My husband I are no swimmer. But we loved diving in Okinawa.
Now our holiday activities are going out for the mountains. We spend most
our weekends at the mountains these days since we moved to Yamanashi.
The more I learned about mountains, the more I felt we must try shower climbing.... because that is done only in Japan. Alpine climbing is Western
culture. They climb on the walls. Moto and I only go out hiking, no climbing but still we know basically they climb on the ridges...avoiding valley.
In Japanese tradition people used to clumb up the valley and climb down the ridge. But this require special skills and equipments.
This is the creek(sawa:沢） we went. Unasawa（海沢） in Okutama（奥多摩）.
We use the creek as a trail. Beautiful.
We need waterproof camera next time.
■ The water and fall
This is how it looks. The water is cold. Actually toooo cold. This day,
it was not so high temperature but in a humid hot summer day in Japan,
this would be so nice.
This is me. Wearing helmet, and harness. My pack is not waterproof so I used plastic bag doubled to pack my stuff. So the pack floats and that helps to swim in the creek.
自然と言うのはむやみやたらに恐れるものではなく、知るべき対象だ。恐れず、畏れるべし。自然には敬意を払いつつ、熱意を持って自然から学ぶべきだ。
■ You should find one special creek you love
Very cold and cool.
If sunny, this place could be better.
The map. As you see the road run along the creek. This is unlikely. The most creeks and valley are far off from the roads... so this makes this course for the beginners. Easy to approach.
Still there were 3 to 4 deep pounds... so you must swim.
This is the other site describing the same course.
Seeheretoo.
■ Equipment
Footware
・Consider buying Sawa shoes.
・Or Japanese tradition is to wear Jikatabi地下足袋 shoes and Waraji slippersわらじ.
・Waraji grips the rock very solidly but you must treat with care. Soak 10 min before wearing them completely under water and don't add strong tension at one place.
Me wearing Waraji.
Clothing
・Wear swim wear as underwear
・The second layer should be something easily dry
・Don't wear shorts and short sleeves. Cover your body completely to
protect from rocks.
・If your budgets allows consider buying a cloth made with the material called Neoprene.
All wet.
Pack
・Try to minimize the pack size.
・Use doubled plastic bags for each things
・ Disconnect the buckles of the waist belt and the chest belt when you swim。Otherwise you could drawn.
・Hold your pack when you swim is a good idea.
Swimming with a pack. Every packs float if you put tightly shield plastic bags inside.
Lunch
・Hot instant noodle with soup is the best.
I made a huge bumps on my left legs I must have hit by accident.
Now our holiday activities are going out for the mountains. We spend most
our weekends at the mountains these days since we moved to Yamanashi.
The more I learned about mountains, the more I felt we must try shower climbing.... because that is done only in Japan. Alpine climbing is Western
culture. They climb on the walls. Moto and I only go out hiking, no climbing but still we know basically they climb on the ridges...avoiding valley.
In Japanese tradition people used to clumb up the valley and climb down the ridge. But this require special skills and equipments.
This is the creek(sawa:沢） we went. Unasawa（海沢） in Okutama（奥多摩）. We use the creek as a trail. Beautiful. We need waterproof camera next time. ■ The water and fall
This is how it looks. The water is cold. Actually toooo cold. This day,
it was not so high temperature but in a humid hot summer day in Japan,
this would be so nice.
This is me. Wearing helmet, and harness. My pack is not waterproof so I used plastic bag doubled to pack my stuff. So the pack floats and that helps to swim in the creek.
自然と言うのはむやみやたらに恐れるものではなく、知るべき対象だ。恐れず、畏れるべし。自然には敬意を払いつつ、熱意を持って自然から学ぶべきだ。
■ You should find one special creek you love
Very cold and cool.
If sunny, this place could be better. The map. As you see the road run along the creek. This is unlikely. The most creeks and valley are far off from the roads... so this makes this course for the beginners. Easy to approach.
Still there were 3 to 4 deep pounds... so you must swim.
This is the other site describing the same course.
Seeheretoo.
