Mt. Akiya, Shimonita, Gunma 秋葉山



Location:  Shimonita, Gunma

Starting and stopping point:  Side of the road

Peaks bagged: Mt. Akiya (秋葉山)

(First-time) peaks #863

Getting there/getting around:  Car

Map:  Yama to Kogen Chizu #21 西上州 妙義山・荒船山

Weather Information: Mt. Arafune's weather (not too far away)

Total Time: 3:05   Break time: :13  Distance:  6.59km

Elevation:  Lowest: 456m Highest: 861m Total Ascent:  633m Total Descent: 639m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  Very steep.  I mean, very steep.  There is only one place with a rope; I wish there were more.  You don't want to make a misstep here.  I have no idea what the trail looks like in non-snow seasons, but there is very little signage and not so many pink ribbons to follow.  A working GPS is a must.

Facilities:  Nothing

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:  

We got some snow last night and I got out of work early today so I picked one of my shorter hiking plans and headed to the hills in hopes of possibly using my snowshoes and also of catching some nice snowscapes.  I didn't use the snowshoes; crampons were more suitable today.  Unfortunately, it warmed up too much during the day and there was a lot of melting going on.  Thankfully, there wasn't an avalanche.

I had planned on this trip to tackle Mt. Akiya and nearby Goshuyama but prudence dictated putting the second mountain off for a day when I have more time available.  This area, like much of Gunma and a lot of Saitama demands a lot of respect.  There are a lot of  hills here that, although they are low in elevation, are very rugged.  It's not the type of place you can rush.

Still, I was glad to put a few more miles on my hiking boots today and to get some nice views of snowy mountains.  The caves here are cool, too!



Without further ado, here are some pictures.






There are a lot of caves on the way up.  Thankfully, they are home to shrines and statues and not bears.


















The top



Mt. Akiya Shimonita, Gunma 秋葉山下仁田町群馬



Still on the top


Mt. Asama is hiding in the clouds there.




I wish it were minus 3 and not plus 3.








I got this shot of Mt. Arafune's Tomoiwa from Route 254 on the way home.



That's all for today.
Caveman out.




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