The Kyoto Isshu Trail basic Info

So this year I challenged myself to hike and run the Kyoto Isshu Trail.(京都一周トレル). The trail surrounds the basin that Kyoto city lies inside and has four parts of varying difficulty and distance. A fifth trail has recently been added which lies in the Northern part of Kyoto which follows a circuatous route and is pretty hilly in places. The trails break down as follows:

Keihoku Course -京北コース  

(North Course)

Higashiyama Course -東山コース 

(East Mountain Course)

Kitayama Toubu course- 北山東部コース

(North Eastern Mountain Course)

Kitayama Seibu Course- 北山西部コース 

(North Western Mountain Course)

Nishiyama Course - 西山コース 

(West Mountain course)

Apart from the Keihoku trail the others all line up end to end starting with the Higashiyama course at Fushimi and ending with the Nishiyama at Katsura. 

The maps that you'll need can be bought from most outdoor shops in Kyoto and also the the book stores Junkudo and Kinokuniya. I recommend Junkudo on Kawaramachi Dori. You'll find the maps on the 5F, back wall opposite the escalators. See the picture below for what the covers look like. They each cost around 500Yen. So pretty cheap.

So that's the basics taken care of tomorrow we hit the trail proper and get rambling. The Nishiyama course is up first and we'll be doing it from Kiyotaki to Katsura with a stop of in beautiful Arashiyama for beers and Udon. Till then bye.

First Post.....

Welcome to Hike Kyoto!! This first post is just to set the tone for things to come and when I get some momentum going it should send a bunch of great info your way. The first challenge I set was to hike then run, yep run!! the Kyoto Isshu Trail which translates roughly as once around Kyoto. Kyoto is in a basin and surrounded by Mountains which make it evil hot in the summer and super cold in the winter. Apart from that it gives residents and visitors alike easy access to some stunning hikes, walks and trail runs. Instead of blogging about some old experiences and info I decided to start with a fresh approach and blog it as I experience it. Between actual new hikes I'll update you on some handy info about Kyoto. So each week should bring something fresh your way. The first part of the trail takes place on Friday 27th Jan and we're going to knock off the Nishiyama or western mountain trail from Kiyotaki to Katsura. Stay tuned.