■ Equipment
Footware
・Consider buying Sawa shoes.
・Or Japanese tradition is to wear Jikatabi地下足袋 shoes and Waraji slippersわらじ.
・Waraji grips the rock very solidly but you must treat with care. Soak 10 min before wearing them completely under water and don't add strong tension at one place.
Me wearing Waraji. Clothing
・Wear swim wear as underwear
・The second layer should be something easily dry
・Don't wear shorts and short sleeves. Cover your body completely to
protect from rocks.
・If your budgets allows consider buying a cloth made with the material called Neoprene.
All wet. Pack
・Try to minimize the pack size.
・Use doubled plastic bags for each things
・ Disconnect the buckles of the waist belt and the chest belt when you swim。Otherwise you could drawn.
・Hold your pack when you swim is a good idea.
Swimming with a pack. Every packs float if you put tightly shield plastic bags inside. Lunch
・Hot instant noodle with soup is the best.
I made a huge bumps on my left legs I must have hit by accident.
Moto and I just got home a while ago. This time it was foggy mountains.
I wanted my husband to walk a wonderful sky walk between Kitadake and Ainotake but this time it was foggy through out the time we were at the ridges. The sun appeared almost in the end of the trip. Just right after we started off climbing down the hills.
It was too bad there were no great scenery of the mountains but still all is well that ends well.
■ Day1 To the Ryomata Hut
The Ryomata Hut is a well-received hut by hikers. What's so nice about this hut is that you can expect a quiet time almost any time.
This little hut stands in the bottom of the Nolo creek which means you have to climb down from the peak to stay here, a very steep hill. The hut was run off by a flood once, a book was written about it called "Storm and 41". This hut never get over crowded even thought the high season.
Also, the hut is run by a woman called Hoshi san. (Hoshi means a star in Japanese) A hut run by a woman is not many.
If you take a bus, it will take only 2 and half hour from the nearest stop, Nologawa deai, to the hut. I came here the last week . This is the road used by forestry, so worker's cars pass by sometimes.
It was the first day in a 3-day-holiday. The buses should run more frequently by a holiday schedule but there seemed a confusion...Many were kept waited at Ashiyasu parking lot in vain. People were in line (Japanese always line so politely! ) but everyone was a bit annoyed.
We had to take 2 buses to get to the stop. Finally we arrived at the stop at 10:12 and start walking. We got to the hut at 12:40.
It was not the best day for the mountains. I was a bit worried since it was raining for a few days now, and the river side trail may not be safe enough if the water level was high.
The trail. This trail would be rather comfortable in a cloudy day, there is no shades by trees. There were a lot of animal signs, bring your bear bell.
But there were no sign of danger I can see.
The clean water supply.
The remains of a dead dear?
The toilet for road workers are free to use. 11:30
Cars used to run on this road...
Not now...
We saw no animals this time.
We arrived at the hut about half past noon, and my husband took a nap as soon as we settled. In the late afternoon, people started to gather, perhaps 12 to 13 people slept there that night.
This is the Ryomata Hut.
A noodle for lunch, 500 yen. A half eaten. It was so good!
There were fried rice too on the menu but she said she run off the cooked rice that day.
We met a guy we've met in the other mountains! In icy cold Tengudake we've met him.
The dinner is served in the diner. It was a good dinner. I stayed in many huts now, and the meals were often tasteless...perhaps it because it was cooked by someone who never done cooking at home I think. This dinner was so good, tasted just right. Good job done by a skilled house keeper.
In the ground floor there were only 6 people slept that day. Two were fishermans, and other four were hikers. I was the only female.
At the 8 o'clock, the bed time, the hut keeper tripped over and made a huge sound. She must have been drunk and too happy. I was in my bed already
so I didn't know what was going on but my husband saw her drinking and chatting happily with her friends at the dinner table.
When she fell, he thought of helping her to get up but he did not,
saying she seemed like a strong tough woman. But it was a good loud trip over! Everyone of the hut were awake.
■ Day2 Foggy peak hunting （From Nologawa goe 野呂川越 to Mibutake 三峰岳）
The weather forecast said, there would be not sun at all and it may rain or be a lightening storm.
