Challenge level: 4 out of 5
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9 October - 21 October 2023 | Sold Out | |
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15 April - 27 April 2024 | On Sale | |
7 October - 19 October 2024 | On Sale | |
Duration | 13 days |
Discover the ancient magic of Japan on our once-in-a-lifetime Kumano Kodo trekking challenge from Kyoto to Tokyo!
After a day soaking up the autumnal colours or the famous cherry blossom and the enchanting sites of Kyoto, including the Golden Pavillion and the Nijo Castle, we'll journey to the Kii Hantō Peninsula to commence our charity trek. We'll follow the footsteps of Japanese pilgrims and trek deep into the Kii Mountain Range on the steep trails of the famous Kumano Kodo pilgrimage.
Starting at the Takijiri-oji temple on the sacred Tonda river, we'll hike on a mix of paved and unpaved trails that criss-cross the peninsula and connect the major Shinto shrines in the mountains. We'll face challenging ascents and long days on our feet, testing our strength and stamina, all the while immersed in nature.
Our pilgrimage will take us up through dense forests, across streams, past shrines and abandoned tea houses, and into remote villages hidden in the hills. We'll sleep in humble local Japanese guesthouses, climb to some of the highest and most beautiful places in Japan and look out across the sacred Kumano mountain range, boasting 3,600 mountain peaks. We'll even glimpse the Pacific Ocean, soothe our feet in natural hot springs and trek to Japan's tallest waterfall, Nachi Falls.
This unbeatable overseas challenge finishes in the mind-blowing metropolis of Tokyo, where the futuristic architecture, chic shopping streets and vibrant markets take us right back to the 21st Century! We'll use the high-speed city trains to see as much as we can in one day on an amazing guided tour of the Old Town and the new.
Join us in the autumn when the trees glow red and orange or wait till spring and see the Japanese cherry blossom in full bloom! No matter which trek you choose, you'll be entranced by expansive natural landscapes and an incredible mix of cultures and customs.
Pay the registration fee (£549) and challenge costs (£4,999) + airport taxes/fuel surcharge (capped at £475).
$7,499
Pay the balance
Our non-competitive overseas charity challenges aren't about living in the gym. Many people who sign up for our Kumano Kodo trek in Japan are likely to have a low level of fitness level when they sign up.
The point is to train, do your best, and reach your fitness goal. Our supportive challenge guides and community spirit will help you conquer the challenge of a lifetime. You're also likely to improve your mental health and well-being, and you can choose to fundraise for the charity closest to your heart.
We strongly recommend you train for the trek. We'll tackle very steep climbs and descents through the mountains, but the terrain will be fairly smooth. You also need to be prepared for hiking an average of 6-8 hours every day. We'll break this up with short breaks and lunch stops.
Once you register for Trek Japan, we'll send you a realistic training plan. This builds up gradually over time so you'll be ready and raring to go by the time we depart for Japan. We also recommend checking out our top trekking tips here and our indoor training ideas here for the days you don't feel like facing the weather!
Please don't be! The majority of people will sign up for this challenge on their own. Even the quietest people are quick to make strong friendships on our adventures. The Dream Challenges camaraderie is second to none and makes all our adventures even more special.
Once you've signed up, we'll send you a link to a private Facebook group for everyone registered for Trek Japan. Please use this space to swap questions, advice and updates with your fellow trekkers on your training and fundraising.
You may also want to reach out to the other participants in this group to see if there's anyone in your local area you can meet up to train and fundraise with.
Your registration fee of £549 per person is used to administer the challenge in Japan and secure your seats with the airline.
Your challenge costs of £4,999 (ie. 50% of the fundraising target if you choose the sponsorship option) cover:
*Accommodation is included on a twin-sharing basis. If you would rather pay for a single supplement and have a room/tent to yourself, we can arrange this for you for an additional cost
Please email us at bookings@dream-challenges.com or call us on 01590 646410 at least 17 weeks before the challenge if you would like to do this.
The Dream Challenges team are here to help you achieve your charity trek in Japan, and we will support you all the way. We're always on hand to answer any questions that you may have about your training or the challenge itself.
Once you've signed up, we will send you regular email updates with everything you need to know about your overseas challenge, including the itinerary, an example insurance policy, the structure of an average trekking day, a full kit list, and a realistic training plan to help you get fit for the challenge. The training programme builds up gradually as the event gets closer.
We'll also send you important details, motivational resources, and seasonal fundraising ideas.
During the trek, we'll have a UK doctor with expedition medicine training accompanying the group at all times, along with a team of outdoor remote first-aid trained challenge guides.
Everyone who is at least 18 years old by the departure date is more than welcome to join this challenge of a lifetime. We'll have adults of all ages taking part to achieve something awesome for charity — one of the many things that make our challenges so special!
If you would like someone under the age of 18 to join you on our Japan trek in 2023 or 2024, please contact us to discuss (01590 646410 or bookings@dream-challenges.com, Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm).
You will need a pair of quality walking boots with ankle support — these are essential for trekking on uneven terrain. Please also bring a 2-litre water bottle.
We'll supply you with a comprehensive list of everything you will need to take on your trekking challenge well before we leave for Japan.
We'll stay in an amazing range of accommodation on our adventure in Japan, from comfortable hotels to Japanese-style inns and guest houses in the mountains. We arrange twin-share accommodation wherever possible, but on some nights, we'll have shared bathroom facilities.
We'll tackle a mix of terrains, following the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage trails through the mountains.
We'll walk on some paved paths in Japan, but many more unpaved sections, mostly through dense forests. The trails will be clear, as many pilgrims have trekked this ancient route, but we'll walk on a lot of uneven ground, so make sure to tread carefully. We'll tackle a lot of long ascents and steep climbs, but all that goes up must come down, so we'll trek downhill and enjoy flat sections as well. We recommend including a lot of hills in your training.
Please make sure to use high ankle walking boots during your training and on the challenge in Japan itself, as these are essential to protect your ankles on uneven terrain.
Vehicles will transport our luggage to our accommodation each night. You will only need to carry a small day pack, containing essential accessories and equipment, including your 2-litre water bottle.
In addition to paying your registration fee (£549) and paying the challenge costs (£4,999) or fundraising the minimum sponsorship target, you'll need to budget for your:
There will be around 20 participants in our group for our 2023 and 2024 special charity challenges in Japan. You'll no doubt make a bunch of awesome new friends!
Travel Insurance
Please take out your own travel insurance upon registering for our trek in Japan, covering health, accident, loss and repatriation. We advise you to arrange your insurance as soon as you can after you register to ensure you have coverage for your booking as well as the challenge itself.
Dream Challenges has an example of a policy that provides appropriate cover for this type of activity and also covers you for cancellation due to medically-diagnosed COVID-19. We will send you the details once you have registered. You can also call us for details on 01590 646410 during our office hours (9am, 5pm, Monday - Friday).
You can, however, take out your own insurance, providing it covers you for a charity trek in Japan. Please ask the insurer about the nature of the cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate coverage for your challenge.
Visa
It is your responsibility to obtain a visa for Japan if you need one. Ensure that you apply and obtain your visa in plenty of time. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/japan
As we're not medically trained, we're afraid we can't offer you advice on this. We recommend you contact your GP or your local travel clinic, who will have the latest travel health advice.
We also recommend you visit the NHS Fit for Travel website at https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home to keep up to date with current travel health news and advice on staying healthy abroad.
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