Although over 3 years have passed since this hiking trip took place, I decided to make a post about it anyway as I hope I will be able to resume hiking shortly after my baby boy grows up a little and - besides this - it is always worth it to keep a note of hiking memories for future reference and as a courtesy to all the hikers whose logs and blogs have helped me so far. I should mention that at the time we took that climb I wasn't personally a very experienced hiker although I have always loved this pastime above any other activity. Therefore, I must say that the trip wasn't planned perfectly although it did go rather smooth - but I contribute it more to luck than our stamina or preparedness. After all, no one ever knows what can happen in the mountains and how quickly the weather conditions can change, especially in spring (we climbed on June 2).
As usually, I planned the trip in a way to arrive to the mountain entrance early in the morning, climb up and down during the day and stay overnight in a ryokan with hot springs. Staying overnight in one of the mountain lodges could be wonderful as it allows one to meet the sun before the descend, but it requires more planning and equipment - one has to at least bring a sleeping bag, food rather than just trail mixes, and a portable gas heater. If time allows, Yatsugatake-Akadake is one of those mountains where it is definitely worth spending the night (and in fact there is a small lodge on top of the mountain) as the sceneries are absolutely breathtaking.
I say Yatsugatake-Akadake, but the proper way would be the following. The mountain range itself is called "Yatsugatake"（八ヶ岳）and Akadake (赤岳) is the name of its tallest mountain (2,899m). The range stretches from Nagano to Yamanashi Prefectures.
Here is the transportation and accommodation-related logistics of our route. On Friday evening we took a local JR train from Tokyo to Chino (茅野) (Nagano Prefecture). The train runs the Chuo Line and takes about 4 hours. One has to change trains at Tachikawa. The fare was 3260JPY. As we took off after work, we arrived very late and therefore headed straight to the hotel to get a good rest before the ascend. I remember we bought some o-nigiri and cup noodles from a small local convenience store and received plenty of valuable advice about weather and so forth from its owners - they could say we were planning the hike by our appearance. We stayed at a Chino Sky View Hotel and paid 6000JPY for the night. Although its name sounds resort-like, it is really a very simple small hotel 15 minutes walk from Chino station - clean and quiet - just what we needed before the adventures of the upcoming day. The next morning we walked back to the station to take a bus to Minodoguchi (美濃戸口) - one of the gateways to the Akadake mountain. The bus takes about 40 minutes and the fare is 900JPY one way. One should be careful as the earliest ones do not operate all the year round. Additionally, the service is not available fully during the season from November till April when the mountain is officially "closed". Here is this year's bus schedule (till April 2014). Professional hikers with experience in climbing in winter can still take the route, but they have to organize their trip differently.
Minodoguchi is considered one of the most popular gateways to the mountain, but thankfully there is absolutely nothing touristic about it. The reason is simple - though popular, it is one of the most advanced routes. The bus arrives pretty much right to the gateway. There is one traditional-style shop where one can buy some snacks, souvenirs and coffee. Again, I wouldn't expect it to operate daily. Although in Tokyo it was already hot to the point of suffocation, it was chilly in the gateway area and we were expecting to encounter some snow as we ascend. Right at the entrance, there was a "Be Aware of Bears" sign. We were told that bears are extremely rare, if present at all, in this area and if we are to see any animals that would be deers, wild goats or monkeys. We started climbing at around 9am. I wish I kept a log of the route, but I should say that it took us about 2 hours longer than expected to climb. We checked out many blogs of hiking enthusiasts in Japan and figured out that it would take us about 4-5 hours. The sceneries were magnificent. The sounds, the smells and the lights were too fascinating and, remembering the trip, I now realize that we stopped here and there to enjoy the atmosphere a little more often than the round-trip schedule allowed. In an unknown environment, this is not the best strategy. I will be posting some photos of the climb along the story as they will sure describe the spirit of the mountain better than words.
When we thought we were almost there and it actually did look like all we had to do is some final 30 minutes of the climb, the toughest, most steep part of the mountain was awaiting for us. There was a helicopter ground and lodge there where some hikers were taking a rest. It is possible that they were planning to stay overnight in that lodge in order to climb the final part in the morning and meet the sunrise at the summit.
Close to the summit it has started snowing lightly and the wind has risen. At one point we even thought it could be wiser to go back, but as we met another lodge owner (in his 40s) who told us we have almost made it, we decided to proceed, though - to be honest - at that point we were starting to get tired.
