#29 Mt Mizugaki, a unique spectacular place.
My recommending mountain to spend a half day in autumn.
Which season are you the busiest in a year? It may sound like a silly question and most of you may say “autumn” since lots of preparation are needed for winter. It is autumn to me, too. For me, autumn is a time to struggle with the temptation to go outside while I need to stay at home and prepare for the winter. The problem in Japan is that autumn doesn’t come all at once and finishes suddenly in Japan, but it starts at a high altitude in the north and comes down gradually to the south. It starts in the middle of September at Hokkaido and finishes at the beginning of December in Kyusyu. So technically you can enjoy autumn leaves for a couple of months if you can travel from the north to the south. Personally, October is the busiest month since I chase autumn leaves in mountains within the distance of a day trip. This week I would like to share one of my hiking experiences to Mt Mizugaki in Yamanashi prefecture last week.
Characteristics of the mountain
Huge boulders and great views from the top are the characteristics of this mountain. The entire mountain is formed of biotite granite and has a sacred aspect for rock climbers. Therefore, a certain amount of physical fitness is required as the upper part of the trail weaves its way up between huge rocks. You will receive the reward of 360 degrees great view from the top of the mountain. Of course, you will see Mt Fuji in the distance. The altitude is just 2,230 meters but the view is more than the altitude. And the vegetation is varied, and you can enjoy the colorful autumn leaves. With easy access from Tokyo, the great view from the top, and the relatively ease of climbing, Mt Mizugaki is very popular among hikers of all ages. I still remember that I took my children when they were very small.
Location and access
Mt Mizugaki is located 110 km west of Tokyo (straight distance) and major transportation is by car. There is a bus service from Nirasaki-station, but it doesn’t run all through the year. The company called Yamanashi Kyohoku Kotsu operates from the first Saturday of April till the 23rd of November. It costs 2,200 Yen from Nirasaki-Station to Mizugaki Sanso. For timetables, please refer to the following Japanese page and there are English timetables by PDF.
The ideal way is by car which will take you to the parking at Mizugaki Sanso in just less than three hours from central Tokyo. But please be careful if you go there by car on the weekends. The parking can accommodate around 80 cars, but it fills up very quickly. Last week I left my home at 03:30 in the morning and got there at 05:30 then by the time I left the parking at 06:00 it was nearly full. It was due to the weekend and high season, but you will end up parking your car alongside the road which is not recommended.
It is a recent general trend of parking situations for hiking entrances. It is annoying to waste a fairly long time roaming around to find a parking space. For navigation, put “Mizugaki Sanso” in your app. Please be aware that there is no shop after the Sutama Interchange of Chuo Highway. At the parking, there is a toilet, and users are asked to pay 100 Yen every time they use it for maintenance.
Highlights
The climbing begins with a pleasant ascent through broadleaf trees and the gradient becomes steeper and steeper gradually. It only 30 minutes ascend and brings you the first viewpoint of the whole mountain. Amazingly, the rocky peak comes into your sight suddenly and your expectation of the day grows rapidly. After this viewpoint, it only takes 10 minutes to Fujimidaira-goya which is a base to climb Mt Mizugaki and Mt Kinpu which I wrote three weeks ago. Many people stayed overnight in tents and were congested since it was the weekend during the high season. Naturally, hikers stay overnight closer to the summit to maximize the chance of better views from the top in the morning since there are much more chances for a clearer view first in the morning.
After grabbing a snack, I started the ascend to the summit. Fairly easy walk through the deep woods and you descend once to the stream then the real ascend starts. You will see the whole peak from time to time, but it is covered by the woods. The strain on the body increases as you climb to the top. Overall, the trail is well-maintained, and you won’t be lost, but the boulders become bigger and the heart beats harder and harder. You have to stop and give way to hikers descending many times. I saw lots of people coming down around 07:30, I wondered what time they had started climbing.
After struggling the steep ascend in the big boulders, the southern view of the mountains opens up and it was a sign that the summit was coming closer. After climbing to a small saddle of the mountain the trail goes around the north side of the summit and you have to put up with another 10-minute steep climb on ladders.
It took just over one hour since walking from Fujimidaira-goya and it was an unspeakably spectacular view from the top. I was very lucky to reach there before the huge group of people arrived. I finally understand why there were lots of people climbing very early in the morning. There are no large rooms to accommodate many people at the top. I assume 30 to 40 hikers would be the most, especially if you want to take good pictures the location for the photography is limited.
Please be aware that the southern side of the peak is deeply sheer, precipitous cliffs. So please don’t get too closer to the edge of the rocks. There are a few huge rocks that are ideal for photographs with Mt Fuji on your back, but it is at your risk. There were chilly winds from the west and there was not much comfortable wind-protected space there.
It was not too long before I started descending. It was chilly and I didn’t want to be at the noisy crowded top. Descending was not as comfortable as I expected because of the steep rocky trail. In addition to that, I had to stop and wait so many times to give way to hikers climbing. I just didn’t count, but I could tell that so many people were in the mountain, and I strongly recommend avoiding weekends if you want to enjoy the solitude of the mountain. It took a little more than one hour to get back to Fujimidaira-goya since there were lots of giving way to ascending hikers.
Descending from the hut is going down the same way to the parking and I was back there by 10:30. It was quite a short walk for four and a half hours. I had to come back to the parking as early as possible considering the highway congestion on weekends. Every weekend the congestion starts around 14:00 at the head of Kobotoke Tunnel where traffics slow down on the slope. Congestion tends to expand up to 30 km and it drags on for many hours until night. I was lucky to be back home by 13:30 avoiding the congestion.
New findings
I was a bit concerned about the space for parking and the highway congestion on the way back. But I learned that these issues can be avoided at a very early start. It is advisable to get there before sunrise and start climbing as early as possible.
So my conclusion of hiking in this busy season is to climb and descend quickly, making it half day, then there will be much less stress, and can make the best use of the day.
Requirements and things to keep in your mind
It requires a certain level of fitness and mountain walking experience. This is because of the steep climbs, chain-link sections, etc., which are not part of normal hiking. The most important thing is to wear appropriate hiking shoes. Some people were wearing sneakers this time, but they will surely have a hard time when descending the mountain. I also climbed with low-cut trail run shoes, but I regretted that I would have been better off with hard-soled hiking shoes in the latter half of the descent.
It is a little bit conditional, but if you like to be in nature, visiting a mountain like Mt Mizugaki is another choice to experience Japan. Why don't you include it in your shortlist for next year?