Recent hikes

Hike date: October 17-18, 2026 This weekend I decided to stay close to home and visit the nearby table mountain of Utsukushigahara, which is one of my favourite spots for viewing autumn scenery. Instead of driving to the top of the summit plateau like most hikers, I began at the Sanshiro trailhead at the foot of the mountain in Matsumoto city. From the car park, the trail moves up gradually through a campsite and then a stunning forest area with a beautiful stream running thr

Hike date: October 12, 2026 A troublesome knee put me off heading to more challenging peaks and had me searching for something closer and easier. Mt Washigamine, the eagle mountain, is located in a corner of the Kirigamine highlands, far away from more popular areas like Mt Kuruma. It's also a place where I first ventured into the Japanese mountains and where I'm ashamed to say I haven't been for many years. I began the hike at the Yashima Marsh Visitors' Center, arriving ear

Hike dates: October 9-10, 2026 With everywhere likely to be packed with people for the 3-day weekend, I decided to get a head start on the holiday crowds and begin my hike on Friday. Arriving at the Tsugaike ropeway just before the start time of 8AM I realized that a lot of people had exactly the same idea. Still, I was able to get on board without too much waiting, and before long was at the trailhead, located at the entrance to the Tsugaike Nature Park at 1,860 metres. With

Hike date: October 4, 2026 After a lot of indecision and checking dubious weather forecasts, I finally decided to head to Mt Mugikusa on the Kiso side of the Central Alps. Mugikusa is a relatively little known peak but is a good workout with around 1,400 metres of elevation gain in around 5.5 km. I was also hoping to see some autumn leaves, which I had heard were emerging at higher altitudes. The hike starts at a campsite and I began my expedition walking past happy campers e

Hike date: October 3, 2026 Despite the rare good weather I was unable to go far today, choosing to head to Mt Kirito, a small but popular satoyama local mountain in nearby Shiojiri. I’ve climbed Kirito many times, but today I decided to complete the loop hike by trying out a little used and overgrown path that I’d never walked before. I started early at the Shimosaijo trailhead confident that I wouldn’t at that time meet oncoming traffic on the narrow forest road. There was o

Hike date: September 27, 2026 I’d been wondering where to go today until late the previous evening. The forecast for all areas was cloudy and I’d been thinking that light clouds would allow me to head for some Alpine scenery. In the end I correctly figured today would be thick clouds that would envelop mountains and allow little or no views. This led me to choose nearby Mt Tengu, an old favourite named after the mythological demon and which I had climbed dozens of times befor

Hike date: September 26, 2026 Determined to test out my new hiking boots in the rain, I headed to the slippery boardwalks of North Yatsugatake and the Amaike rain pond. With the rain driving down I was regretting my decision as soon as I arrived at the free parking lot at Mugikusa pass (2,100 metres). The temperature on the car dashboard read 9 degrees outside. Still I had come that far so I put on my rainwear and stepped out into the deluge. The hike starts by circling a sm

Hike date: September 22-23 The final two days of the long Silver Week holiday were the only ones with a decent weather forecast. Desparate for some Alpine views, I headed to Mt Goryu in the North Alps with the aim of trying out some new hiking boots and other equipment I’d purchased for an upcoming expedition. The hike begins with a ride in the ropeway at Hakuba Goryu resort, but due to the lift times it’s a very tough one-day hike or a more relaxed two-day affair. I chose th

Hike date: September 20, 2026 Today I decided race up to Mt Amigasa for some exercise. Grey, cloudy skies were forecast so any views were going to be a bonus. But did this put me off? No! Because when there are no views I like to look at the rocks, the plants, the moss and other nearby things, and Mt Amigasa has plenty of these. The day didn’t start well as I overslept by 30 minutes. However, this didn’t make any material difference to my plan because the mountain is less tha

Hike date: September 19, 2026 The coming typhoon forced me to change my plans for the long holiday and stay nearer home. Situated in the remote eastern part of Nagano, Mt Ogura can be climbed from the south and the north with the two trails meeting at the summit. The drive to either trailhead involves passing through villages that seem almost untouched by time. Today I decided to climb the longer north course from the Choja-no-Mori campsite, with its relatively large car park