The man we met was from the lodge located right before the summit and he was busy organizing the route - moving the stones and attaching or fixing the ropes and chains. He told us he was the one who was maintaining the route. The final part leading to the summit could only be passed by holding the chain that stretched from there all the way up to the summit. The wind was too strong so we relied on the chain as much as possible. When we reached the summit, we saw a small shrine there. The wind was even more powerful here and it was becoming impossible to take pictures. Besides, the snowfall was getting heavier too. For this climb - as I believe we overestimated our strength and preparedness - the feeling of achievement was overwhelming but we were unable to calmly enjoy the view both because of the excitement caused by excessive adrenaline and of the fear that we may not actually be able to make it back before dark. The weather was changing rapidly and we were surrounded by thick fog and clouds. We asked another man from the lodge if we could make it back the same day, but he said he seriously recommended to stay overnight. We, hovewer, had no sleeping bags or supplies for more than half a day with us, so we decided to go back, but using our original route - not the second route that we were hoping to take on the way back and which would have made our way circular.
When we climbed back to where we saw the lodgers resting, we felt relieved - the steepest part was behind us and, after all, we were hiking the already familiar route. Minding the time, we decided to not rest. That was a right decision. We even snacked while walking. The parts of the way that seemed so easy and short when climbing up suddenly felt very difficult and long when climbing down. I believe that at that point the exhaustion started to take over so some of our expectations were not objective. The areas we thought we would cross in a matter of 15 minutes now seemed full of obstacles. It was still very cold but the wind and snow were much softer here than at the summit. In about 2 hours since we started descending, I tried calling the lodge where we were planning to stay overnight to let them know we would be late - but of course there was no coverage. Although it was still about 5pm at that point, it was slowly getting dark and the forest around, wet from rain and snow, was breathing heavily under the wind, making all kinds of mysterious sounds. Then - about 2 more hours into the descend - we finally hit the flat road through the forest that was leading to the Minodoguchi gateway.
It was about then that the sun faded away completely and, since we were surrounded by thick forest, it now started becoming dark rather fast. My phone rang and, feeling relieved that we finally made it that close before dark, I answered. That was a mistake as one should never lose alertness in the mountains especially in the evening. When I remember that day's climb I cannot stop thinking how incredibly lucky we were as there were so many things that could have gone wrong prompting us to sleep over in the mountains without enough supplies or even getting lost in the dark. Of course at that point we were fully sure in our ability to find the way, but there was more than one situation after we reached the lower part of the mountain where we had to choose whether to go left or right and - since no map that we knew of existed - had to rely on our memory and instincts in making the choice. We did take the right route in the end, but if you think of it it was just pure luck as nothing looked the same when the sun rays vanished.
In about 5 minutes of walking after I finished my fairly long phone conversation I suddenly saw something that made me stop at the spot at once. In about 50 meters ahead a massive animal rapidly crossed the road we were walking on. It was huge, black with the whitish collar, and fast. My hiking partner didn't get to see it but he was able to say that something was seriously wrong by looking at me and seeing how nervous I became. See, what I saw definitely did not look like a wild goat so we had no choice but to reluctantly admit that it was a bear. At that point there was no more room for panicking as we had to act and do it quickly. 7pm is not a good hour in an unknown mountain which apparently has some bears' present. I did see a bear once when hiking in the Caucasus Mountains in the south of Russia, but it was morning and I was a part of a bigger group lead by an instructor. Besides, at that time the animal was about 250 meters away and on top of a hill while we were at the valley going in a slightly different direction. I know a thing or two about bears - partially as both my father and uncle are licensed hunters and also because I am fascinated by these animals - but meeting one of them in the dark in the mountains is not something you would hope for. As it was two of us, we were in a disadvantageous situation as I heard bears recognize humans better when the hiker is alone as there is only one set of feet both footmarks and footsteps-wise. When there are two people an animal can assume it is another four-legged animal hence the target to attack. We also didn't own any bear bells with us so the only thing we could think of for making an unusual noise was using the plastic bottles and some cans we had. We tried playing the radio with the iPhone but the volume seemed too low. Therefore we started actively walking towards the spot where the animal crossed the road banging the cans and bottles against each other. When we were right at the spot and the feeling of fear intensified, the animal produced a massive roar and we could understand that it was still right there though we couldn't see anything behind the bushes. We passed the spot and I looked back shortly but saw nothing. My father told me a lot of stories about bears from his own or his hunting mates' experiences. Once, he says, the bear followed his friend for hours - not attacking but also not eager to leave. Apparently the animal was making sure that his territory remains intact. I guess we were luckier - it seemed the animal wasn't following us as far as we could see, though we still could hear some unusual sounds here and there.
After about 30 minutes I told my hiking mate that that roar had really scared me but I chose to not react to it anyhow to avoid multiplying the already-present fear. He was surprised. Apparently he also heard it vividly, but, since I didn't react, he persuaded himself that that was an illusion - after all, no one wants to admit that the bear was a couple of meters away from him - at least not at the very moment of that happening.
