Mostly Japanese Mountains: 2025

Caveman hikes and mounts the Queen of the Alps, Mt. Tubakuro in Nagano.

S'up, cavedwellers? Let me regale you with tales of the Queen of the Alps, Mt. Tsubakuro.

Don't tell Mrs. Caveman about the Queen of the Alps sobriquet. She might get suspicious. Last week, I climbed Mt. Kurohime--Mt. Black Princess. We wouldn't want Mrs. Caveman to think I'm developing a thing for royal broads.

Besides, Mrs. Caveman is the one and only queen in my life.

. . . about Mt. Tsubakuro (燕岳)

Mt. Tsubakuro ("Swallow" "Peak") is known as the Queen of the Alps. It's on the list of 200 Famous Japanese Mountains and is the (if I'm counting right) 44th highest mountain in the country at 2,763 meters. It's a great introductory mountain to the Alps because of its well-maintained trails and surfeit of well-appointed huts and lodges.

The mountain's peak and surroundings are characterized by beautiful white sand and interestingly shaped granite boulders. One of the boulders looks like a dolphin, another looks a bit like a pair of eyeglasses.

From the top, you can see Mt. Fuji and Hakuba as well as the rest of the Alps.

Area:

Azumino is the city it's located in. It's in the Hida mountains, which are also known as the Northern Alps.

Location:

Tsubakuro

Map: ***If you want a link to the latest Yama to Kogen map, comment and I'll get you a link. This link is to a printable topo map of Mt. Tsubakuro.

Starting and stopping point:

Nakabusa Onsen 中房温泉

Peaks bagged: Gassensawanoatama (合戦沢の頭) ~ Tsubakuro (燕岳)

(First-time) peaks # ９２９〜９３０

Getting there/getting around:

I drove and parked at the Ariake Shrine. From there, I had to take a bus to the Nakabusa Onsen. (¥1,500 each way.)

N.B. A portion of the road between the Ariake Shrine and the Onsen is out so the bus goes only as far as the Gongen Pass 権現峠 Bus Stop. From there, you have to walk about 1 km up the road to a point where you can get on a complimentary shuttle to the onsen. Returning, you do the same thing in reverse. I was really annoyed that the shuttle and the bus times didn't line up on my return. I was paranoid because I'd been cautioned in the morning that I might not make the last bus and hustled to make it on time. Evidently, I hustled too hard and found I had to wait about an hour for that LAST bus. After taking that LAST shuttle to the bus, I found that the next bus wouldn't run for another 45 minutes.

I really don't like having to rely on public transportation. If I wanted to sit on a crowded public vehicle with a heavy bag on my lap, I'd move back to Tokyo and become a salaryman. And don't get me started on how it's better for the environment. Those shuttles and buses I sat on for hours were idling the entire time. And it wasn't only one or two vehicles that were idling. There were about 5 shuttle vans lined up; all of them running in place.

My rant is over. Sorry about that.

If you are coming by train from Tokyo, you could take the Chuo Line to Matsumoto and change there to the Oito Line for Hotaka. From Hotaka, it's a 55-minute bus ride to the Nakabusa Onsen.

Helpful Info

Weather Information:

Tenkura (Japanese)

Mountain Forecast dot com (English)

Time and distance

YAMAP's Estimate Time: 8:10 Distance: 9.3 km

The Caveman's actual Total Time: 4:43 Break time: :25 Distance: 10.1 km

Elevation: Lowest: 1,448 m Highest: 2,763 m Total Ascent: 1,411 m Total Descent: 1,411 m

Technical considerations/difficulty:

This is one of the steepest ascents going--or so I'm told. It didn't feel like it to me, though. I was so relieved to get off the bus and onto the trail that I felt like I was flying up the trail. The trail is well-maintained and easy to make time on because it is somewhat easy to walk on. In an odd way, sometimes it seems really easy to go up. You can put your head down and dig in as it were.

Anyway, there are no ropes, chains or precarious places on the trail. The steepness did seem to dog some of my fellow travelers that day but they're probably just out of shape. I did get a perverse pleasure out of seeing people's pain and fatigue that day. I was so worried about time that nobody passed my on the way up, although I passed many people myself. So when I was coming down, I saw many people who still had a long way to go to get to the top. I think most of those hikers were planning on staying the night at one of the huts, actually.

If you are out of shape or go at the average speed, you should pay attention to time to make sure you are able to get up and back before the last bus. The bus driver made me paranoid about being late when I told him I was going up and back in a day. He said, "Higaeri? Haaaado desune. Jikanha girigiridane. 3:45 madeni kaerareukai?" ("That's going to be hard. I hope you make it back in time by 3:45.") I was so worried about making it back for the last bus that I went even faster than usual. In the end, I was an hour and a half early for the last bus and had to wait.😆

Facilities:

There is the onsen and lodging at the trailhead. There are also two huts--Gassensawa Atama Hut and Enzanso near the top. Both have merch and some food as well as tent sites. The Enzanso also has rooms inside.

It should be noted that this trail was really crowded and that there are no restrooms except at the huts or the onsen. There is really no chance to hide behind a tree off the trail, either, because of all the foot traffic.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:

Great mountain. If I had the opportunity, I'd bring a tent and make this the first stop on a multi-day trek.

I got to the Ariake Shrine Bus Stop about 8. Then I had to wait about half an hour for a bus. If you are worried about your time, I would suggest getting there earlier. I think I was probably the last person with a one-day plan to start the hike. I left a picture of the bus stop and it's schedule below. Good luck puzzling it out!

(Along with all the regular stuff such as maps, headlamps, boots, feet, and brains, . . .) don't forget:

Cash or Paypay for the bus fare.
Let's look at some pictures.
(I mis-spelled the onsen's name in this picture. It is Nakabusa.)

