This is Philip Cadzow, the ICT Physical Education teacher with a report of climbing Mt. Hakusan on the 2nd of October with some 1st and 2nd year ICT students from Hakusanroku Campus.

On Friday October 2nd, 2026, at 5:00 a.m., 21 students and 6 teachers crowded onto a bus and slept the hour-long journey until they were deposited at the start point of the hike; Bettodeai station – an altitude of 1,260m.

Mt. Hakusan is known as one of the three holy mountains of Japan along with Mt. Tateyama and Mt. Fuji, and many residents of Ishikawa annually climb Mt. Hakusan to watch the sunrise. Students and faculty from Hakusanroku Campus also attempt to climb Mt. Hakusan each year, but not for the sunrise and usually making the climb up and down in one day. The last two years we have attempted to climb but have had to cancel due to bad weather, which means that the 3rd years who are now in New Zealand were never able to climb Mt. Hakusan, and it was the final chance for the current 2nd year students.

Waking up from the bus ride and ready to start their climb from Bettodeai station to one of Mt. Hakusan’s 3 peaks called Gozengamine – an altitude of 2,702m and an elevation change of roughly 1,500m, were 10 1st year students and 11 2nd year students. These students were the ones who had completed a 5km run the week prior to check for fitness and had a thorough gear check to make sure they were prepared for sudden weather changes. The other students of their year group were going on an easier hike in a different part of the Hakusan Geopark called Sampoiwadake.
The weather was cool with a clear blue sky, and the hike started very well as everyone made it to the first hut 20 minutes faster than planned, but unfortunately at this point one student had to be taken back down the mountain and back to school as they began to feel unwell. We then divided into 2 groups to make passing people on the narrow track easier. Originally, it was thought that they would be named the fast group and the slow group, but as the first group reached the second hut and messaged the slow group to know that they had arrived, the slow group also arrived at the second hut!
There are many different climbing routes up Mt. Hakusan and the most common of these is the Saboshindou path – named as Sabo (prevent erosion) shindou (new route). However, this route was closed off after the second hut and both groups were forced to take a longer route called Echo line – this route is about 2 km longer than Saboshindou but it’s not as steep and goes past the ridgeline that carries onto the next mountain over called Mt. Bessan. The view that day from the Echo line ridge was of a clear blue sky, shining green foliage from what looked to be small alpine bamboo that kept the mountainside gently swaying in the breeze, even in the beginnings of autumn, and a sharp ridgeline across to Mt. Bessan; leading the eye further away and into the distance of the surrounding hills all shaded in blue shadow. 
Mt. Hakusan’s peak was visible from the Echo line ridge and the group made fast progress up to the Murodo (big mountain hut) to have a break for lunch. The wind gusted but didn’t howl, it wasn’t so cold as to numb the hands, but it stripped heat away from the body and after 10 minutes a person’s nose would start to go a little numb. The most important layer of clothes in this environment is anything that can block the wind from stripping away a person’s body heat. After the lunchbreak many of the students could be seen appreciating the seriousness of the constant cold wind and it lent a certain seriousness to the mountain hike. Although some students who were more prepared than others had a better time of it. Kotarou, who prepared well for the trip, was seen taking a nap while others shivered. 
Luckily by the time students had eaten lunch and made it to the Gozengamine peak of Mt. Hakusan, the wind had dropped and it wasn’t so cold. Students smiled and made comments on how beautiful the view was. Other students hid behind a sunny rock and made a very good impression of sleeping. Everyone was made to take a silent minute to appreciate the surrounding view. Honda-san, who took the sick student down the mountain from the first hut and made sure that they were transported safely back to campus by another teacher, managed to catch back up to us and make it to the top just as we started to descend. 
The route hiking down was the same Echo line that we took to climb up, and so it wasn’t as steep as the other years’ route, but it was longer. The ridgeline down blocked the wind, and the afternoon sun was hot. Students had shaking legs from exhaustion and the constant downhill but most of the complaints were from the teachers who hadn’t exercised enough in preparation. 
Making it to the bus didn’t cause as much celebration as it did cries of relief and people sagging to the ground, and once all students had loaded on to the bus, after 5 minutes there was absolute silence. All students had fallen asleep upright, sitting on the bus.
I think this year’s trip up Mt. Hakusan was one of the best we’ve had. While we normally hike the Saboshindou route, I think from this year on we will be taking the Echo line – the view was just as good but without the sharp incline. I just hope that the weather can cooperate with us again next year.

1st year student Ady created a video! 

Philip Cadzow