#74 Mt Mizugaki, one of the best hiking trips.
One mountain I try to climb at the end of October every autumn.
When I returned from Europe two weeks ago, it was late October, and the mountains of eastern Japan were in the middle of autumn leaves. Autumn is a busy time of year for me. There is one thing that I can't miss in late October. In Japanese terms, it is called "Momiji-gari" or "autumn-leaf viewing" in short, going to see the autumn leaves in the mountains. During and after the spread of the new coronavirus, mountain climbing has become very popular in Japan, and during the high season of fresh green and autumn leaves, it has become very crowded. The days of being the only ones on the summit are long gone. On weekends, it is so crowded that there is no place to have lunch at the summit. It has been the strongest factor which kept me the distance going to mountains in the past several years.
In recent years, I have been going to the same mountains more often because I can see the desired autumn leaves more accurately if I make fixed-point observations in the same mountain range. I wrote about the same Mt. Mizugaki last year, but there were some discoveries that I did not make last year and some things that impressed me for the first time in several decades.
What is Mt Mizugaki
Located on the west side of the Okuchichibu mountain range, Mt. Mizugaki is a 2,230-meter-high rocky peak formed entirely of granite. The area around the summit is dotted with rock climbing slopes such as Byobu Iwa, making it a mecca for climbers.
You can reach the summit from Mizuigaki Sanso, and the elevation difference from the trailhead to the summit is 720 m. It takes about 5 hours to go up and come down depending on your level. There is a steep ascent just below the summit, making this an introductory course, but it is also popular with veterans.
From the summit, you can enjoy the majestic views of the Okuchichibu mountains, the Yatsugatake mountain range, the Southern Alps, and Mt. Fuji. I've written more details about the mountain in my previous post. Please refer to that if you'd like to know more.
Why am I obsessed with Mt Mizugaki so much?
Why do I love this mountain so much? It is because of the true thrill of climbing up the steep slopes of the rocky summit, and the vegetation and scenery changes rapidly despite the short route.
Even if you take the vegetation alone, from the starting point after getting out of the car, the first half is covered with a red and yellow carpet of broad-leaved trees such as Quercus crispula, while the second half is a very steep slope surrounded by evergreen trees.
When you turn around at this steep section, the view below you changes rapidly, and at the end, 3,000-meter mountains such as Mt Fuji and the Southern Alps. I never get tired of visiting in late October, when the entire mountain is covered in yellow and red, and the air is clear.
Discoveries
I mentioned earlier that one very moving event on this mountain trip was that my wife and I were alone on the summit for 15 minutes on a clear, cloudless day. I have climbed many mountains over the decades, but I never imagined that I would have the summit all to myself on such a beautiful day in high season. I thought it was a reward for starting the climb at sunrise.
Last year at the same time, a group of nearly 20 people with a guide occupied the summit and there was no place to sit down and relax. I was surprised to see the course time for this time. I set out at about the same time as last year, but when I looked at the time of my descent, it took almost two hours longer. My wife and I discussed the reason, and even taking into account that I was not as strong as last year, I was walking slower this year. Last year, there were too many people, and I wanted to reach the summit before the larger group, so I was walking at a very fast pace, pushing myself considerably. At the summit, I became disillusioned by the sheer number of people and quickly dismounted. This year, I had plenty of time to stop and take pictures and discovered many new views.
I had not noticed last year. There were many other places besides the summit where I could see spectacular views of Mt Fuji. This way, I could climb a mountain I had almost forgotten about.
However, on the way down the mountain, we passed many climbers, even though it was a Monday. Just imagining the sight of those climbers arriving at the summit made me thankful that I had set out first thing in the morning.
The best way to get there from Tokyo
I left my home in western Tokyo by car at 3:00 a.m., arrived at the local parking lot at 5:30 a.m., packed up, and was able to start walking at 6:00 a.m. It would be easiest for a foreign visitor to have me drive to the site and show you around, but my position as a guide prohibits me from "unlicensed taxi". So, what should you do? You should use the public bus if you don’t have a car. The public bus operates from the 1st of April to the 23rd of November. Please be aware that they have three different schedules. The first one is for weekdays, the second one is for weekends, and the last one is for particular dates for school holidays.
A day trip from Tokyo
Take the first bus departing from Nirasaki Station on the Chuo Honsen Line at 08:50 and get off the mountain in time to catch the bus departing from Mizugaki Sanso at 15:20. On weekends, the last bus leaves at 16:30.
You can't make it to the summit in the morning, but this might be the most practical way of visiting in one day.
Staying at Fujimidaira Hut(There is a campsite)
Fujimidaira Hut There is a hut which is a one-hour walk up from Mizugaki Sanso. Fujimidaira Hut, where you can stay overnight and aim for the summit first thing the next morning. It takes 1.5 to 2 hours from here to the summit. Although it is a two-day and one-night plan, you may choose to leave Tokyo at a leisurely pace and summit the mountain in the morning while it is still quiet.
Summaries
This guide will be helpful only for tourists who have already been to Japan several times and who like mountains, if you are blessed with good weather during the autumn season, you should have a wonderful day. But make sure to choose weekdays. It is going to be a disaster if you visit weekends.
Please make sure to have the right equipment such as climbing shoes, warm clothes, and emergency rations. In this season, it gets very cold in the mornings and evenings at altitudes above 2,000 meters. When I started my ascent, the temperature was below 5 degrees Celsius.
I hope you'll have an opportunity to visit Mt Mizugaki. This is one of the places I strongly recommend visiting in autumn if you like to be in nature.
I was excited to do this until I read that you left at 3:00 am! You are very dedicated! I’m glad you and your wife were able to enjoy the view without crowds of people, after that wake-up, you deserved it!