The breakfast.
Morning coffee. 500 yen.
We left at 5:30 in a morning. From the hut to Nologawagoe is a very steep trail, about an hour.
It was dark in the morning and I could not take a better photos.
6:30 at Nologawagoe.
From Nologawagoe 野呂川越 to Mibudake 三峰岳 was such a confortale nice tail without being over used like the other major trails.
This trail is recommended for all visitors of Japan, to see Japan's sub-tropical flora.
Beautiful fern woods.
The trail is not over maintained. 
A pretty natural vegetation.
To the dark tunnels of trees.
It was such a quiet and un-beaten track.
A wild flowers called Koiwakagami コイワカガミ。
We can tell we are getting higher by the observing the vegetation.
I think this guy was waiting for us since we've met in the hut last night and we talked about Moto and I have only two year experience. He was worried for us. He did not say so bu we knew. The man was a skilled hiker and he walked much longer distance than us. From this point on, we walked together... he kept eyes on us. Such a nice guy. Japanese kindness is always done this way.
Above your head.
Foggy... there should have been a great view...
■ Strong wind
A rocky ridges... there were very few people on the trail.
we are getting above the forest line...
Foggy, strong wind, and light rain throughout the trail.
We saw nothing but trail. Moto's glass get blind by the fog, and my head was wet. The wind was strong and our rain wear made a noise like a helicopter because of the strong wind.
Branching off of the trail at 9:37, the trail goes either Shiomidake or Ainotake.
It was so windy I thought my body might lift in the air like Drothy.
A break in the windy ridge. It was also cold like a winter. Can't believe it was already mid-June.
A wild flower called Hakusanichige ハクサンイチゲ。
At the top of Ainotake at 10:42. I have been here before but what I saw looked like the place I've never been.
Snow gorge.
A wonderful wild flowers on the hill but it was too windy to stay there long... it made my breathing difficult.
We arrived at Kitadake hut around past noon.
The weather forecast said lightening storm so we hesitated if we sleep in a ten or stay in a hut but the hut was so crowded that day. So eventually we choose sleeping in a tent.
My home.
have a nap at 13:30.
This is the dinner at Kitadake hut. The draft beer was 900 yen.
■ Tent site was a big city!
The hut stood on the ridge so my aim was to have a great view in a tent.
No way... it was the one of the most crowded day in a year in the mountain and the tent site was a big city! Like in sim city, after we have build out tent, the town was build around our tent and the city was built...there were so many neighbors.
Our neighbor was partying...
Some stupid neighbor used vinyl sheet as a fly sheet. It was such a useless thing to do, it only made a huge noise.
It was very windy that night and the tent was lifted lightly a several times. It made me awake at night... I found that these mountain tents are
stronger than they look...
Finally in the morning, we are safe and sound... but too bad...our stove did not light... perhaps it got wet... inside the tent was warm and comfortable but outside was cold like winter.
■ Day3 Going home
The last day of our trip was nothing to worry compared to yesterday,
we had another 5 hours to walk, but it mostly down hill.
Sun. at 5:08.
Kitadake is the second highest mountain in Japan 3193m. We started off at 6:30．
Wild flowers. Kitadake sou is well known but we could not find them this time.
line to the top.
Now we are at the top. at 7:30 in the fog, with no view.
Trail sign.
The flowers were nice but I don't like crowded mountains.
Too many people.
There were another hut called Kitadake Katano koya. A break at 8:00 with Japanese sweet bean soup おしるこ 500 yen and hot milk 400 yen.
Now we are going down. There are two courses one is very steepy and lot of people choose this one and the other was less popular called Migimata course.
■ Migimata course: The ridge trail to Oike hut via Nimata
It was a nice course...
Snow were left a lot this year.
Beautiful forest zone. This course is less popular so we met noone!
Now it's sunny like this... too late.
Too bad....
Oike hut at 10:30 as scheduled.
Tent site at the Oike hut.
W had an ice cream. 500 yen. Expensive!
