Leeches, snakes and slippery stairs (Mt Mikuni and Mt Daigenta)
- alastairbourne
- Aug 17
- 2 min read
Hike date: August 16, 2026
I climbed these two mountains from the Mikuni Tunnel on the border of Niigata and Gunma prefectures. The car park was a small lookout point and the trailhead was a hole in the concrete wall at the start of the tunnel followed by a slippery makeshift tree trunk bridge over a gully. The lush forest that followed was beautiful with bright shades of green although I was horrified to reach the Mikuni Pass and find that my shoes and socks were crawling with leeches. After feverishly brushing them off, there was nothing to do but carry on up the incredibly slippery wooden staircase that was so treacherous it became impossible to walk on in places. Skirting around the unhelpful stairs, I reached Mt Mikuni in quick time with a few cloud-obscured views of the road below. The undulating ridge line to Mt Daigenta was the real challenge. Although it didn’t involve much elevation gain the path was narrow, the undergrowth both deep and wet, and the numerous ups and downs energy sapping. My shoes became soaked and I felt itchy throughout due to the leeches I had discovered earlier. Mt Daigenta summit was a 15 minute diversion from the main trail with bear footprints in the thick mud at one point. There were a few views as the sun attempted to come out, but I was in the cloud for most of the day. On the way down I had one spectacular wipeout on the slippery staircase and picked up more leeches but I eventually made it back to my car. I’m not sure if I want to come here again but I’m pleased I did it once, despite all the difficulties.
Check here for more information about Mt Mikuni and Mt Daigenta.
Comments