The first ascent is a hot scramble as we cut upwards across screes of rock, aiming for the track which goes up to Tagoudiche, our destination, a village at 3, 000 feet.

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The views and little stops along the way make this one of the best (and possibly most overlooked) treks on the planet, a glorious march -- or in my case, occasional scramble, that includes hot springs retreats, delicious local food and rich cultural insight into a relatively unexplored part of Japan.

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At the 10km mark, the walk takes a steep turn: the next kilometre is a scramble from about 300m above sea level to almost 500m, before a relatively quick descent to Hot Water Beach.

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