Kayo
4.0
(5)
Mountain Guide
Hakuba, Japan
Certificates
JMGA
I'm a JMGA certified hiking and ski guide, as well as a telemark ski instructor. I also hold the Nagano Prefecture's Official Mountain Guide license, meaning that I'm particularly proficient with the mountains in Nagano i.e. most of the Japan Alps. I've also competed at World Cup for telemark skiing during 2002-2009 years.
I have been living in the village of Hakuba, in Nagano, right at the base of mountains in the North Japan Alps since 2012. However, I am originally from the island of Shikoku towards the south of Japan, so I used to love the sea more than mountains and used to enjoy scuba diving, surfing, and kayaking. But from the moment I met telemark skiing, I've been enchanted by the mountains. It was fun to hike up whether it be on foot or on telemark skis, and to discover the mountains this way, and eventually I chose to pursue the ambition of becoming a hiking guide. My motto is for my clients to enjoy mountains safely.
My favourite guiding field is the North Japan Alps. The infrastructure here, including the gondola and buses, make the mountain ridge lines so accessible!!
I prefer hiking long trails than peak hunting. I usually save one month every year for trekking for myself and mainly choose to trek abroad. I particularly love trekking in Europe!
The distinct four seasons in Japan is very unique, and you can enjoy the mountains in different ways during different seasons. I would like to show you the best way to enjoy Japanese mountains that suits the season, so please join me on the discovery trip!
Programs
Reviews
Vincent Lam
5
November, 2024
Kayo San was very flexible in tailoring the hiking routes : due to inclement weather that caused some routes to be closed. and was actively monitoring the situation amidst her busy schedule .Her plan to have a 2Night at Oike sanso was good too and my hike finally materialised on 13Oct in Nagano Prefecture. Kayo San’s hiking pace was comfortable and-she ensured i gathered enough supplies before start of hike. We summited Mount Hakuba on 14Oct@09:43 and had ample time to descend back to hut.Overall a memorable trip for me and definitely will be back again.
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HIO CHENG LO
5
October, 2024
Kayo is very helpful and professional during our whole trip. Before the trip, she gave us lots of advice regarding safety and gear. We had a great adventure in Japan's northern Alps and spent a great time with Kayo.
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Hun Leong Joseph Wee
5
September, 2024
Go to Kayo Sonoda if you wish to have a safe & meaningful experience traversing the Hakuba mountains.
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Eric Estrada
1
September, 2024
Overall, the hiking itinerary sounded incredible, and the communication with our guide was prompt and helpful, which I appreciated. Kayo, our guide, was very friendly. However, leading up to the trek, there was a lack of proper preparation and communication regarding expectations. We were instructed on the route closure and alternate route that we would be taking, also to purchase specific gear but were only provided with basic details about the hike such as the expected hiking time, no distance, elevation, or how many water sources there would be in route, or any questions based on our previous mountain experience. The day before our scheduled three-day trek, we were warned about potentially unpredictable weather conditions on the mountain. Out of concern for safety, we opted to shorten the trip to a one-day hike. In hindsight, the weather turned out to be great all weekend, so the full trek could have been completed. That being said, I don’t fault the guide for this decision as we chose to play it safe. Unfortunately, the main issue we had was with the pace of the hike. Our guide was hiking at approximately 1 mile per hour, taking breaks every 30 minutes. This was unnecessary for us, as we are experienced hikers. A 3.5-mile hike with 2,000 feet of elevation gain took us about 5 hours, a distance and elevation we could typically cover in much less time. At one point during the descent, we hiked only half a mile in 50 minutes. It felt as though we were paying to escort the guide rather than being guided ourselves. Despite being nice and having mountaineering experience, she was texting the entire time we were hiking and looked as she was in pain due to the lack of conditioning. The guide did not adequately communicate safety concerns during the hike. She didn’t point out the more challenging or potentially risky areas, and she didn’t check on how we were doing. At one point, we even felt ourselves nodding off from the slow pace. For our safety, we eventually asked if we could go ahead, and we completed the final 1.5 miles down in about 25 minutes by ourselves, waiting for her at the bottom. In conclusion, while the hike itself was beautiful, I would recommend either doing it independently or considering a different company.
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