High on adrenaline, we finally arrived to the entrance to the mountain from where we started our journey and headed to Minodoguchi Kogen Lodge which we booked directly with the lodge and in advance. The dinner and hot springs that were awaiting for us felt amazing after such an adventurous climb and we chose to not talk much about things that evening and focus on resting. In the morning though we had an opportunity to talk and reflect on our mistakes each admitting that we learnt a great lesson for the future climbs - each in their own way. We also talked to the lodge's owners about our encounter with the bear. They first tried persuading us that what we saw must have been a wild goat, but after we described everything carefully, they admitted that it was a bear and seemed concerned - after all it was just about an hour walk from their place and the bears are considered extremely rare in Yatsugatake, at least in the part we were in. The owners seem to be great outdoor lovers themselves - the lodge has a lot of pictures of them hiking and is in itself a real part of nature made mostly of wood. The food that was served was incredibly delicious too so I highly recommend this place to anyone visiting the area and climbing the mountain.
To put a long story short, Akadake was one breathtaking experience and a must for all the mountain-lovers. It is also however a tricky mountain so it is better to be fully prepared for any unexpected turn. Good luck!
As usually, I planned the trip in a way to arrive to the mountain entrance early in the morning, climb up and down during the day and stay overnight in a ryokan with hot springs. Staying overnight in one of the mountain lodges could be wonderful as it allows one to meet the sun before the descend, but it requires more planning and equipment - one has to at least bring a sleeping bag, food rather than just trail mixes, and a portable gas heater. If time allows, Yatsugatake-Akadake is one of those mountains where it is definitely worth spending the night (and in fact there is a small lodge on top of the mountain) as the sceneries are absolutely breathtaking.
I say Yatsugatake-Akadake, but the proper way would be the following. The mountain range itself is called "Yatsugatake"（八ヶ岳）and Akadake (赤岳) is the name of its tallest mountain (2,899m). The range stretches from Nagano to Yamanashi Prefectures.
Here is the transportation and accommodation-related logistics of our route. On Friday evening we took a local JR train from Tokyo to Chino (茅野) (Nagano Prefecture). The train runs the Chuo Line and takes about 4 hours. One has to change trains at Tachikawa. The fare was 3260JPY. As we took off after work, we arrived very late and therefore headed straight to the hotel to get a good rest before the ascend. I remember we bought some o-nigiri and cup noodles from a small local convenience store and received plenty of valuable advice about weather and so forth from its owners - they could say we were planning the hike by our appearance. We stayed at a Chino Sky View Hotel and paid 6000JPY for the night. Although its name sounds resort-like, it is really a very simple small hotel 15 minutes walk from Chino station - clean and quiet - just what we needed before the adventures of the upcoming day. The next morning we walked back to the station to take a bus to Minodoguchi (美濃戸口) - one of the gateways to the Akadake mountain. The bus takes about 40 minutes and the fare is 900JPY one way. One should be careful as the earliest ones do not operate all the year round. Additionally, the service is not available fully during the season from November till April when the mountain is officially "closed". Here is this year's bus schedule (till April 2014). Professional hikers with experience in climbing in winter can still take the route, but they have to organize their trip differently.
Minodoguchi is considered one of the most popular gateways to the mountain, but thankfully there is absolutely nothing touristic about it. The reason is simple - though popular, it is one of the most advanced routes. The bus arrives pretty much right to the gateway. There is one traditional-style shop where one can buy some snacks, souvenirs and coffee. Again, I wouldn't expect it to operate daily. Although in Tokyo it was already hot to the point of suffocation, it was chilly in the gateway area and we were expecting to encounter some snow as we ascend. Right at the entrance, there was a "Be Aware of Bears" sign. We were told that bears are extremely rare, if present at all, in this area and if we are to see any animals that would be deers, wild goats or monkeys. We started climbing at around 9am. I wish I kept a log of the route, but I should say that it took us about 2 hours longer than expected to climb. We checked out many blogs of hiking enthusiasts in Japan and figured out that it would take us about 4-5 hours. The sceneries were magnificent. The sounds, the smells and the lights were too fascinating and, remembering the trip, I now realize that we stopped here and there to enjoy the atmosphere a little more often than the round-trip schedule allowed. In an unknown environment, this is not the best strategy. I will be posting some photos of the climb along the story as they will sure describe the spirit of the mountain better than words.
