Clouds, ladders and mushrooms on Mt Yoko

Hike date: August 9

Today I hiked to Mt Yoko via the super steep Somazoe ridge. I arrived early at the tiny car park in the resort area on the Yamanashi side of the Yatsugatake range. The trail begins in the exclusive resort, and I was soon walking among the expensive second homes and imported luxury cars before the real climb started. The path rose relentlessly through the forest before rising above the tree line at 2,400 metres. Unfortunately the views were not great due to the cloud, but I caught glimpses of my destination far above. The steep incline didn’t stop there, and I had to negotiate a tricky section obstructed by numerous dead branches. Eventually I arrived at the ridge line and turned right for the short walk to the Yoko summit. The mountain didn’t give up its summit easily, and there were a couple of ladders to climb with precipitous drops below. A quick sandwich at the summit and it was time to come back down the steep slope. Not a good hike if you have bad knees.

Check here for more information about Mt Yoko.

It wasn't me who knocked the sign down

A little river near the trailhead

A steep section with lots of dead branches to walk over

I could see glimpses of the mountain through the cloud

Finally the ridge line, with Mt Aka poking through in the background

The summit of Mt Yoko ahead

The precarious ladder section

View towards south Yatsugatake

Brightly coloured mushroom

Mushrooms and moss