Crowded with hikers. The water is free of charge.
Under the trees shade was comfortable.
The end of the trip at 12:30. Now we were going home.
Seeing Kitadake from Hirokawara.
On our way home we stopped by a hot spring called Momonoki onsen.
There, plums were free of charge! I had five of them since it was so sweet and good.
We've go home while the sun was still high, there were enough time even to dry our tent!
《Information》
《Ryomata hut》
・1 night Stay: 8000yen with 2 meals
・lunch box: 1000yen
・Water: free
・Lunch: 500 yen
・Coffee: 500 yen
・Dinner time: １７：３０ Breakfast: ４：３０
《Kitadake Hut》
Dinner: 1600 yen
Tent: 600 yen per person
Water: 100 yen/1L
Toilet: Donation
《3days&2nights Peak hunting for Kitadake, Ainotake and Mibudake》
Day1 2.5 hour walk to Nologawa deai stop to Ryomata hut
Day2 7 hour walk to Ryomata hut to Kitadake hut (2 sumits)
Day3 6 hour walk to Kitadake hut to Hirogawara (1 sumit)
Map.
I wanted my husband to walk a wonderful sky walk between Kitadake and Ainotake but this time it was foggy through out the time we were at the ridges. The sun appeared almost in the end of the trip. Just right after we started off climbing down the hills.
It was too bad there were no great scenery of the mountains but still all is well that ends well.
■ Day1 To the Ryomata Hut
The Ryomata Hut is a well-received hut by hikers. What's so nice about this hut is that you can expect a quiet time almost any time.
This little hut stands in the bottom of the Nolo creek which means you have to climb down from the peak to stay here, a very steep hill. The hut was run off by a flood once, a book was written about it called "Storm and 41". This hut never get over crowded even thought the high season.
Also, the hut is run by a woman called Hoshi san. (Hoshi means a star in Japanese) A hut run by a woman is not many.
If you take a bus, it will take only 2 and half hour from the nearest stop, Nologawa deai, to the hut. I came here the last week . This is the road used by forestry, so worker's cars pass by sometimes.
It was the first day in a 3-day-holiday. The buses should run more frequently by a holiday schedule but there seemed a confusion...Many were kept waited at Ashiyasu parking lot in vain. People were in line (Japanese always line so politely! ) but everyone was a bit annoyed.
We had to take 2 buses to get to the stop. Finally we arrived at the stop at 10:12 and start walking. We got to the hut at 12:40.
It was not the best day for the mountains. I was a bit worried since it was raining for a few days now, and the river side trail may not be safe enough if the water level was high.
The trail. This trail would be rather comfortable in a cloudy day, there is no shades by trees. There were a lot of animal signs, bring your bear bell.
But there were no sign of danger I can see.
The clean water supply.
The remains of a dead dear?
The toilet for road workers are free to use. 11:30
Cars used to run on this road...
Not now...
We saw no animals this time.
We arrived at the hut about half past noon, and my husband took a nap as soon as we settled. In the late afternoon, people started to gather, perhaps 12 to 13 people slept there that night.
This is the Ryomata Hut.
A noodle for lunch, 500 yen. A half eaten. It was so good!
There were fried rice too on the menu but she said she run off the cooked rice that day.
We met a guy we've met in the other mountains! In icy cold Tengudake we've met him.
The dinner is served in the diner. It was a good dinner. I stayed in many huts now, and the meals were often tasteless...perhaps it because it was cooked by someone who never done cooking at home I think. This dinner was so good, tasted just right. Good job done by a skilled house keeper.
In the ground floor there were only 6 people slept that day. Two were fishermans, and other four were hikers. I was the only female.
At the 8 o'clock, the bed time, the hut keeper tripped over and made a huge sound. She must have been drunk and too happy. I was in my bed already
so I didn't know what was going on but my husband saw her drinking and chatting happily with her friends at the dinner table.
When she fell, he thought of helping her to get up but he did not,
saying she seemed like a strong tough woman. But it was a good loud trip over! Everyone of the hut were awake.
