Broken boots in Kamikochi. Mt. Hotaka. One of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains and its 3rd highest. August, 2022

Greetings and salutations cave ladies, cave gentlemen and cave children of all ages.  
Today I'd like to tell you about a trip to Japan's Northern Alps region.  

First, let me give you some details and stats.  Then I'll show you some pictures.

Location:  

Japanese Northern Alps (The Hida Mountain Range).  The border between Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture and Matsumoto City, Nagano City

Starting and stopping point:  

Kamikochi Bus Terminal

Mountains climbed: 

Maehotakadake, Okuhotakadake.   These names are often shortened to "Maeho" and "Okuho."

A word on the names.  The main name for this collection of peaks is Hotakadake.  "Ho"means something like "ear" (of corn) or "point" and "taka" means "high."  "Dake" means "peak".  

The peaks specifically are "Maehotaka", "Nishihotaka", "Okuhotaka" and "Kitahotaka."  "Mae"="front."  "Nishi"="west."  "Oku"="inner part" or "recess."  "Kita" means "north."

Getting there/getting around:  

Private cars aren't allowed as far as Kamikochi.  You must take a bus.  You can get one from Matsumoto or from far away exotic places like Shinjiku or Tokyo.  One bus company is here: Alpico Bus .    This web site has great access information.  Access  Leave a comment to ask me for advice if you need help choosing a route from where you are.

Map:  

Yama to Kogen Chizu #38 山と高原地図　槍ヶ岳・穂高岳　上高地

Weather Information:  

Mountain Forecast dot com  or Tenki to kurasu (Japanese, but with understandable graphics)

Distance:  

26km

Time:  

3 days/2 nights 18 hours, 51 minutes hiking (but we were sloooooow)

Elevation:  

Lowest point: 1,500 meters  Highest: 3,190 meters.  Total ascent 2,200.  Total descent 2,200 meters.

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

Fairly challenging.  Part of this route, from Dakesawa Hut to Kimiko Daira, has the steepest ascent in the Alps.  There are many places with chains, ropes or ladders.  There are many spots that necessitate climbing with both hands and feet.  Much of the route is above the tree line and some spots are quite exposed.  All that said, this route to Okuhotaka is not as challenging as the Nishihotaka side, the Gendarme or the Daikiretto to the north.  Those demand more technical ability and strength.  Helmets on the route we chose are definitely recommended but ropes and harnesses aren't necessary.  This site is a treasure trove of information on all things Kamikochi.  Kamikochi trekking information

Facilities:  

There are several huts in the area where food and lodging are available.  Each of the huts typically has tenting sites and even rental equipment to the point where going camping "tebura"* is possible.  (*"tebura" "手ぶら"  means "hands hanging by one's side", ie empty-handed)   Along with the usual souvenirs and snacks, mountaineering clothes and boots are available for purchase.  Kamikochi is really an Alpine paradise of sorts.  Each of the huts has pay toilets as well.  On the trail, there is nothing between huts.  I always wonder what females do about the call of nature up there.  I know what I do.  Shhhh.  Let's keep that between us. 😉

Thoughts/observations: 

I wish I had the time and money to do a trip like this every day.  What a place.  The weather wasn't the best for this hike but it was still great.  August in Japan does not offer too many clear skies and it was a bit of a disappointment not to get any completely unobstructed views of the mountains from the bottom or of their surroundings from the tops.   The best season for hiking in the area is fall.  The air is crisp and clear and the fall foliage is gorgeous.  Unfortunately, that's when all the people show up.  The place we tented at the second night has sites for 800 tents--and it does get full during leaf-peeping season.  The caveman goes to the mountains to get away from people so a few clouds in August is ok by him.

This is in the Visitor's Center

Just a few minutes up the trail and we reached this famous bridge which is called Kappa Bashi.

The Azusa River is so clean.  I don't think I have ever seen such clear water in a river with so much volume.

This sign is similar to warnings I've seen a million times.  "A bear was sighted at so and so on such and such a date."  Usually it's sometime long previous.  This is the first time I have ever seen a sign dated the same day I was reading it and for the exact place I was going.  Yikes.

After walking a bit by the river with all the crowds, the trail starts and the crowds thin out.  

This is a nice place to cool off.  Cold air emanates from the cave.

A rare sighting of the sun.  It was hiding for a lot of this trip.

On day 1 we hiked up to the Dakesawa Hut and pitched our tents nearby.  From there we could see the ridge we would be walking along the next morning.

