Many people visit Hakuba village during winter for skiing, however, it is well worth a visit in summer time for trekking. Happo-o-ne (Happo ridge) is one of the famous trekking route.
http://www.happo-one.jp/trekking
http://www.happo-one.jp/english/
Many people visit Hakuba village during winter for skiing, however, it is well worth a visit in summer time for trekking. Happo-o-ne (Happo ridge) is one of the famous trekking route.
http://www.happo-one.jp/trekking
http://www.happo-one.jp/english/
Myoko area, Niigata prefecture in Japan, have been of interest for skiers and snowboarders around the world. The Myoko area is an area surrounding around the Mt. Myoko and have seven snow resorts. The Myoko area is famous for winter sports because of extraordinary heavy snowfall such like 50-70cm in a night. The area places very close to the Japanese sea, and snow contains sea water a lot. Therefore, snow is somehow heavy compared to the other ski resorts that is placed in an inland region.
Mt. Myoko from Imori pond (Imori-ike, いもり池) in April.
The summer time in Myoko area also very exciting place for trekking, hiking, camping and staying. In autumn, a lot of tourists visit here to see the autumn leaves, but there are not so much visitors in the summer so it is very quiet. Comparing to the Hakuba area, which is very famous resort village, Myoko area is a simple, natural, rustic, not so much "resort" village. That's why we love this place.
We went to climb Mt. Hiuchi, which is placed north-west from Mt. Myoko. Mt. Hiuchi is a 2,462m high mountain in Niigata prefecture in Japan.
Mt. Hiuchi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hiuchi
Mt/ Myoko https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_My%C5%8Dk%C5%8D
Last year, we climbed up the Mt. Myoko from Akakura-kanko ski resort. Mt. Myoko and Mt. Hiuchi are neighboring mountains each other. There are some routes to climb up the Mt. Hiuchi. We used the route starting from Sasagamine Plateau this time. At the Sasagamine Plateau, there are two large parking lot for the campers and hikers near the Sasagamine camping site.
The trail is well prepared and boardwalk continues at the middle of the trail.
At the forth part of the trail, there are twelve curves (Juuni-magari, 十二曲り) to climb a steep slope.
At the middle of the trail, we could see Mt. Yake, Mt. Kage-hiuchi, and Mt. Hiuchi, from left in the picture. Mt. Yake is an active volcano and strictly exhibited to the entrance.
At 2,100m, there are the muskeg area near the Koyaike Hut.
Fun walking for just 4 hours, we arrived at the top of Mt. Hiuchi, 2,462m!!
Mt. Yake can be seen very closely from the top. It's an active volcano and the surface around the mountain top seems to be covered by the ash. A week after we visited, there was a news that tells Mt. Yake's activity is getting intense and a exhaust port increased to three!
The trail to Mt. Myoko from Mt. Hiuchi.
Myoko http://www.myoko.tv/english/index.html
Mt. Hiuchi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hiuchi
Mt/ Myoko https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_My%C5%8Dk%C5%8D
Sasagamine camp site: https://www.tripadvisor.jp/Hotel_Review-g1021352-d7053778-Reviews-Sasagamine_Camp_Site-Myoko_Niigata_Prefecture_Chubu.html
Koya-ike Hut http://www.suginosawa.com/koyaike_yoyaku/
The Yatsugatake Mountains are a mountain range in the Nagano and Yamanashi prefecture in Japan. We have been to Mt. Aka where the most highest mountain sitting at the center of Yamtsugatake mountains last year. This year, we chose Mt. Gongen (Gongen-dake, 権現岳) and Mt. Amikasa (Amikasa-yama, 編笠山)
The Yatsugatake Mountains
The GPS tracking log of our day trip.
We departed from the Kan-non-daira, the starting point of mountain trail, at 1,560m. Around Kan-non-daira, it seems to be famous for the observation of a special kind of liverwort that looks green fluorescent, Hikarigoke (Schistostega pennata , ヒカリゴケ).
Note that for almost all area of mountains in Yatsugatake area belong to national park and it is prohibited to collect any kind of plants, flowers and trees. Keep rules and save a moutain environment.
Starting of a trail, it very smooth and easy to walk.
After 2.5 hours of hiking, we reached a today's first summit, Mt. Amikasa, 2,524m.
After pass through the Mt. Amikasa's summit, soon a hut can be seen. The hut is the Seinen-goya (Hut Seinen).
Many hikers had a brief break around the hut.
After we pass the hut, a rocky mountain appears in front of us, but it is not a next destination, Mt. Gongen.
We walk straight past the rocky mountain seeing a lot of alpine plant blooming .
Mt. Aka (the highest mountain in the Yatsugatake mountains) is in the cloud.
After 2hours from Mt. Amikasa, we reached the top of Mt. Gongen at 2,715m!
We headed to the Mt. Mitsugashira to make a round tour of the trekking route.
45 min from Mt. Gongen, we reached to the Mt. Mitsugashira. We heard the roll of thunder so we walk with quick steps and go down to our car.
The round trip of this trail is not so popular and small number of hiker use it. Therefore the trail is very quiet.
Very quiet forest.
After long route of descending a mountain, we finally came back to our car. That's is not so much long course, however, it was very high humidity in the forest. It made us even more tired compared with usual. Exhaust...
We drove our car to the nearest spa and shopping place. We found blue berry ice cream!! It was very yummy for a weary body.
Michino-eki Kobuchizawa (道の駅こぶちざわ)
After spa treatment, we discover a restaurant that looks good. Our choice was really correct. They provide a very good foods.
Going back to the urban....
Mount Kisokoma (Kiso-komagatake, 木曽駒ケ岳) is a 2,956m high mountain in Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The mountain belongs to the "Kiso mountains", also called "Central Alps". Hikers can take the Komagatake Ropeway and it takes you from the base of the mountain up the Senjōjiki Col, a large cirque, located at 2,650m. Before you take Komagatake Ropeway, you need to catch a bus form Suganodai Bus center or Komagane Ekimae (JR Komagane Sta.) Shirabidaira Station of the ropeway.
Access:
JR Komagane Station (駒ヶ根駅)
Komgatatake Ropeway: https://www.chuo-alps.com/lang/en/
Access: https://www.chuo-alps.com/lang/en/getting-here/getting-onoff-the-shuttle-bus-and-paying-the-fare/
From the top of the ropeway, with looking up the Senjōjiki Col, a large cirque at 2,650 m. We have already been above clouds.
Hikers and tourists use the same trail for 15 min. Then trail starts elevating towards north-west. Until reaching to the col at 2,858m, it made hikers hike up very slowly on the narrow and steep trail due to crowded by too many hikers of all ages.
We stood on the top of three mountains, Mt. Kisokoma, Mt. Naka, and Mt. Houken. Our GPS track of today's hiking is as follows.
A panorama view from the col at 2,858m.
There was a shrine at the top of Mt. Kisokoma.
A panorama view from the Nougaike (Nou pond) at 2,655m.
Amazing view from Komakai-no-ike (Komakai pond) at 2,712m. Water flow from the snowy gorge was very cool.
Note that it's very famous sightseeng place and there a lot of tourists, however, the mountains are on the 3,000m class. You need to prepare the weather changes and altitude anoxia.
See also:
https://japanhike.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/mt-kiso-komagatake/
https://www.chuo-alps.com/lang/en/experience-the-central-alps-senjojiki-cirque/senjojiki-cirque-hiking-trail/
