Mid-January and my final foray into Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park to knock off the last unclimbed Hyakumeizan in the Kanto region. The early morning train rolled into Chichibu station under clear skies as I changed to a bus bound for the trailhead at Hinata Ooya. The route required a change of buses a little further on, [...]
Archive for the ‘Kanto hikes’ Category
Mt. Ryokami – trouble on ice
Posted in General, Kanto hikes, tagged hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Mt. Ryokami on January 31, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Mt. Takao – lessons in crowd control
Posted in Kanto hikes, tagged hiking, Japan, Mt. Takao, Tokyo on January 5, 2011 | 1 Comment »
A free weekend in late November and I find myself once again in the urban chaos of Tokyo. Every time I come here I vow never to return, yet somehow always end up rubbing elbows with the masses on the Yamanote line. My plan this time around is to climb a mountain, ANY mountain! I [...]
Mt. Tanzawa part 3 – an unexpected gift
Posted in Kanto hikes, tagged hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Kanto hikes, Mt. Tanzawa on February 6, 2010 | 3 Comments »
The lights came on at 6am, which, for Japanese mountain hut standards, is a late start. The amicable caretaker prepared a modest meal consisting mostly of pickled vegetables and rice: precisely the same food we ate the previous night, but such is life in a dwelling with no running water. I was so tired and [...]
Mt. Tanzawa part 2 – an unexpected gift
Posted in Kanto hikes, tagged hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Kanto hikes, Mt. Tanzawa on January 29, 2010 | 1 Comment »
As we dropped off the northern reaches of Tou-no-dake’s bald flank, the path turned to crusty snow and ice. We held off on crampons for the time being, sticking slowly and firmly to the exposed edges of the wooden steps. Kanako seemed to enjoy her first true descent on the unbroken traverse. Once out of [...]
Mt. Tanzawa part 1 – an unexpected gift
Posted in Kanto hikes, tagged hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Kanto hikes, Mt. Tanzawa on January 22, 2010 | 1 Comment »
We both woke before dawn, anxious to flee the capital city before the onslaught of the morning commute. Leaving the warm confines of Madoka’s cozy apartment, Kanako and I head southwest to Shibusawa, home to the Tanzawa mountains and our playground for the next two days of celebrating my wife’s 28th birthday. Things just had [...]
Mizugaki-Kinpu-Kobushi Traverse – Day 2
Posted in Kanto hikes, tagged hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Kanto hikes, Mt. Kobushi on March 8, 2009 | 1 Comment »
The night was long. Too long. Bitterly cold, I drifted in and out of consciousness, counting down the minutes until daybreak. Retreating to the hut to cook some breakfast, I pored over the map. Last night’s companions had already started the long slog to Mt. Kinpu, so I sat all alone, thinking about the big [...]
Mizugaki-Kinpu-Kobushi Traverse – Day 1
Posted in Kanto hikes, tagged hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Kanto hikes, Mt. Kinpu, Mt. Mizugaki on February 1, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Late November and the thirst for adventure never fully quenched. I plotted the course carefully, seizing yet another opportunity to knock off a few peaks on a holiday weekend. The taxi ride from Nirasaki station to the trailhead couldn’t have been more pleasant. The autumn colors boasted their fiery brilliance, the first snows of Yatsu-ga-take [...]
Mt. Kumotori
Posted in Kanto hikes, tagged Chichibu-tama-kai National Park, hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Mt. Kumotori on October 20, 2008 | 2 Comments »
The hardest part about hiking in Japan is getting to the trailheads, as I’ve reluctantly had to accept the harsh “all buses leave from Tokyo” mentality that various bus companies have adopted over the last several years. Alpico Group is the biggest culprit, drastically slashing their money-losing night bus services from the Kinki region to [...]