■ Day2 Foggy peak hunting （From Nologawa goe 野呂川越 to Mibutake 三峰岳）
The weather forecast said, there would be not sun at all and it may rain or be a lightening storm.
The breakfast.
Morning coffee. 500 yen.
We left at 5:30 in a morning. From the hut to Nologawagoe is a very steep trail, about an hour.
It was dark in the morning and I could not take a better photos.
6:30 at Nologawagoe.
From Nologawagoe 野呂川越 to Mibudake 三峰岳 was such a confortale nice tail without being over used like the other major trails.
This trail is recommended for all visitors of Japan, to see Japan's sub-tropical flora.
Beautiful fern woods.
The trail is not over maintained. A pretty natural vegetation.
To the dark tunnels of trees.
It was such a quiet and un-beaten track.
A wild flowers called Koiwakagami コイワカガミ。
We can tell we are getting higher by the observing the vegetation.
I think this guy was waiting for us since we've met in the hut last night and we talked about Moto and I have only two year experience. He was worried for us. He did not say so bu we knew. The man was a skilled hiker and he walked much longer distance than us. From this point on, we walked together... he kept eyes on us. Such a nice guy. Japanese kindness is always done this way.
Above your head.
Foggy... there should have been a great view...
■ Strong wind
A rocky ridges... there were very few people on the trail.
we are getting above the forest line...
Foggy, strong wind, and light rain throughout the trail.
We saw nothing but trail. Moto's glass get blind by the fog, and my head was wet. The wind was strong and our rain wear made a noise like a helicopter because of the strong wind.
Branching off of the trail at 9:37, the trail goes either Shiomidake or Ainotake.
It was so windy I thought my body might lift in the air like Drothy.
A break in the windy ridge. It was also cold like a winter. Can't believe it was already mid-June.
A wild flower called Hakusanichige ハクサンイチゲ。
At the top of Ainotake at 10:42. I have been here before but what I saw looked like the place I've never been. Snow gorge.
A wonderful wild flowers on the hill but it was too windy to stay there long... it made my breathing difficult.
We arrived at Kitadake hut around past noon.
The weather forecast said lightening storm so we hesitated if we sleep in a ten or stay in a hut but the hut was so crowded that day. So eventually we choose sleeping in a tent.
My home.
have a nap at 13:30.This is the dinner at Kitadake hut. The draft beer was 900 yen.
■ Tent site was a big city!
The hut stood on the ridge so my aim was to have a great view in a tent.
No way... it was the one of the most crowded day in a year in the mountain and the tent site was a big city! Like in sim city, after we have build out tent, the town was build around our tent and the city was built...there were so many neighbors.
Our neighbor was partying...
Some stupid neighbor used vinyl sheet as a fly sheet. It was such a useless thing to do, it only made a huge noise.
It was very windy that night and the tent was lifted lightly a several times. It made me awake at night... I found that these mountain tents are
stronger than they look...
Finally in the morning, we are safe and sound... but too bad...our stove did not light... perhaps it got wet... inside the tent was warm and comfortable but outside was cold like winter.
■ Day3 Going home
The last day of our trip was nothing to worry compared to yesterday,
we had another 5 hours to walk, but it mostly down hill.
Sun. at 5:08.
Kitadake is the second highest mountain in Japan 3193m. We started off at 6:30．
Wild flowers. Kitadake sou is well known but we could not find them this time.
line to the top.
Now we are at the top. at 7:30 in the fog, with no view.
Trail sign.
The flowers were nice but I don't like crowded mountains.
Too many people.
There were another hut called Kitadake Katano koya. A break at 8:00 with Japanese sweet bean soup おしるこ 500 yen and hot milk 400 yen.
Now we are going down. There are two courses one is very steepy and lot of people choose this one and the other was less popular called Migimata course.
■ Migimata course: The ridge trail to Oike hut via Nimata
It was a nice course...
Snow were left a lot this year.
Beautiful forest zone. This course is less popular so we met noone!
Now it's sunny like this... too late.
Too bad....
Oike hut at 10:30 as scheduled.
