How to Choose a Mountain in Yatsugatake & the Southern Alps | Your First Step
Updated: 2026-07-02
"I don't know which mountain to climb first" — this is a worry that everyone heading to Yatsugatake or the Southern Alps for the first time inevitably runs into. On this site, the Hokuto-based editor introduces only the mountains he has actually climbed on his own two feet, with GPS-measured data and photos taken on the ground. Here we gather the ways of choosing that will help you find the one peak that suits you from among them.
1. Choose by difficulty
Start with a peak that won't overwhelm you. The mountains the editor has actually climbed and rated as "beginner" are gathered under mountains for beginners. For example, Hinatayama, with its beautiful white-sand ridgeline, and Kitayokodake, which you can reach using a ropeway, are well suited to a first step.
Difficulty is not decided by elevation alone. It changes with several factors — steep climbs, rocky sections, the length of the course, how hard it is to escape, and more. Be sure to read the "Difficulty" and "Cautions" on each mountain's page.
2. Choose by the time you have
On days when the weather tends to turn in the afternoon, or for a day trip starting in the morning, a mountain with a short active time is reassuring. Mountains where the editor's GPS-measured course time (breaks included) came in under five hours can be chosen from mountains you can climb in under five hours of course time.
3. Choose by season
The same mountain shows a different face depending on the season. Each mountain's page records the time of year the editor climbed it. Records from climbs during the snowy months (December to March) are gathered under hike records from the snowy season, but a snow-covered mountain is an entirely different thing from the snow-free season. To begin, it is safest to start with mountains in the snow-free season.
4. Choose by area or famous-peak list
If you have already decided on the mountain region you want to climb, you can search by area from the mountain directory. If you have a goal such as "I want to climb the 100 Famous Mountains," you can check which peaks the editor has summited and written about from the famous-peak lists.
If you're unsure
Start with a nearby peak that has a short active time, in the snow-free season. Once you have actually climbed one, you will understand what kind of gradient, distance and time you can walk comfortably. That sense becomes the surest yardstick for choosing your next mountain. Using the hike replay on each mountain's page (a playback that follows the editor's GPX), it's also a good idea to get a feel for the atmosphere before you climb.