The man we met was from the lodge located right before the summit and he was busy organizing the route - moving the stones and attaching or fixing the ropes and chains. He told us he was the one who was maintaining the route. The final part leading to the summit could only be passed by holding the chain that stretched from there all the way up to the summit. The wind was too strong so we relied on the chain as much as possible. When we reached the summit, we saw a small shrine there. The wind was even more powerful here and it was becoming impossible to take pictures. Besides, the snowfall was getting heavier too. For this climb - as I believe we overestimated our strength and preparedness - the feeling of achievement was overwhelming but we were unable to calmly enjoy the view both because of the excitement caused by excessive adrenaline and of the fear that we may not actually be able to make it back before dark. The weather was changing rapidly and we were surrounded by thick fog and clouds. We asked another man from the lodge if we could make it back the same day, but he said he seriously recommended to stay overnight. We, hovewer, had no sleeping bags or supplies for more than half a day with us, so we decided to go back, but using our original route - not the second route that we were hoping to take on the way back and which would have made our way circular.
It was about then that the sun faded away completely and, since we were surrounded by thick forest, it now started becoming dark rather fast. My phone rang and, feeling relieved that we finally made it that close before dark, I answered. That was a mistake as one should never lose alertness in the mountains especially in the evening. When I remember that day's climb I cannot stop thinking how incredibly lucky we were as there were so many things that could have gone wrong prompting us to sleep over in the mountains without enough supplies or even getting lost in the dark. Of course at that point we were fully sure in our ability to find the way, but there was more than one situation after we reached the lower part of the mountain where we had to choose whether to go left or right and - since no map that we knew of existed - had to rely on our memory and instincts in making the choice. We did take the right route in the end, but if you think of it it was just pure luck as nothing looked the same when the sun rays vanished.
In about 5 minutes of walking after I finished my fairly long phone conversation I suddenly saw something that made me stop at the spot at once. In about 50 meters ahead a massive animal rapidly crossed the road we were walking on. It was huge, black with the whitish collar, and fast. My hiking partner didn't get to see it but he was able to say that something was seriously wrong by looking at me and seeing how nervous I became. See, what I saw definitely did not look like a wild goat so we had no choice but to reluctantly admit that it was a bear. At that point there was no more room for panicking as we had to act and do it quickly. 7pm is not a good hour in an unknown mountain which apparently has some bears' present. I did see a bear once when hiking in the Caucasus Mountains in the south of Russia, but it was morning and I was a part of a bigger group lead by an instructor. Besides, at that time the animal was about 250 meters away and on top of a hill while we were at the valley going in a slightly different direction. I know a thing or two about bears - partially as both my father and uncle are licensed hunters and also because I am fascinated by these animals - but meeting one of them in the dark in the mountains is not something you would hope for. As it was two of us, we were in a disadvantageous situation as I heard bears recognize humans better when the hiker is alone as there is only one set of feet both footmarks and footsteps-wise. When there are two people an animal can assume it is another four-legged animal hence the target to attack. We also didn't own any bear bells with us so the only thing we could think of for making an unusual noise was using the plastic bottles and some cans we had. We tried playing the radio with the iPhone but the volume seemed too low. Therefore we started actively walking towards the spot where the animal crossed the road banging the cans and bottles against each other. When we were right at the spot and the feeling of fear intensified, the animal produced a massive roar and we could understand that it was still right there though we couldn't see anything behind the bushes. We passed the spot and I looked back shortly but saw nothing. My father told me a lot of stories about bears from his own or his hunting mates' experiences. Once, he says, the bear followed his friend for hours - not attacking but also not eager to leave. Apparently the animal was making sure that his territory remains intact. I guess we were luckier - it seemed the animal wasn't following us as far as we could see, though we still could hear some unusual sounds here and there.
After about 30 minutes I told my hiking mate that that roar had really scared me but I chose to not react to it anyhow to avoid multiplying the already-present fear. He was surprised. Apparently he also heard it vividly, but, since I didn't react, he persuaded himself that that was an illusion - after all, no one wants to admit that the bear was a couple of meters away from him - at least not at the very moment of that happening.
High on adrenaline, we finally arrived to the entrance to the mountain from where we started our journey and headed to Minodoguchi Kogen Lodge which we booked directly with the lodge and in advance. The dinner and hot springs that were awaiting for us felt amazing after such an adventurous climb and we chose to not talk much about things that evening and focus on resting. In the morning though we had an opportunity to talk and reflect on our mistakes each admitting that we learnt a great lesson for the future climbs - each in their own way. We also talked to the lodge's owners about our encounter with the bear. They first tried persuading us that what we saw must have been a wild goat, but after we described everything carefully, they admitted that it was a bear and seemed concerned - after all it was just about an hour walk from their place and the bears are considered extremely rare in Yatsugatake, at least in the part we were in. The owners seem to be great outdoor lovers themselves - the lodge has a lot of pictures of them hiking and is in itself a real part of nature made mostly of wood. The food that was served was incredibly delicious too so I highly recommend this place to anyone visiting the area and climbing the mountain.
To put a long story short, Akadake was one breathtaking experience and a must for all the mountain-lovers. It is also however a tricky mountain so it is better to be fully prepared for any unexpected turn. Good luck!
