Volcanoes in the Asama range (Mt Takamine, Mt Mizunoto, Mt Higashi-Kagonoto)
- alastairbourne
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
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 I pressed on with the short climb and eventually caught glimpses of the mountain through the cloud. When I arrived at the summit I could view some of the valley below and the lower portion of Mt Kurofu to the east. It wasn’t exactly a great panoramic view but it was better than what I’d seen before so I’ll call it a success.
After Takamine I zig-zagged down through the forest to the forest road, walked a short distance and then began the hike up the rocky slopes of Mt Mizunoto. There were some views down into the valley and across to my destination of Mt Higashi-Kagonoto, but it was obvious the weather was closing in and I decided to press on and complete the hike as fast as possible. Still I enjoyed scrambling up the huge boulders to the summit, admired my achievement, and then proceeded on the ups and downs of the narrow traverse to Higashi-Kagonoto. This was a little tracherous with slippery, irregular rocks and massive collapsed sections to the south requiring caution. By the time I reached Kagonoto the wind was blowing fiercely. Not surprisingly I was alone and I abandoned plans to eat lunch there. I made a quick descent to the forest road that runs at the foot of the range and dashed the 4-km back to my car before the storm struck.
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