Day 2, looking south from the Dakesawa area just after starting out.

Caleb with the Dakesawa Hut in the background.

It was around this point that Caleb realized his boots were falling apart!  Both his right and left soles picked this precise moment to start falling off.  This was a potential disaster as we were already well into our trip but luckily he was able to hold the soles on with tape he had in his first aid kit.  They don't call him MacGyver for nothing.  (Actually, they don't, but I think they should.)  He applied tape at this point and again the next morning.  That tape held up for 10 miles!  Thank God.

*Note to self.  Put tape in first aid kit.

**Note to self.  Make first aid kit.

Shortly after Caleb had his blowout, we separated for a bit.  I took the spur up to Maehotaka while he kept heading on to Okuhotaka.  We figured we should try to lessen the burden on his boots as much as possible.  Since he was moving slowly, I was able to get to that summit and back on our trail to catch up with him around lunch.

This is where the trail up to Maehotaka starts and where we parted.  Maehotaka is about 25 minutes up and 25 minutes back to the ridgeline trail to Okuhotaka.

Do you like my helmet?  I didn't have one before this trip.  I didn't feel like shelling out  the money for something with a brandname on it so I went to Workman, a store that specializes in clothes and equipment for construction workers.  It worked fine.

I am not the first person to think of this.  A Japanese guy started chatting me up on the trail by noting how big my pack was.  I told him I'm けち (cheap) and so was tenting instead of staying in a hut.  We both chuckled about being cheap or broke and I pointed at my helmet.  He got really excited and pointed at his, saying "Mine, too."  His had a Montbel sticker on the side but he said, "sticker only, not real one."  😂

Speaking of helmets.  Rentals up there are available.  I'm not 100% sure of locations renting them but you need to come back the same route so you can return it to the place you rented it from. 

Some pictures from the Tsuri One.  (吊り尾根)= "Suspended Ridge"

After getting up and down Maehotaka and walking along the south side of the Tsuri Ridge for a bit, I got my first look down below at the Karasawa Hut on the other side of the ridge.  That's where we would pitch our tents for the second night.  

I think it's so cool to see snow in August. 

The top of Okuhotaka.

That is called a "raicho" (雷鳥) in Japanese.  It is grouse or ptarmigan in English.  I like a more direct translation of the Japanese though--"thunder" "bird".

This hundred meter or so drop to the hut was pretty gnarly.  You really need to watch where you put your feet and hands.

This hut was closed except for tenting from August 21 through 27 because someone on the staff got COVID.  I hope they're ok.  That closing must have inconvenienced a lot of people. 

Let's have a moment of silence.  This sign gave its all for you and me.

This is the information board at the Karasawa Hut.  Obviously you see the weather and other bits of information.  On the left are statistics about rescues and accidents from July 1 until August 22.  The map shows the locations.  The blue and white paper on the bottom in the middle shows the causes and resolutions of the accidents.

If it ain't raining, it ain't training.

People make fun of my big, bulky, dorky tent.  I like the roominess though.

We convered more distance on day 3 than on days 1 and 2 combined.  After a few hours coming down through scree and mountain trails from the Karasawa area, we hit pretty flat trails next to rivers that would lead us back to the Kamikochi Bus Terminal.  

The Hondani Bridge

Let's hear it for Caleb's boots.  That repair held up for ten hard miles.

His boots more than earned this badge of honor.

Well cave cats and cave chicks, that's it for today.  I can't wait to do something like this again.

Take care of yourselves.  Stay dry and always carry some tape.

Leave a comment.  Subscribe.  Buy me a coffee and I will contribute to Caleb's boot fund.

Want to see a report on Japan's second and fourth-highest mountains?  Check out Kitadake and Ainodake.  The grandaddy of them all is Mt. Fuji, of course.

Caveman out

Around Saiko, Onigatake, Outake, Settougatake, Iyashinosato Nemba August, 2022

Greetings and salutations to cave dwellers of all ages and sizes.

I'm happy to say that I was able to get out to my mancave again yesterday.  This time I was able to knock off a few more peaks in the Fujigoko area.  Yesterday I was hiking along a ridgeline north of Saiko ("West Lake").  Let me give the hard-cold facts first and then I'll tell a bit of a story with pictures.