Tent site at the Oike hut.
W had an ice cream. 500 yen. Expensive!
Crowded with hikers. The water is free of charge.
Under the trees shade was comfortable.
The end of the trip at 12:30. Now we were going home.
Seeing Kitadake from Hirokawara.
On our way home we stopped by a hot spring called Momonoki onsen.
There, plums were free of charge! I had five of them since it was so sweet and good.
We've go home while the sun was still high, there were enough time even to dry our tent!
《Information》
《Ryomata hut》
・1 night Stay: 8000yen with 2 meals
・lunch box: 1000yen
・Water: free
・Lunch: 500 yen
・Coffee: 500 yen
・Dinner time: １７：３０ Breakfast: ４：３０
《Kitadake Hut》
Dinner: 1600 yen
Tent: 600 yen per person
Water: 100 yen/1L
Toilet: Donation
《3days&2nights Peak hunting for Kitadake, Ainotake and Mibudake》
Day1 2.5 hour walk to Nologawa deai stop to Ryomata hut
Day2 7 hour walk to Ryomata hut to Kitadake hut (2 sumits)
Day3 6 hour walk to Kitadake hut to Hirogawara (1 sumit)
Map.
It's getting hot and hot in Japan, today our temperature meter points at 29 C and humidity 65%. What are we gonna do in the real summer, I mean the mid summer? It's already too hot to do anything!
This weekend Moto and I have gone to the mountain again.
This time, we've gone to Kita Yatsugatake (North Yatsugatake mountains),
our favorite nature site in Nagano.
This is where we stayed.
It's our favorite hutte, Mugikusa Hutte. There, 2127m high land, it was so cool. Even in the mid summer it gets only 24 C at most.It's so nice to be there when the town people are dying by the heat...
The thick mat of moss. You see the different kind of moss behind..
North area of Yatsugatake has mossy forest... like this one.
The forest is mainly consists of Kometsuga（Tsuga diversifolia） and Shirabiso（Abies veitchii Lindley）, both are coniferous trees, and this woods is untouched by human. It has kept as it is... this is a climax woods in this area. It belong to the same climate area as Switzerland or Hokkaido.
The thick mats of moss was sooo beautiful. We've been here before and it was a mid winter covered by the thick snow now we see moss everywhere.It was beautiful then too but the summer woods is also nice and cool.
This was an educational event inviting two bryologists and we
learned over 10 different moss. (precisely, mostly Musci.)
Pogonatum japonicu
There was a colony of glowing moss in the hollow of a tree...
Schistostega pennata
To the Sirokoma lake, it is an easy walk only 15 min from the parking area(500 yen)then you will see this scenery. Around the lake, there are wood walk.
It is such a wonderful place for moss lovers.
This weekend Moto and I have gone to the mountain again.
This time, we've gone to Kita Yatsugatake (North Yatsugatake mountains),
our favorite nature site in Nagano.
This is where we stayed.It's our favorite hutte, Mugikusa Hutte. There, 2127m high land, it was so cool. Even in the mid summer it gets only 24 C at most.It's so nice to be there when the town people are dying by the heat...
The thick mat of moss. You see the different kind of moss behind..North area of Yatsugatake has mossy forest... like this one.
The forest is mainly consists of Kometsuga（Tsuga diversifolia） and Shirabiso（Abies veitchii Lindley）, both are coniferous trees, and this woods is untouched by human. It has kept as it is... this is a climax woods in this area. It belong to the same climate area as Switzerland or Hokkaido.
The thick mats of moss was sooo beautiful. We've been here before and it was a mid winter covered by the thick snow now we see moss everywhere.It was beautiful then too but the summer woods is also nice and cool.
This was an educational event inviting two bryologists and we
learned over 10 different moss. (precisely, mostly Musci.)
Pogonatum japonicuThere was a colony of glowing moss in the hollow of a tree...
Schistostega pennataTo the Sirokoma lake, it is an easy walk only 15 min from the parking area(500 yen)then you will see this scenery. Around the lake, there are wood walk.
It is such a wonderful place for moss lovers.