鍋割り山 Nabewari Mountain - Part 4

This is the last installment on a climb up this mountain, located in central Kanagawa. Part one is HERE. Part two, HERE. Part three is HERE. 

From Mt. Nabewari, it's possible to continue to climb to several other neighboring mountains. I decided to keep going to the famous Tonodake, which I had climbed about two months earlier.

The route wasn't too hard; some stairs and planks, but mainly flat sections, in the midst of the forest.

About 1 hour after departing Mt. Nabewari, I reached the summit of Tonodake. Here, I snapped two photos: one showing the summit marker and the other, showing an old building near the end of the trails.

At Tonodake summit for the second time. Woo!

View from the summit, looking to the trail markers. 

My hiking partner and I spent about 30 minutes at the summit, using our camping stove to boil water and make instant noodles. ^_^ Taking the same route back down, we quickly encountered a herd of deer on the path. My friend took a photo....

This hike took about 10 hours, as we stopped at two summits for 30 minutes each time, and were slow on the descent. I hope you enjoyed photos from the climb! ^_^

The Tanzawa mountain range is located in central Kanagawa, about 1 hour by train from Yokohama. Buses  run from Ebina and Hadano stations on the Odakyu Line to the mountain area. Hikes take about 9 - 10 hours. For longer hikes, there are mountain huts -- reservations are a must. Further information can be found HERE. 

鍋割り山 Nabewari Mountain - Part 3

A climb up this challenging mountain continues. Part one is HERE. Part two is HERE. 

After hiking up a steep incline for 1.7 KM, we finally reached a flat point. The sunshine broke through the trees announcing the summit was just a little further...

About 100 meters below the summit, my friend and I spied something white in the distance. What could it be...???

...jumping off the path a bit, I walked to the edge (and into some deer doo-doo) to get a closer look. It was Mount Fuji! I had to show my Canadian pride! ^_^

After reaching the summit, the time was 9.45 AM. My friend whipped out a brand new camping stove and asked: "Would you like a fresh cup of coffee?" My sleepy mood was suddenly perked up at this news. My friend poured out my cup of coffee, which smelled great in the mountain air. 

Can't you just smell that?? ^_^

A must have for any hiker: 1L bottle of water, camp stove, pot and cup. Hot drinks are the best at the summit! ^_^

At 1,277.5 meters in height, the summit of Nabewari Mountain offers fantastic views of Mount Fuji, the Southern Alps, Odawara, Yokohama Bay and other Tanazawa mountains. With my coffee in hand, I got a photo at the summit marker. Special thanks to my mom and dad for the Canadian Olympics hat. One fellow hiker said I looked "cute". Haha. *^_^*

After about 30 minutes here, my friend and I packed up our gear and moved to view the next signpost. We weren't ready to stop for the day just yet; we decided to continue on to Mt. Tonodake -- another 2.8 KM away. 

Check back again to see more photos from the route between Nabewari Mountain and Tonodake.

Nabewari Mountain is located in the Tanazawa Mountains in central Kanagawa. Information can be found HERE. 

鍋割り山 Nabewari Mountain - Part 2

A climb up this mountain in the Tanzawa range continues. Part one is HERE. 

The proper trail head for Nabewari Mountain starts at the 3.6 KM marker, near a river. Here, there was a neat wooden plank for hikers to cross the stream.

Walk the plank!

Pirate cutenekko: walking the plank. Arrrrr!

Shortly after crossing this small river, I noticed another route marker, but it seemed strange. We are supposed to hike up THAT?!?! (meaning: hike up the mountain via the river bed) Tons of rocks, not to mention the water, made this a little slippery...I started to feel like Frodo in "Lord of the Rings" -- climbing over rocks and more rocks...were we going to Mordor??

To Mordor, my precious.... !!

Those rocks christened a new nickname for the trail: "The road to Mordor", but who knew? Mordor has some pretty sights along the way. This wooden path on the edge of the mountain was covered with autumn leaves. Lovely eh?

Halfway through the hike, I got a photo at station 5. Only 1.7KM to go. From here, it was up, up and up, along a narrow, very steep path.

That smile on my face? It faded quickly after starting the difficult section...

There is an udon shop at the summit of Nabewari Mountain. Each day, a man in his 60's (?) climbs up with the needed supplies. We passed him at the steepest point on the trail. His pack? About 70 kg! (=150 Lbs)

Check back again to see the view from Mordor ... I mean Nabewari Mountain. Hint: the view does not include an "all seeing eye"...but trust me, you won't be disappointed! (Pirates and Gollums warmly approve this message).

Nabewari Mountain is located in the Tanzawa range in central Kanagawa. Hiking is free! To get here, take the Odakyu Line to Hadano or Matsuda stations. From there, take a bus in the direction of Futamata. 

This mountain is on Peakery. Check it out HERE. 