Location:  Ridge north of Saiko.  Mostly in Fujikawaguchiko

Starting and stopping point: 

Just north of Saiko (Sai Lake). There is a parking lot. Saiko Iyashinosato Nenba Bus Stop

Mountains climbed: 

雪頭ケ岳 (Settogatake "Snow Head Mountain") 鬼ケ岳 (Onigatake "Ogre"/"IT!") 金山 (Kanayama "Gold" or "Money" "Mountain")　鍵掛 (Kagikake "Key" "Hook")　吉沢山 (Yoshizawa "Lucky" "Stream") 王岳 (Ootake "King" "Mountain") 横沢ノ頭 (Yokozawanoto "Horizontal" "Stream" "Head")

Getting there/getting around:  

41 minutes by bus from Kawaguchiko Station.  The first bus (on a weekday in August) leaves at 9:10 am.  The last bus back leaves about at 3:50 pm.  Check ahead!!!  Then check again.  Bus schedules are seasonal.  Fujikyuko Bus English information

Map:  

Yama to Kogen Chizu #32 富士山

Weather Information: 

 Hiking Weather forecast for 鬼が岳 (Onigatake)

Distance:  

12.6km

Elevation:  

Lowest: 910m. Highest: 1,738m. Total Ascent: 1,458m and Total Descent 1,459m

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

Some ropes and steep spots necessitate some upper body strength.  Some of the steep spots are a bit slippery so you must watch your step.

Facilities:  

Nothing on the trail.  No water, toilets or commerce.  The parking lot at the Iyashinosato Nenba place is free.  There are vending machines there and (seasonal, I'm sure) restaurants and souvenir shops just outside the Iyashinosato Traditional Village.  I don't think there is even a public toilet there unless you pay the admission fee and actually enter the Traditional Village.

Thoughts/observations: 

I was more pleased with this hike than I expected.  My first visit to Saiko left me unimpressed.  I descended to the lake from Junigatake after hiking over from Lake Kawaguchi.  Mt. Fuji isn't really visible at the lake level there so the views weren't great.  I must say the views from above the lake and, at water level also on the west side, are really great.  This hike could definitely be done year-round but I would bring spikes in the winter.  If you want to hike around here, you might want to skip the last peak I went to.  There was nothing to see.  I only went that far because I plan on continuing this trail at a later date.

Today was the first time I've seen actual crowds of tourists in a long time.  The campgrounds are full.  The lakes are dotted with people in various boats and SUPs.  I was happy to see Japanese getting out and enjoying themselves.  I'm happy for the tourist businesses, too.  I didn't enjoy the traffic coming home, though.  😂

If you looked very closely at the map, you may notice there are two mountains pronounced "Settodake."  If you looked even closer, you might notice that the Japanese characters for the two mountains are different.  This is a particularly frustrating aspect of the Japanese language.  Because the writing system is based on ideographs, there are a lot of homophones that are written completely differently and mean different things.  The fact that these mountains are in spitting distance of one another adds another level of danger of miscommunication.  Yesterday I had a conversation on the trail about Settodake with another hiker only to ask myself later if we were talking about the same place.

One other thing about one of the names of these mountains.  One of them is Onidake.  "Oni" (Owe knee) means ogre or demon.  It is also the word Japanese kids use when they play tag.  In English, we'd say, "You're it."  In Japanese you say "O mae ha oni da!"  (You are the oni!)

These days the first rays of the sun wake me up.  That is useful for these hikes because it's about a 3-hour ride to get to the areas I've been going to lately.  Yesterday I was wondering upon awakening if it was a good idea to go--the weather forecast wasn't spectacular and it's a drag to go so far and then be denied a picture-perfect day.  And couldn't my feet use a break anyway?  Blah blah blah

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  My hesitancy about the day usually dissipates by the time I open my front door and head outside.  I'm always happy that I just go.

Of course, I was happy that I went.

It was a nice ride.  

These two pictures from the road are exemplary of the random weirdness I encounter in Japan that bewilders and amuses me.

Almost there . . .

One of the things I really like to do is to identify the mountains I've been on in the past.  Hiking around Mt. Fuji makes this especially fun because it gives such a great vantage point to look in all directions.  I took this picture quite a while back from Mt. Fuji and it takes in where I hiked yesterday as well as a couple hikes I made one week previously on Mt. Ryugatake and Mt. Omuro.

From yesterday's hike:

That was way more information than you wanted, I'm sure.  I liked playing with the pictures, though.

On to yesterday's activities.

Off to the trail . . .

It was steep getting up to the first mountain but once at elevation, the view was worth it.  This ridgeline has great views all along the way.

Mt. Kagitake.  Not the most exciting mountaintop.

This is the marker for the last mountaintop of the day.  Not exactly breathtaking.

