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UID:e7a35da5984c0e67aa8985231145def0@earthhostel.com
SUMMARY:Midnight Climb of Mount Nantai — Summer Night-Hiking
DESCRIPTION:Climb Mount Nantai Through the Night\nFor one week every summer
 \, you can do something you can't do at any other time of year: climb Nikko
 's sacred volcano in the dark\, under the stars\, and watch the sun rise fr
 om the summit.\nMount Nantai is closed to climbing at night for all but thi
 s single week. During the Nantaisan Tohai Kosha Taisai — the mountain-ope
 ning festival of Futarasan Shrine — the trailhead gate opens at midnight\
 , and pilgrims set off up the mountain in the dark. It's a tradition that h
 as been kept for over 1\,200 years\, since the late Nara period\, making th
 is one of the oldest continuously observed climbs in Japan.\n[caption id="a
 ttachment_4598" align="aligncenter" width="720"] The peak of Mount Nantai w
 ith Mount Fuji's peak on the horizon above the clouds[/caption]\nWhat the C
 limb Is Like\nThis is a serious mountain. From the shrine on the shore of L
 ake Chuzenji\, the trail gains roughly 1\,200 metres to the 2\,486 m summit
  in one relentless push — first through forest\, then up a steep field of
  reddish volcanic rock\, with the lights of Chuzenji shrinking below you an
 d the whole sky open overhead. Climbing it by headlamp\, in a slow line of 
 lanterns\, is unlike any day hike.\nYou'll reach the crater rim and the inn
 er shrine (Okumiya) before dawn. As the light comes up\, Lake Chuzenji appe
 ars far below\, Senjogahara stretches out beyond it\, and on the clearest m
 ornings Mount Fuji floats on the horizon. The sea of clouds catching the fi
 rst sun is the reason people have made this climb for twelve centuries.\nFo
 r the full route\, terrain\, and what to pack\, see our complete Mount Nant
 ai hiking guide.\nWhen It Happens\nThe Mount Nantai Climbing Festival runs 
 the same dates every year\, July 31 to August 7\, regardless of the day of 
 the week. Night climbing is only possible during this window. Most climbers
  start in the small hours to reach the summit around 4:30–5:00 a.m. for s
 unrise.\nWhat You Need to Know\n\nThis is a strenuous\, sacred climb\, not 
 a casual walk. Good fitness\, proper footwear\, and a headlamp are essentia
 l. It is not suitable for young children.\nA ¥1\,000 entry fee per person 
 is required at the Futarasan Shrine gate before you start (cash). It's mand
 atory to enter the trail.\nCarry your own water — there are no reliable w
 ater sources on the trail above the shrine. At least 2 litres per person.\n
 Dress for the summit\, not the lakeshore. It is cold and exposed at 2\,486 
 m before dawn\, even in August. Bring layers and a windproof.\nBring a bear
  bell and basic mountain sense — this is a wild mountain in a national pa
 rk.\n\nStay at Earth Hostel Nikko Riverhouse\nA midnight climb is far easie
 r with a real base nearby. Earth Hostel Nikko Riverhouse is a riverside hos
 tel in the mountains south of Nikko\, with no curfew — so a pre-dawn star
 t is no problem — and a free shuttle to Nikko Station\, where you connect
  by bus toward Lake Chuzenji and the trailhead. This is a self-guided climb
 : you go at your own pace with the other pilgrims on the mountain\, not as 
 part of a hostel tour. What we offer is the base — a bed with no curfew\,
  somewhere to leave your things\, and a place to come back to afterwards to
  sleep\, swim in the Kurokawa\, and recover by the river. We're open spring
  to late autumn\, right through the festival week.\nPlanning the timing aro
 und the late buses and the shuttle takes a little thought — get in touch 
 and we're glad to help you work it out.
LOCATION:Futarasan Shrine Chugushi trailhead\, Lake Chuzenji\, Nikko
DTSTAMP:20260613T123637Z
DTSTART:20260731T060000Z
DTEND:20260806T060000Z
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