鍋割り山 Nabewari Mountain - Part 1

Recently, my hiking partner and I piled into the car and drove to the Tanzawa mountain range at five in the morning. We arrived at our destination, the base of Nabeawari mountain by 6:30 am.

Nabewariyama is 1,277.5 meters high. The climb is very steep (see a fellow hiker's GPS profile of the mountain HERE.)
Our trek for the day would take approximately 10 hours and cover 17 km round trip.

Map showing the route:

• From the start, to the first mountain, Nabewariyama (labeled "1" on the map above), is approximately 3.5 hours one way. 
• From the summit of Nabewariyama, to the next mountain, Tonodake (labeled "2"), is 1 hour, one way. 
• At each summit, we allowed 20 ~ 30 minutes of rest time. 

This hike is quite easy for the first 40 minutes; we only had to hike along a gravel road. Signs mark the route every kilometer or so; as long as you can read the kanji, you will never get lost.

The gravel road:

The first signpost leading the way:

Nabewariyama is shown on the bottom sign, pointing left.

I divided this mountain into three stages:

Section 1) "water + sound", due to numerous waterfalls you will pass.
Section 2) "森 (mori = forest)" as you hike through huge, towering pine trees, and finally,
Section 3) "HARD", as it is the most difficult, very steep and a bit dangerous in rainy or wet weather.

In the first section, you hear the sound of falling water constantly, due to many waterfalls. In spring, after the winter snow melts, these waterfalls are bound to be even more beautiful.

One hidden waterfall:

After climbing for 10 minutes more, we came across this stone bust, showing one of the pioneers of trekking in Japan. Next to the statue was a wooden board explaining more in Japanese. Some previous hikers left their walking sticks, waiting to be passed on to other hikers.

Hiking sticks waiting to assist climbers:

As mentioned earlier, the lowest section of the mountain features the theme of "water". We passed many waterfalls, each varying in size, but all powerful in sound. This section is perhaps the most beautiful of the entire climb and can be rated very easy. Families with small children can easily hike this route and enjoy the sound of water falling.

Another waterfall...

...and another:

The gravel road soon ended at a river crossing. Before crossing, one can find this small house:

It's an information box. Hikers are encouraged to write their name, the members of the their hiking party, the date and time they begin their hike. I've never seen any cards inside and it's not mandatory to submit this information. These cards are mainly for police or emergency services if there is an accident.

Next to the mini-house, was this signpost (see above), which I would call the actual start of the hike to Nabewariyama. It's 3.6 km, which doesn't seem so far, but is deceiving. The trail is very steep, narrow and can be dangerous in wet weather. There are no rest areas until reaching the summit. It should be climbed by people with some previous experience and those who are in very good physical condition. Trust me, it's tough.

Check back again tomorrow to see more from Nabewariyama. ^_^

How to get there: 
Time Out Tokyo has a short article explaining how to get to Mt. Nabewari. Click this LINK to see.
If you go by car, arrive early. As soon as we started our hike at 6:50am, four cars pulled into the small parking area, and it became full. 

Waterproof hiking shoes are a must due to many river crossings. 

A fellow blogger, Japantrekker, also wrote a good post about this hike. You can read about his hike HERE. 

Mount Fuji Day Trip - Part 3

A one day drive to Fuji Five Lakes area continues. Part one is HERE. Part two is HERE.

It was still too early to head back to Kanagawa, so my friend suggested visiting two famous waterfalls in the area: Shiraito and Otodome. One thing that surprised us: these supposedly "free" sights were now surrounded by parking lots charging fees from ¥100 ~ 400 per vehicle; a scam perhaps?

From the main road, it took about 10 minutes to walk to the first waterfall, Otodome, which translates to: "the sound stops". It's a powerful waterfall, with a large amount of water tumbling and crashing over a sharp edge.

Otodome waterfall:

The second, more picturesque waterfall is Shiraito ("silk thread"):

The waterfall's viewing area is currently under construction, so visitors are forbidden from getting close to the waterfall itself. The photo above was taken from the staircase leading down to the river. That point actually gave the best view, as the lowest level viewing point is surrounded by construction walls. It was unclear when construction would be completed.

Finally, on the way home, we passed by a local park hosting an event. I asked if we could stop and take a look, even though it was dark. There, lines of Japanese maple trees were lit to display their autumn colors. It was quite a romantic spot!

A lit path of Japanese maple trees:

A close up of the Japanese maple leaf:

I snapped a photo of the sign, advertising the event. The sign reads: "Viewing Autumn Leaves Event".
It ran from October 27 ~ November 11.

There are so many things to see and do in the Fuji area, visitors should really plan to stay for at least 2~3 days. A one day trip was not enough for my adventurous taste. ^_^

General information about the Fuji Five Lakes area is HERE.

Mount Fuji Day Trip - Part 2

A Friday adventure around the Fuji Five Lakes area, continues. Part one is HERE. 

