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.
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.
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,
This is a stratovolcano in northern Nagano, very close to Niigata. It is one of the 200 Famous Mountains of Japan and one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Shinshu (Nagano). Kurohime (黒姫) means "Black Princess." There is some legend about where that name comes from but I can't really puzzle it out too well. Check out wikipedia if you're interested.
I do like the name.
Kurohime is a pretty mountain and there are several places you can see it well from. Good viewing spots are Lake Nojiri, the highway and the Shinano Michinoeki.
Area:
Kurohime is surrounded by some other beautiful and famous natural features. Nearby is Lake Nojiri, where you can visit an archaeological museum which catalogues the prehistory of the history and includes fossils of ancient elephants. There are 4 of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains nearby, (Myoko, Hiuchi, Amakazari and Takatsuma).
There is Alpico Bus Service from Nagano Station to the Togakushi Campground. That would add a bit of distance to your hike, but it would be possible. That takes about an hour and costs ¥2,000.
You could also hike directly from Kurohime Station. That is on the eastern side of the mountain. Going up and back from there is about an 18 km hike, with the first (and last) several kilometers being on pavement through a town.
Actual Time: 6:57 Break time: 1:07 Distance: 16.8 km
Elevation:Lowest: 1,138 m Highest: 2,053 m Total Ascent: 1,067 m Total Descent: 1,067 m
Technical considerations/difficulty:
This is a fairly straightforward hike. My clockwise loop, which took me past the Taneike (Seed Pond) and the Furuike (Old Pond), was quite pleasant and easy. There were no ropes, chains or ladders. The trail was line by sasa (bamboo grass) on both sides but it had been cut back so the trail was quite wide.
My descent was more tedious. That trail is called the 西ー??? (Nishi-something-or-other). Nishi means west. Anyway, that side was slower going and categorized by really large boulders crammed into a narrow trail. You need to scramble over the boulders quite and bit and watch your step lest you fall into a crevace.
That said, it still wasn't dangerous or really difficult. Just tedious and slow.
It was only on that western side that I saw any snow. There were two or three piles in deep holes that never get any sun.
What to bring: (This list is not exhaustive. This is just what I recommend really not forgetting on top of all the regular stuff like maps, headlamps, raingear, etc.)
Water. I brought more than 4 liters this day and drank it all as it was a hot July day. There are a few streams on these trails--and I usually don't hesitate to drink directly from streams and rivers here--but I am glad I had brought water. I just felt that I wouldn't want to drink from the stream on this mountain.
Facilities:
Nothing
Thoughts/observations/recommendations:
By all means, do this mountain. It's beautiful from below and I'm sure the view from the top is great on a clear day.
There are also several other attractions and mountains in the area. The Togakushi Campground is great to stay at and is a great base for hiking here, on Mt. Takatsuma or Togakushi. Not far from there is the Togakushi Shrine and a Ninja House! Lake Nojiri is beautiful. A cruise around the lake costs ¥1,400 for adults and is really nice. The lake is dotted with restaurants and cafes. Thanks to the shrinking Japanese population (😩), they aren't too crowded.
If you forego the highway in favor of backroads, you'll be amazed at the number of chokubaijo as well as orchards and vineyards where you can enjoy fruit-picking in season.
If you can, go on a clear day. The mountains are always better than an office or factory, but I do wish I hadn't been robbed of a view, yet again!
This is the map
This is the animation
Let's get to some pictures:
I'm sorry to say, but there aren't a lot of pictures with this hike. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and I wasn't able to see much.
To be honest, I'm not batting 1,000 when it comes to getting nice views in this area. I have climbed 4 or 5 mountains in this park and have had clear weather on only one or 2 days! The picture I used for the title of this post is old. I took that a year or two ago. I didn't see Mt. Kurohime that well on the day of this hike and saw almost nothing from the top. That's just how it is. You can't control the weather. It does make the picture-perfect days all that more special when they come, though.
These first two pictures were taken from Mt. Myoko last year. There should be a great view of Myoko from this area, but it was obscured by clouds on the day I hiked Kurohime.
In that picture, you can see Mt. Hiuchi on the right. I recall the day I climbed that mountain. That was another day of seeing nothing!
Back to the day of this hike, now.
Before heading off to hike, I deposited Mrs. Caveman and her bicycle by Lake Nojiri. She wanted to pedal while I wanted to hike.
How about the size of those carp? Mrs. Caveman was afraid one of them could swallow her whole!
If you're ever in the area, be sure to check out the Naumann Elephant Museum. It's right next to the lake.
It is about a 20-minute drive from Lake Nojiri to the trailhead.
Japan has so many flowers. It is one of the most wonderful features of Japan.
I may not have seen many vistas on this day but I certainly saw flowers.
I parked a few minutes' walk from this trailhead. My car is parked at the little red dot on the bottom left corner of the sign. That's where I finished the hike but my trail initially started at the red dot where it says 現在地 ("You are here.") on the map.
種池 Taneike--"Seed-Pond"
古池 Furuike "Old Pond"
It took me three tries to conquer Mt. Takatsuma. Twice, Mrs. Caveman and I stayed at a campground below it with a plan to summit. Once I got rained out, and the second time I got ill overnight and didn't hike.
I eventually went back and did it on a day trip.
This is an extreme close-up. These flowers are much smaller than they appear.
These are really small, too. The blossoms are maybe 1~2 cm across.
I wish it was clearer. Those mountains are really beautiful.
The top is 2,053 meters
For a reference to mountains near my hometown,
Mt. Washington in NH is 1,917 meters.
Turning around and heading down.
This place is called 七つ池 Nanatsuike--"7 Ponds"
On the map, there is water here but I didn't see any on the ground.
This is actually the caldera.
These little white flowers started appearing.
This pond is called 大ダルミ (Odarumi).
Coming down this trail was a bit more demanding than the wide, sasa-lined trail I'd hiked up. There were quite a few deep crevices on the steep hike down. And, even some snow!
I think this one wins for flower of the day.
The nearest onsen was just a little too far away.
Besides, this was more refreshing.
That's all for today.
Make sure you check out the youtube channel and tell your friends about the Caveman.
I won't bite if you leave a comment. Promise.
If you want to see some more of the area, check out