Shikoku 88 Temple pilgrimage

[rebekah1]

So, I was thinking about attempting the 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Shikoku. Has anyone here done it? I was thinking about trying in mid May, walking.
Questions: how much did it cost in general? for example, lodging, food, etc? I was thinking of bringing a tent and doing a good deal of camping, maybe 2/3 of the time camping.
Safety- I hear there are a lot of snakes? did you see any, and how common are snake bites, anyway?

Thanks

[erikjp]

Hello! I did it February/March/April back in 2010, its an AMAZING experience, definitely go for it. In response to your questions:

Cost can vary widely depending on how you want to do it, I just graduated high school so I did it on the cheap. I tented most nights or slept in train stations/bathrooms. I can't really give you a figure, but it was maybe $1500 in total for everything including transport to and from Shikoku to Osaka.

There ARE snakes, but you shouldn't worry too much. I saw one once a little north of Uwajima, I just went around. As with any hiking adventure, be careful.

[Cheeky Soul]

The pilgrimage is really FANTASTIC. I completed it during Oct / Nov 2011.

There are a huge number of cheap and/or free places you can stay. I took a tent with me but I only used it about a third of the time. Since returning I have put together a website about my experience and I've included a long list of places I was given at Temple 1. There are actually many more but you need some Japanese for that. I spoke to a lot of pilgrims along the way and they often shared information about places to stay.

Regarding safety. I only ever saw one "large" snake. The black mamushi. I was walking during autumn so maybe there were not so many but I have read that there are many more during the summer months. Be careful but don't let worries about snakes and other animals deter you. I was worried about meeting wild boars and this was after listening to other people describing them. In the end I never met any at all because on the whole they apparently run away if they sense people about.

The pilgrimage is a really great experience. You can read about my experiences here -

http://walkingmylife.weebly.com

[HenroPlod]

Questions: how much did it cost in general? for example, lodging, food, etc?
Safety- I hear there are a lot of snakes? did you see any, and how common are snake bites, anyway?

I walked the route in the Spring of 2011.
I wrote a blog of my experiences here: http://henroplod.blogspot.co.uk/ and I have listed my daily expenses, lodging food etc in detail.
I hope this helps.
I saw warning signs about snakes, but I didn't see a single snake.