No Hike, No Life

My love of hiking truly took off while living in the remote mountains of Shikoku, Japan. Although I had previously worked as a hiking (bushwalking as we call it) instructor, I had always lived far from any significant mountains. Shikoku, as I discovered, is a hidden gem – with an endless supply of quiet, spectacular trails

At the time, English-language information for many peaks in Shikoku was non-existent, so I began publishing post-hike reports to share these incredible places with friends. Now I mostly keep blogging as a way to motivate myself to keep hiking. I’d also love to finish the Shikoku Hyakkumeizan one day!

What is “No Hike No Life”?

The name of the site “No Hike, No Life” is taken from a phrase which seems to have gained popularity in Japan. I’d often see people at restaurants wearing shirts and with signs like “No nabe, no life”, “No yakiniku, no life”, “No football, no life” around Japan and that’s what inspired the name.

My goals from this website are simple:

To encourage people to explore the lesser visited parts of countries and get away from the well trodden path – especially in Shikoku, Japan where a lot of peaks remain relatively unknown to the English speaking world.
To motivate myself to keep hiking and stay fit
To share my hiking experiences, remember them as well as plan new ones
To put my digital marketing, photography and writing skills to use

For me – I feel true happiness is when I find a balance between comfort and discomfort (or hop between the two). Too much comfort is not healthy – and too much discomfort is a pain in the arse. Hiking is a great way to do this, to get uncomforable and better appreciate the things you have.

Let’s hike together

These days you can find me on Border Bushwalking Club hikes, hiking with local family hiking with my family or with one of the local hiking with kids groups. Get in touch if you’re in Victoria and would like to go hiking!