Hakuba
is in Nagano and was site of the skiing events in the 1998 Winter
Olympics. the town
is spread over
a flat valley floor and is
comprised of several smaller villages. I stayed in Happo at the Morino
lodge,
where Craig and Matt provide a home from home.
I went to the
northern Alps to try canyoning at the Evergreen
Outdoor Center. The
owner, Dave Enright,
provides both winter and summer activites. Check
out their website by clicking the link.
I also went for a hike up Karamatsudake (2696m
)and had lunch at the
large hut just below its summit.
The climb up this mountain is made
easier by taking the gondola and chairlifts up to 1800m.
The whole
northern Alps ridges take two
hard weeks to traverse, staying in huts every night, and
would be a great trip.
Also organised by Evergreen is a canadian canoe trip at nighttime on
lake Aoki (blue tree) to see
the fireflies
that live in the trees above
this crystal-clear spring-fed lake. It was a magical sight to see
hundreds of them
in the dark. I'd recommend the trip to anyone,
and the guides speak English too!
There are many other activites to enjoy in summer, such as paragliding
and rafting
and of course the area is
known for its amazing winter season, with skiing in deep powder.
