Hiking in the Japanese Alps.
There are times out in the middle of nowhere when you can’t believe that you are actually there and this was one of them. Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya—big cities all unimaginable while stood at the summit of places like this.
The weather this August—torrential rain day after day for almost two weeks. One of my goals this month was to do plenty of hiking, with Mt. Shiomi (塩見岳) in the Minami Alps being the main objective. Mt. Shiomi is a mountain I’ve wanted to climb for some time now but never quite managed it.
This was the third time I’ve hiked this trail. In July 2019 Sampukutoge was the goal but then I was unaware that an additional 40 minutes southwest to Eboshidake would, on a clear day, present me with a clear view of Mt. Fuji.
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With the backpack packed and batteries charged, chocolate and sugary snacks purchased, I headed to the Torikura trail entrance (鳥倉登山口) late on Saturday afternoon to start the 2 to 3 hour climb to the campsite.
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This is more of a note to myself than anything else. A reminder that the mountains are still there.
The trails are open and the longer hikes are possible again. Back in 2014 I hiked up Eboshigadake (2291m・烏帽子岳) in southern Nagano and have wanted to return for a long time.
If I’m honest I still find the idea of hiking in the Japanese Alps daunting. It’s only recently that I’ve started making the switch from cycling and bike packing to hiking and exploring the mountains on foot so planning a trip can feel overwhelming at times.
Late last summer I went on a solo night hike up the Chuo Alps from Agematsu in Nagano. The A
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