Hike date: September 13, 2026 With unstable conditions forecast for the afternoon I decided to head to the familiar surroundings of Mts Chausu and Shimagare in North Yatsugatake. I parked in the huge car park for the Kita-Yatsugatake ropeway but instead of waiting for the ride to the top, I headed straight to the trail. Recently the ropeway has become prohibitively expensive so like many others I’ve taken to walking up to the upper station. It takes about an hour to walk comp

Hike date: September 12, 2026 I did this climb straight after Mt Iwasuge. In fact, Yakebitai was my main target today as it was the only major peak at Shiga Kogen I had yet to summit. But with a drive of more than 100 km, the 2-hour return trip to the summit didn't really justify the long trip. The trailhead was only 5 minutes in the car from Iwasuge and I sprang out of my car immediately to begin the short hike. There's nothing quite so forlorn as out-of-season ski resorts,

Hike date: September 12, 2026 The last time I climbed Mt Iwasuge there were rain and strong winds. After a week of heavy rain I was not so hopeful of anything different today, but I was pleasantly surprised (although not overwhelmed). It wasn't great weather, but there was no rain and I had occasional glimpses of views through the clouds. I'd wanted revenge on Mt Iwasuge for a long time. The steep road to Shiga Kogen was enveloped in thick fog, and the start of the hike had m

Hike date: September 6, 2026 Today I ventured into the Asama range to see if I could get a view from Mt Takamine for the first time ever. I had climbed this easy peak a few times before but each time it had been shrouded in cloud. The signs were promising as I drove up to the trailhead at Kurumasaka pass and could clearly see the outcrop of Takamine to my left. Then disaster. As soon as I parked the car the fog rolled in and I could barely see 10 metres in front of me. Still

Hike date: September 5, 2026 I’d never heard of this mountain until I found it on a map. Anything involving castles looks interesting and was only 25 minutes drive from my other climb this day so I decided to give it a go. After easing my car through the impossibly narrow streets of Kiso Fukushima I crossed the river and soon found the trailhead. Here the path forked in two, and carefully following the GPS I found myself in somebody’s garden and looking into their open front

Hike date: September 5, 2026 It was only 14 degrees when I started today and it felt like the first blast of autumn. Today’s hike was to the well-known satoyama of Mt Kazakoshi in the Kiso valley (not to be confused with a mountain of the same name in nearby Iida). I’d wanted to come here for a long time but I’d always been put off because the total driving time is about the same time as it takes to climb this steep peak. Anyway I was keen to arrive early because I’d heard th

Hike date: August 30, 2026 Yesterday's poor weather continued overnight and I abandoned plans to head for the Alps. Instead I decided to hike the one part of the Central Divide Trail that I hadn't walked before. The trail links the two table mountains of Kirigamine in the east and Utsukushigahara in the west. North of here the water flows to the Sea of Japan, while to the south it flows into the Pacific Ocean. I parked my car at Tobira pass in the middle of this unknown secti

Hike date: August 29, 2026 Today’s plan was to take my tent into the North Alps, but by Wednesday this week it was clear that the weather wasn’t going to cooperate. Instead I headed to the nearby Yatsugatake range for a short hike that would hopefully not be too badly affected by the rain. As predicted there were only a few cars at the free parking space at Mugikusa pass. Within a few metres it was clear why. The rain was pelting down and the trail was flooded from downpours

Hike date: August 23, 2026 I climb Mt Ontake every year the volcano is safe and every time I'm blessed with good weather. This year was no exception with blue skies, and clouds only rising after lunchtime when I was heading back down. Ever since the 2014 eruption that killed 63 people I've climbed Mt Ontake from the Kurosawa trailhead. Today I decided to go back to the Tanohara trailhead, which I had last used just 3 weeks before the eruption. Tanohara is another 40 km after

Hike date: August 22, 2026 With bad weather forecast for the afternoon I decided to rush up nearby Mt Amagoi for my nature fix today. I successfully negotiated the narrow 7 km forest road to the trailhead and parked in the small grassy space next to the trailhead. There was only one other car so I knew I had the mountain almost to myself as I started up the wooden steps at the start of the trail. Up and up I went into the silent misty woods with bear spray primed. Fortunately