18 November 2019
The most time consuming
Hiking Mount Takigoyama from Sasago station
Today I took a 2 hour train ride to Sasago station on the Chuo line, and once again, hiked the wrong way up a mountain.
I did not see a single other person all day! Today was a day when I might have liked to see a few other people to give me confidence I was actually on a trail.
I have done a hike from Sasago before on the southern side of the line, today I did one on the northern side.
It was a looping course, if you want to start and finish from Sasago, make sure you have a map, and go up the right side and come down the left. Do not go up the left side and come down the right. Better still go up and down the left, or go up the left and come down at a point further along the ridge closer to Hatsukari station back in the Tokyo direction. Confusing I know.
This trail was not long in distance or steps, but it was badly eroded, and took me a very long time to do, 6.5 hours all up. I got lost a few times and ended up bushwhacking. This involved laying on my front on the slope and side stepping along as I slid down sandy bits that had eroded away. Sometimes I would slide down for a while until I could grab something or get a foot hold. It was kind of fun but my trusty Chinese army pants are now destroyed. The crotch and one knee are worn through.
After reaching the summit, the path down was very tricky. I took a wrong turn, and added about 45 minutes onto my journey as I decided to double back when I realised my gps postion had left the marked trail on the map.
In hindsight, continuing on the 'wrong' path would have been better than doubling back to the right path.
The right path was very steep and rocky, and there really was no path! I had to keep checking the map to make sure I was on what someone had decided was the trail. I suspect if you were climbing up the rocks, then the front of some rocks would have been painted, but it was so steep on the way down, I could not see any of the painted markers. It really took me about 2 hours to go a kilometre.
Finally I made it back to an area where I could stand up without holding onto a tree, and progress was swifter. I was actually starting to consider if I would run out of light! That would have been an interesting situation on the side of a cliff that was rapidly eroding off a mountain.
The view from Sasago station. I knew from my previous trip here that there is no convenience store and no vending machine! I bought my supplies the night before.
The local government in this area loves signs for mountain climbers. I remembered that from last time also.
The view up the valley. My train out to here traveled through rain, the forecast said rain would stop in Tokyo by around 10AM, and I assumed it had come from where I was heading. There was actually no sign it had rained in this area at all, just blue sky!
I had to cross the highway over a little bridge. Those peaks are the ones I would be climbing today. I was excited, started running.
The first part of the hike that I was going up the wrong way, followed a logging trail alongside a waterfall. Actually the first couple of hours follow waterfalls as you shall see.
Eventually I left the logging track and started heading up, but would soon be rejoining another waterfall.
The lower parts in valleys were still colorful.
The waterfalls were a great companion. It was also very windy at times, and I got showered in leaves.
Some more leaves.
Annnnd some more.
And heres a bit more waterfall. It was just after here that the trail vanished. It had slid away into the waterfalls. I had to hike up and over very sandy landslidey parts of the mountain. I created a few mini landslides myself.
Eventually I got around the landslides and entered the dead zone, where all the trees look dead. I could not really photograph the sandy bits that had slid away as I had put my camera away and was using my hands to hold onto sand. Holding onto sand is not very effective.
Around the back of the peak quite near the summit was the easiest part of the trail. Loggers had basically created a highway up to the top.
Only the last bit was rocky, but it was a taste of what was to come. Here I am just metres from the summit.
Summit time. Fuji view! Hyperventilate!
A very lonely and windy summit. The wind was very gusty. I was in a rush to get down a bit.
View towards Okutama where I was a couple of days ago.
View back towards Tokyo up the Chuo valley. Smoke haze makes it hard to see, but the low bits of the terrain are all small cities.
Another of Fujisan, more to come! You dont just climb up a mountain to get Fuji views and not go overboard.
HEADSHOT. It was very windy. Why does my face look so fat today? Concerning.
I think I had hiked down a bit by now. Those are some other mountains with snow capped peaks. Not sure which ones but they are on the other side of the sizeable city of Kofu, which I still have never been to. I might stay there on my next trip to Japan.
The way down was confusing. This looks like the trail, but its not. This added about 45 minutes onto my hike, as it was not the trail down, it goes back to join the trail I used to come up. And as I mentioned earlier, a better plan would have been to do that!
Along the mystery trail, there was another Fuji view. I would have liked one later in the day as the snow was blowing off the summit, but I could not get a clear shot through the trees.
I had found the right trail. It was sandy, slidey, very steep. Thats my foot. It still doesnt look steep, but the only way down was to hang onto trees and slide between trees on your bum.
Sometimes the slide down was interrupted by a jagged peak. Theres a strange brown/blue/grey little leafy thing growing on the edges of the cliff here. A bit hard to see unless you open the bigger photo.
Another view up the valley.
Here is the last one of Fuji. It seems to have got a lot of snow on it in the last couple of days. I read reports it was snow free 3 days ago.
I had been going down slowly for hours, but had barely come down at all! Frustrating.
Another view of my foot looking down a rocky cliff this time. It never looks steep. I descended down terrain just like this for well over an hour.
Finally, I was convinced again I was on the right path, because I could see an actual path.
It was very colorful towards the end.
First sign of civilization, a cabin in the woods. I called in for a cup of tea, but there was no one home.
Back at the road! These minivans sit in front of the mountains I had just descended from in the late afternoon sun.
And finally, back at Sasago. It is not an attractive town!