Mostly Japanese Mountains: Takamine

Starting and stopping point: Kurumazaka Pass

Peaks bagged: Takamine (高峰) ~~ Mt. Mizunoto (水の塔山) ~~ Higashikagonoto (東篭の登山) ~~ Nishikagonoto (西篭の登山)

(First time climbed) peaks #805, 806, 807 and 808

Getting there/getting around: I drove. There is seasonal bus service to the Takamine Kogen Hotel from Sakudaira Station. It's 54 minutes from Sakudaira to the hotel. Sakudaira is about 2 hours from Tokyo on the shinkansen.

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: 4:38 Break time: :31 Distance: 11.9 km

Elevation: Lowest: 1,998 m Highest: 2,228 m Total Ascent: 814m Total Descent: 817m

Technical considerations/difficulty: Fairly straightforward hike. No chains or ladders to speak of. It's got a few spots above the treeline but it isn't that exposed.

Facilities: The Kurumazaka Pass has a well-appointed visitor's center with lots of parking, a snack bar and some hiking goods for sale. On the way, I passed an onsen. On the trail there is no water and no restrooms.

Thoughts/observations/recommendations: What a nice day.

Today's listening:

Bible in a Year

History Extra SAS in WWII

This was a nice day. I'm not going to write much. I'll just put up some pictures.

I will say that it was nice to see many mountains I've climbed from today's vantage point. I could see Fuji, Akadake, Tateshina, Kitadake, Kuruma, etc.

It was just clear enough in the morning to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji.

I was hoping it would clear up enough to get a clear view of Kuruma and Utsukushigahara since I've been to those mountains in just the past couple of weeks. I could get a glimpse of Kuruma but Utsukushigahara stayed shrouded in clouds.

Drats. Foiled again.

Arriving at the first peak, Mt. Takamine--literally "high-peak."

Forgive me if I put up too many gifs of these butterflies. They were cool!

This is actually on my way back. My path took me over four mountains before I descended to a parking lot at the Taira no Ike and looped back to where I started via a forestry road.