Kyogatake 2296m

Mountain: Kyogatake, Kiso Mountains (Central Alps), Nagano
Height: 2296m (we started at 950m)
Grade: 3
Hiking time: 8 hours including breaks
Number of hikers: 10
Transportation: cars (Chuo expressway to Komagane exit)
Highlights: beautiful flowers, fragrant larch trees, (when the remains of the sand from China cleared in the afternoon) we had lovely views of the alps and of Kisokomagatake.
Lowlights: Many of us were not in the best condition. Lots of blisters, aching legs and tiredness about, but we all made it up and down OK. I'm glad we brought Dr. Justin and his medical kit along!

Link to the hiking course

Jo's photos

Sergio's photos

I forgot to take a picture at the top! Did anyone else get one? Please post a comment and link to your pictures.

Magome-Tsumago hike

Magome- Tsumago-Nagiso hike Sunday 20th May

Today as the weather cooperated perfectly, 20 avid hikers (includind two little kids) decided to give the 2 important post towns in the Edo period on the Nakasendo trail a try. We started in a town called Magome (Gifu) and walked 8,0 km to Tsumago (Nagano). They really are beautiful old preserved towns. Along the way we were treated with great views from the mountains, tiny villages, rice fields, waterfalls and forests. From Tsumago we headed for Nagiso Sta. , at the end of the hike. All in all, it took us 5 hours and was a great Sunday.

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/sergioinjapan/MagomeTsumagoNagisoHike

Fujiwaradake (1120), Mie

Mountain: Fujiwaradake (1120m) in the Suzuka range, Mie prefecture
Grade: 2 star
Leaders: Jo and David
Transportation: We took the 8.01 Kintetsu train to Tomida (28 minutes) then changed onto the 8.39 Sangi line train to Nishi Fujiwara (50 minutes). Coming back we just made the 5.34 Sangi line train back to Tomida (there are only two every hour). Total return fare from Nagoya: 2080 yen.
Number of hikers: 11
Total hiking time: 8 hours (including a few long breaks)
Description: A fast, challenging hike up the zigzagged steep forest path for two hours twenty minutes. Lunch in the sunshine next to the hut then up through the dwarf bamboo to the summit. We could see Mount Ibuki and Ise bay in the distance as it was a very clear day. We were enjoying the hiking and the good weather so much that we decided to walk to another nearby peak (Tengudake, 1165m) for more breathtaking, panoramic views. Some rope work and scrambling coming down. We saw some beautiful wild spring flowers including wisteria (fuji), azalea (tsutsuji) and iris (ayame). We saw a couple of snakes - including one which was lying across our path! We stepped over it very carefully. We weren't sure what type of snake it was, possibly a Japanese keelback (hibakari). Near the bottom, we were able to fill our water bottles from a spring which was good timing as we were almost empty. We also enjoyed walking through two shrines before going back to the train station.

Photos here (hikers - feel free to post comments and your pictures)

"Golden" Mt. Aso hike in Kyushu

Pictures at:http://picasaweb.google.com/sergioinjapan/GoldenMtAsoHike

Secret beach, Mie prefecture