Well, we’ve had a good run of it. Kamkochi’s 2018 season brought the usual delights of early spring, an unusually warm summer, and yet another pageant of autumn colors these past two months.
Morning temperatures are now dipping below zero with frost and patches of ice appearing on the ground. Winter is coming and no mistake.
As you probably know, Kamikochi will remain open to the public until November 15th when the official closing ceremonies are held. That evening, the last bus of the season will pass through Kama Tunnel marking the end of another year in the park.
If you plan to be among the people visiting within the next week, be sure to bundle up appropriately as it might get quite cold. Warm coats, gloves, hats as well as suitable trousers and footwear are recommended. Hiking around will warm you up a bit, but if you’re not in direct sunlight, expect to feel chilly.
And beware of wooden surfaces. When frosted over, they can be quite slippery:
We’ll be back with another update in the lead-up to the closing ceremony next week. In the meantime, we’d like to thank the bloggers at NPG for providing unparalleled coverage of Kamikochi, not just during autumn, but throughout the year. Special mention has to go to their 24 volume series 上高地 紅葉＆黄葉情報 (“Kamikochi Autumn Foliage Report”) which helped us provide our readers with up to date briefings on foliage over the course of October. Simply stated, National Park Guide is the best online resource for info on Kamikochi.
Source of Information:
National Park Guide Kamikochi blog: https://npg-alps.net/blog/today/21987/