The last couple miles were on an old paved road.

These last several photos are not of the mountain but of the Iyashinosato place.  Being sweaty and carrying my backpack, I wasn't into this type of sightseeing thing but if you were sightseeing around Saiko I think this would be a nice place to spend a few hours while getting a sense of what life was like here back in the day.

There are various and sundry exhibits, restaurants and shops.  

This sign says "Koshu Silk".  If you are familiar with Tokyo, you may know Koshu Kaido (Street).  It runs past Shinjuku Station.  Koshu Kaido, which runs out to Yamanashi, to a city named--wait for it--Koshu City, was the Japanese silk road.

The Caveman is a cheapskate but he pried his wallet open here just long enough to buy Mrs. Caveman a souvenir.

Well, like Porky Pig says, "That's it, everyone."  I have one more excursion planned for this summer vacation that I'm really excited about.  Stay right there on the edge of your seat and I'll give you a report next week.

Or better yet, subscribe to the blog to get notified without having to wait on the edge of your seat.  You do that by pressing the giant round button that says "subscribe" below.  Easy-peasy Japaneasy.

Here is more from the Fuji Five Lakes area

https://mymancaveisthemountains.blogspot.com/2023/02/just-lake-shoji-area-dayhike.html

Saiko

Near Yamanakako

Ryugatake Kenashi

Ryugatake and Omuro

Mt. Ishiwari Lake Yamanaka

Lake Kawaguchi Mts. Kurodake, Happu, Nakattou and Awazu

The bottom half of Fuji in winter

Fuji in August

Caveman hikes Mt. Ashitaka. Volcanic mountain range south of Mt. Fuji

Greetings cave dwellers.  The caveman here.  Welcoming you back to another spelunking episode.  Hope you have your helmets and headlamps on because we're dropping into my cave.

I'm taking advantage of the long summer days while they're here to travel farther and take longer hikes than I can the rest of the year.  Yesterday was my 4th (maybe 5th?) venture to Shizuoka in just the last month or so.  It's about a 3-hour-ride each way for me to get down there.  My backside is sorer than my feet but it's been fun to see some new places.  Shizuoka is really a playground.  If you like nature, fishing, golfing, onsens, you're sure to find something you like down there.  

Yesterday, I went to Mt. Ashitaka, in Japanese, 愛鷹山,--Ashitakasan.  It's called "san", mountain, but the "san" is actually kind of a mountain range composed of several "take"* or "dake"--another word for mountain.

*pronounced "tah kay" or "dah kay"

Here's the lowdown.  Mt. Ashitaka is a volcano and the name for the elevated general area is Ashitakasan.  The individual peaks are named and called "take" or "dake".   "Take" means something like sharp, pointy thing sticking up out of the ground pointing at the sky.

Forgive me for continually digressing, but there are actually many words for mountain.  "san", "yama", "take", "dake", "mine", "rei", "gaku", "maunten" . . . and they all have different meanings.  Trying to understand them is a bit like trying to understand the whiskey vs. whisky or Scotch vs. Scottish arguments.  At a certain point, I just give up caring.  I've seen some virtual fisticuffs online about things like whether Mt. Fuji is pronounced "Fujisan" or "Fujiyama."  That gets tempers flaring even more than disputes about the ratio of sheep to humans in New Zealand.  

I don't have the energy to fight.  When these things come up, I just grab my popcorn and watch.

Anyway, as I was saying . . . Mt. Ashitaka.  Lovely mountain.  Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the best.  I had clear skies in the morning, but most of the best viewing points were fogged in while I was there.  I'll have to get back in the fall or winter.  

First, the details 

Location:  

Shizuoka Prefecture, Susuno.  Just south of Fuji

Starting and stopping point:  

Ashitaka Tozanguchi Parking Lot

Mountains climbed: 

Maedake (前岳), Ihaidake (位牌岳), Yobikodake (呼子岳), Echizendake (越前岳), Kurodake (黒岳).

Getting there/getting around:  

Parking for 30 cars there.  Fujikyu Buses come from Gotemba in 30 minutes.  The Fujikyu City Bus from Mishima takes 51 minutes.

Map:  

Yama to Kogen Chizu #32 富士山

Weather Information:  

This is a Japanese link but you  can see the weather report graded for climbing in 3 hour increments.  "A" is best.  "C" is worst.  Weather for Ashitaka

Distance:  

14.5km (about 9 mi.)  Took me about 8 hours.

