Location: Mt. Hanare, Karuizawa
Starting and stopping point: School Parking Lot DON'T PLAN ON PARKING HERE. I'll explain below
Peaks bagged: Mt. Hanare (離山)
(First-time) peak # 851
Getting there/getting around: I drove. I think public transportation is a better bet, though.
Map: Yama to Kogen Chizu 19 浅間山軽井沢・長野原の山々ASAMA-YAMA KARUIZAWA-NAGANOHARA-MOUNTAINS
Weather Information: Asama Weather
Total Time: 2:07 Break time: :17 Distance: 7.3km
Elevation: Lowest: 946m Highest: 1,252m Total Ascent: 339m Total Descent: 340m
Technical considerations/difficulty: None. This would be an ideal hike for a couple on a date. Most of the way up is a wide, fairly flat stone road. It is a steady climb, but there is nothing particularly difficult about it. I don't think you really need any "gear" to climb this mountain.
Facilities: Several rest spots to catch the sights or have a meal.
Thoughts/observations/recommendations: I called this post the Lonely Mountain because this mountain sticks up out of a fairly flat area all by itself. The word hanare means something like "separate" or "leave". It fits. It's not high, but it does have prominence because it is so alone.
About parking . . . on the map, and on my hiking app, there is a parking space by a bus stop on the Old Nakasendo. The maps are wrong. There is no parking there--or anywhere. There's no parking at the trailhead or in the neighborhood below the mountain. In desperation, I asked one of the locals where to park and she directed me to a spot by a school underneath a sign with exotic red characters written on it. I thought she might be pulling my leg because I'm not your average bumpkin foreigner. No siree. I could read those exotic characters. The sign clearly said "No Parking". When I protested, she told me not to worry, and that since it wasn't a school day, I was ok.
Thankfully, I was.
That said, I wouldn't plan on parking there again. And . . . if you happened to be coming to the area from out of town, you're probably coming by train. This area is just a short bus ride from Karuizawa Station. This mountain would really be a nice stroll for tourists visiting Karuizawa.
Today's listening: Just the birds in the trees
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