Ariake Shrine Bus Stop

Ariake Shrine

Price for the bus
Pay when you get on with cash or Paypay
¥600 from Azumino to Ariake Shrine
¥1,500 from Ariake Shrine to the Nakabusa Onsen

At the onsen

Gassensawanoatama Hut
Watermelon is their specialty
¥600/slice

After the Gassensawanoatama Hut, the next stop is the Enso. Then, the peak. The ridge between the Enso and the peak is full of rocks like this. Very cool.

I almost expected an anvil from the Acme Anvil Company to drop out of the sky or to see the Roadrunner dash down the path.

I so wish I could have actually seen those mountains. 😢

What aquatic creature does this remind you of?
Leave a comment.

The top

The flowers up there are pretty cool.

One of the cool things about living in Nagano is that I can touch snow during every month of the year.

I encountered about 20 of these guys on my way down. This is the only one that let me get a picture, though.

Good advice

The bus stop at Gongen Pass

I stopped into this onsen on the way home. It has seen better years.
Old-fashioned prices, though! ¥600 for the onsen. I've been to touristy onsens lately that charge ¥2,000!

Free matches from the onsen. I can't remember the last establishment I've been to that still gives out matches.

Well, cavepeeps, that's it for today. If you want to see more of the Northern Alps,
check out this hike on Hotaka or this one on Jonendake.

Don't forget to subscribe and tell your friends about me. Check out the youtube channel, too!

Caveman out

Hiking The Standing Boulder, Tatsuiwa in Nanmoku Village, Gunma

Sengataki Falls 線が滝

What's up, everybody?

I hiked a bit in Gunma yesterday. This is a report on that hike from Sengataki Falls to Tatsuiwa to Hoshio Pass and back on a loop. I had also planned on popping up to the top of Mt. Gyozuka (経塚山) but decided to forego that as the weather changed.

Well, the weather did change, but actually I just got lost. I mean, I was temporarily someplace different than I thought I was. (I think maybe I shouldn't have made the turn at Albuquerque.) It doesn't really matter. I've been on that peak 2 or 3 times and there really isn't a view to speak of.

. . . about Tatsuiwa

Tatsu (立) means "Stand." Iwa (岩) means boulder.

Area: Nanmoku (南牧) Village

This is in a fairly remote corner of Gunma that is serviced by just a few narrow roads. The mountains aren't very high, but they are rugged. Along with mountain trails for hiking, there are many scenic falls. Check out the municipal web page for some pictures.

The demographic situation is depressing. It's the oldest village in Japan. Initially, when I saw that it was billed as the oldest village, I thought it was probably hype to entice tourism. No. It's not the oldest municipality. It's the oldest in average age.

And of course, the population is shrinking. It is, like so much of Japan, turning into a ghost town.

It's sad. I hope Japanese people start having babies. Many of my favorite people are Japanese. There should be more of them.

Story about trying to attract new residents. to Nanmoku

Location:

Map: ***If you want a link to the latest Yama to Kogen map, comment and I'll get you a link. This link is to a printable topo map of the area.

Starting and stopping point:

Arafune Tatsuiwa Trailhead Parking Lot 荒船・立岩登山口駐車場

Peaks bagged: 立岩山 (Tatsuiwa)

(First-time) peaks # 930

Getting there/getting around:

I drove. There's free parking at the trailhead for about 6~7 cars.

There is a bus from Shimonita (下仁田) to Hanezawa (羽沢). 35 minutes. There are 1~6 buses per day and very few on the weekend. Hanezawa is about an hour's walk from the trailhead. This is the timetable on the village's website. It is dated 2016.

A taxi from Shimonita to Sengataki (right near the trailhead) is about 40 minutes and cost ¥8,000 in 2023.

Helpful Info

Weather Information:

Nearby Arafune's weather

Time and distance

YAMAP's Estimate:

Time: 6:01 Distance: 8.2 km

The Caveman did it in:

Total Time: 4:27 Break time: :22 Distance: 9.2 km

Elevation: Lowest: 709 m Highest: 1,312 m Total Ascent: 974 m Total Descent: 970 m

Technical considerations/difficulty:

There are a LOT of chains and ropes. All of the hike is below the treeline, but is still characterized by high, very narrow ridges which fall off steeply. I really wouldn't want to fall of one of them.

When you're not pulling yourself up on a chain or walking a ridge like a tightrope, you're apt to get lost in the woods. There are several areas that are very nondescript and where the trail is hard to identify. Even though there are pink tapes here and there, they aren't always easy to spot and it's important to keep checking your GPS. The Caveman is pretty good with a map and compass--but I admit that I'd have a hard time navigating here with just a paper map.

Facilities:

Nothing

(Along with all the regular stuff such as maps, headlamps, boots, feet, and brains, . . .) don't forget:

Your GPS device. It's very easy to get lost here.
Gloves. There are a lot of chains and ropes. If they were wet or cold, gloves would be necessary.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations:

I wouldn't go to this area in inclement weather. Not only are the chains and boulders on the trail a bit spicy, but just getting there can be a bit like a wild wilderness trek, too. Going over there from the Nagano side, there are Route 299 and Route 93. Route 299 was out of commission for a long time after some bad weather a few years ago. It's open now, but that circumstance gives you an idea of the driving situation you can experience in the area. The other road, the one that I took yesterday, is the Prefectural Road 93 (下仁田〜臼田線 Shimonita~Usuda Line). That is about 25 km from the Gunma side over to the Nagano side and is one narrow lane almost the entire way! It's long, steep, and winding but there are very few mirrors to let you know if there is any oncoming traffic. It's a bit nerve-wracking and I really wouldn't want to encounter a downed tree or some other obstacle on that road.

Here're some pictures: