9 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1140
- Uploaded
- July 13, 2016
- Recorded
- July 2016
near Ukegawa, Wakayama (Japan)
Viewed 3694 times, downloaded 144 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
As usual in Kumano Kodo, the trail starts in a village (Ukegawa) with a long uphill walk through an old forest. Signs are very clear and it is improbable that you will get lost. During our uphill walk we saw, among others, a huge earthworm (about 40 cm long) and a not-poisonous snake. As for drinking water, we found some at the waypoint marked as “riachuelo salvador” and a little bit later at “falling rocks waterfall” (which was rather a small spring and not a big waterfall). When you arrive on top of the hill, you have a nice view over the surrounding green hills at the Hyakken-gura Lookout. Then you walk down again to the valley, cross the river on a bridge and keep walking to the right to reach Koguchi after passing through a tunnel. In Koguchi there is a convenience store and the trail head for the next part of the Kumano Kodo, which takes you to Nachi but should better be done on a separate day as it is quite strenuous. You can sleep for example at the Momofuku guesthouse in Koguchi or at the Takata Greenland Onsen which has a shuttle service (30 min) from Koguchi.
When we walked the Kumano Kodo, at the beginning of July, it was very hot (over 30ºC) and humid and felt like the tropics.
When we walked the Kumano Kodo, at the beginning of July, it was very hot (over 30ºC) and humid and felt like the tropics.
Waypoints
Archaeological site
1,191 ft
River
Panorama
Comments (7)
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entrance to Koguchi village after passing the tunnel https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/ukegawa-koguchi-kumano-kodo-13986459/photo-8667083
snake Elaphe quadrivirgata https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/ukegawa-koguchi-kumano-kodo-13986459/photo-8667223
Hi Julio ! I am discovering the amazing work you did tracking these hikes in Japan. Thanks for this. I want to do the same but I wonder how to get accommodations in the villages. How did you find them ?
Hello Alexis, I am glad you liked the tracks. As the Minshuku (traditional inn) owners rarely speak English, we used the services of the agency Kumano Travel, which we found to be very reliable. They call themselves “the official community reservation system for the region”. On their web page you can choose among several inns and they make the reservation for you (you have to pay them in advance). Please also note that there is limited space (the Minshukus typically only have a couple of rooms each) and you better make the reservation several months in advance. Their web is: https://www.kumano-travel.com/en
We found the following page to be very helpful as well: http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/kumano-kodo ; here you can download maps of the Kumano Kodo.
Hello Julio,
Thanks for the links ! They are really complete. Unfortunately I don’t see a lot of camping spot. Do you know if free camping is ok in the area ?
We have not gone camping in Japan and I doubt that free camping is allowed (I do not know if it is tolerated). But there are some official camping spots, for example here http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/lodging/campgrounds-bungalows/ .
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Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Easy
Sentiero ben segnato, facile sempre nel bosco