Elevation:  

Minimum: about 750m, Maximum: 1,504m  Total elevation climbed: 1,636, descended: 1,631

Technical considerations/difficulty:  

There are some fairly steep spots.  Looking at the statistics distance and elevation of this hike, I found it interesting that this hike was more arduous than the one I made up Mt. Fuji last week. I first climbed up to Mt. Ihai.  There is a steep ascent up to the top with a lot of ropes.  Throughout this area, there were a lot of ropes and some narrow ridge walks.  In a few places there were rickety-looking ladders but they were stable enough.  Quite a bit of the area going up to Wariishi Pass (割石峠), is scree.  You must be confident with a map and have a good sense for the trail because you really have to be able to almost sniff out the next red ribbon marking the trail.  The scree area could be concerning in very heavy rain.

Two of the peaks are inaccessible these days due to rock slides.  I wanted to climb them but will have to come back another day.

Facilities:  

There is a porta potty at the parking lot.  If you need water or food, bring it with you because there is nothing on the trail.

Thoughts/observations:  

Really top-notch views of Mt. Fuji to be had here.  I got some spectacular peeks at Mt. Fuji and the surrounding ski areas, military training areas (Japan Self Defense Forces and USMC), and other things on its south side.  Mt. Hoei and its volcano crater on that side of Fuji, is so cool.  Unfortunately, the weather turned early in the day and I can only guess how beautiful the view of Suruga Bay to the south of Mt. Ashitaka might be.  Like I said, I'll have to go back when the weather is better.  

You could make this a much shorter hike than I did.  If you're not into straining too much, you could just go to Kurodake from the parking lot and be done in just 3 or 4 hours--but still get a great view.

Trivia:  

Japanese mountain names are interesting and sometimes infuriating.  There are so many mountains, that many of them have the same name.  Case in point is this hike's Kurotake, "Black Mountain".  There are too many Black Mountains to count and there are many "Round Mountains" and "Big Mountains", etc.  One of the peaks on this hike is 位牌岳　("ee high").  I had to look up eehigh in the dictionary.  It means "Buddhist mortuary tablet."

Let's close out by looking at some pictures.  I'll start by showing some pictures I took from Mt. Fuji last August.  

Mt. Hoei, that I mentioned before, is the bump in the middle foreground of the next picture.  The dark spot on the right is the top of its crater.

Mt. Echizen is to the right side of the picture.  Behind that is Banzaburo.  I climbed that the day I climbed Mt. Amagi earlier this summer.

Mt. Echizen is actually higher than the mountain behind it.  It just looks smaller because of the perspective.

Those pictures from Fuji were taken on this trip

Just past the parking lot is the trailhead for Kurodake.  I skipped this and kept going toward Ihaidake.

Much of the trail was this lush, green moss.  It reminded me of last week's Aokigahara Forest.

Mt. Maedake.  Not much to see there.

Woohoo!

On the top of Mt. Ihai.

I wrote down this blog's web address.  With advertising like that, I'll be an influencer by next Tuesday.

"Ihaidake"

Mt. Echizen on the left.

I'm not sure if that was put there to assist or to obstruct.

Lately when I'm hiking, I've been jealous of the people I see getting pizza delivered to the top by my friend, Umanami-san.  

最近、登山するとき出前ピザを注文したハイカーたちを見ると羨ましくなる。これは私の友人うまなみさん。

I'm cheap though, so I made my own.

ケチの私は出前を頼まない。お金の無駄に使いたくないからね。

ごめんね。うまなみさん。

 

I met Umanamisan here.  Mr. Umanami's YAMAP page

Mt. Echizen has a beautiful viewing spot.

Mt. Kuro

Mt. Kuro

I guess I was the last one here.

This is a nice picture but it's kind of cheating.  I took it by Lake Yamanaka on the way home.

Drop by again soon.

Make sure you subscribe before the available subscriptions run out.

Leave a comment and ¥5,000 and I promise Mr. Umanami will deliver a slice of pizza to you.  Either that or he will at least deliver a smile.  That's what he does.  As he says, he delivers surprise and smiles to mountaintops.  He is the king of delivery!

「山頂まで｢驚き｣と｢笑顔｣を デリバリーしています。 配達王に俺はなるっ！」

How about another 100 Famous Mountain in the Fuji Hakone Izu National Park?  Mt. Amagi

Want to see the place where the legendary Kintaro was born? Mt. Kintoki

Something different?  The famous snow monkeys of Jigokudani

That's all for today.

Caveman out