Hiking the Alps

This year progress on the Top 100 Mountains continues. Here are pictures from day and overnight trips to the Japanese Southern Alps and Central Alps this year.

Mt. Hoo

During spring break, I drove to Kofu, Yamanashi, and climbed Mt. Hōō (鳳凰山). There are several summits, and given the abundance of snow and ice, I summitted Jizō-dake (地蔵ヶ岳), notable for a giant rock at the top — the Obelisk. The trail was slow but fun: one third dirt, one third ice, and one third snow.

Yatsugatake & Mt. Tateshina

The snow was gone by May, so I drove up to the Central Alps in southern Nagano and climbed Yatsugatake (八ヶ岳). Yatsugatake has a handful of summits, and my route went over Amida-dake (阿弥陀岳) and Aka-dake (赤岳). The next day, I went up Mt. Tateshina (蓼科山), another mountain not far to the north. One fun thing about hiking so much in the Southern and Central Alps this year is learning the landscape. Many of these mountains are visible from one another on clear days, and if you don't know what you're looking at, it's guaranteed that some other hiker will tell you. Mt. Fuji shows up from time to time, too.

Mt. Kita & Mt. Aino

The second- and third-highest mountains in Japan are Mt. Kita (北岳) and Mt. Aino (間ノ岳), and you can day trip them if you really want to. There are many mountain huts along the way, so your gear need not be burdensome, and the scenery is majestic. Nevertheless, it's strenuous to say the least, and my legs were aching by the end of the day.

Mt. Tekari & Mt. Hijiri & Mt. Kisokoma

In late summer I drove to Nagano for more hiking. First was a two-day hike. It was a brutal ascent up to Mt. Tekari (光岳), but once I got up there, following the ridge north over Mt. Chausu (茶臼岳) was pleasant, and the weather was wonderful. After the long day with massive vertical gain, I spent the night at Chausu Hut (茶臼小屋). The mattress was thin and I slept poorly, but the building was warm and the food was good. The next morning we all awoke to a spectacular view of Mt. Fuji at sunrise. The pictures speak for themselves.

On the second day, I continued north, stopped briefly at the top of Mt. Kamikochi (上河内岳) went to the summit of Mt. Hijiri (聖岳), and headed back down to the car. Going down was much easier than going up, but my shoes were getting old and I got some blisters. That afternoon I went to an onsen in the nearby village of Toyamago, because a long bath after a long hike is just lovely, and then drove north for an hour.

After sleeping in the car, I got up and took the alpine bus and cable car most of the way up Mt. Kisokoma (木曽駒ヶ岳). From there it was a leisurely stroll to the summit. Many years ago we were here on a school trip but didn't get to the top because of bad weather. So it was nice to return, go the extra kilometer, and get the good vibes and views.