After enjoying the caves, we jumped in the car and heading out on the road again. Along one point, we could get a great view of Mount Fuji!

Along the main road, there was a 道の駅 (mi-chi no eki = a rest area) where we stopped to buy some lunch. A group of junior high (or high school?) students were busy selling bowls of fresh made soba (buckwheat noodles in a broth). We bought one bowl each for ¥300 and enjoyed slurping the noodles with other visitors.

My bowl of soba with green scallions on top:

View of the students' shop, which was to promote awareness 

of locally grown produce:

My friend also suggested buying milk, as dairy farms are prevalent in the Fuji area. We each got a bottle for about ¥130. My friend drank straight milk; I got coffee milk. Both were really delicious!

We both enjoying drinking our milk from this point at the rest area, which commanded great views of the mountain. It was perfect!

After filling up on food and drink, we headed out again, this time to see two lakes. The Fuji area is famous for five lakes. They are:  Kawaguchiko, Saiko, Yamanako, Shojiko and Motosuko.      

However, we didn't go to see these as they are often quite crowded. Instead, my friend took me to two hidden, local lakes, which had almost no visitors. We enjoyed spectacular views of the mountain.

The first secret lake with Fuji:

The second secret lake, calm and still:

I would rather not reveal the location of these secret points, because I am planning to go camping there in a week or so (yes, winter camping!). That said, there is a natural phenomenon that occurs only twice a year at one of these lakes. If you research that, I am sure you can find the hidden location. ^_^ The phenomenon is called "Double Diamond Fuji". When the sun rises over the summit of Mount Fuji, it reflects in the lake below, giving witnesses a display of sparkling sunshine (or "diamonds"). Photographers often try to capture this unique view.

Information about Double Diamond Mt. Fuji: 

Information about Fuji Five Lakes can be found HERE and HERE. 
Travel information & maps are HERE. 
A cheap option: rent a car for you and your friends. One day rentals in Japan cost about ¥3,000. ($30) You will need an International or Japanese license. Parking is usually free in the Fuji area.

For those interested in climbing Mount Fuji, be aware the climbing season is only 2 months long: From July 1 -- August 31. Outside of the official climbing season, you must report to a police station with information concerning your route and party members. Be prepared for altitude sickness too. Information for climbers is HERE.

Mount Fuji Day Trip - Part 1

Enjoying some rare time off on a Friday, a friend and I piled into a car and headed west. Our destination? The spectacular and sprawling Mount Fuji area.

The area's most famous icon is the mountain itself, but this region, also called Fuji Five Lakes, has numerous other sites of interest.

Map of the Fuji Five Lakes area (click to see details):

The first stop was to view two caves, created by lava flows from two former eruptions at Mt.Fuji and a neighboring mountain (which was destroyed during its eruption).  The first cave was Fugaku Lava Cave and the second, Narusawa Icicle Lave Cave, are a constant 0 degrees inside! Bringing mittens and a warm hat are encouraged. ^_^

The temperature inside the cave? A cold 0 degrees!

Visitors can purchase one ticket for the two caves, costing ¥500.

Entrance to the Lava Cave:

English speaking visitors should note, there is little information provided in English. I could find this plate outside the exit of the the first cave, which offered a simple explanation. Signs inside the cave are only in Japanese; bring a Japanese speaking guide/ friend if you want to understand everything.

Ignore the Engrish "fo"

After viewing the Lava Cave, we decided to hike through the forest to the second cave. At the Fugaku Lava Cave's information booth, on the left, there is a path. The sign says it takes about 25 minutes and there are a lot of lava rocks, so good hiking shoes are a must. 

The first sign pointing to the way to several attractions in the area:

Our direction: to the bat (ice) cave! 

This hike is strongly recommended as you will likely find no one else on the trail. It's also a great way to enjoy a forest which has grown out of the old lava flows.

Below: a split stone created by old lava flow which cooled, then broke apart.

As it was 紅葉 (mo-mi-ji = autumn leaves) time in Japan, we enjoyed the red maple leaves lying on the path or falling from the trees above.

Hiking path - from this point, about 10 more minutes to the Ice Cave.

Finally, we arrived at our second cave, the Narusawa Icicle Lava Cave. This was loads more fun due to the tiny 91 cm high passageway at one point in the cave. We literally had to crouch and crawl through this cave! (Note: Don't wear nice clothes if you are visiting this particular cave)

Entrance sign to the cave from the main road:

At the information desk, I really enjoyed a cardboard display explaining the highlights and which sections in the cave are a bit tough for climbing. 

Inside the Icicle Cave (as explained by cardboard cartoons) 

* Click for details *

After going through the gate, we walked through this cave. The total time inside: about 15 minutes. It's very cold, so again, bring gloves, a hat and a warm coat (even in the summer months!). 

Entrance to the Icicle Cave:

I visited many more spots in the Fuji mountain area. Check back again to see other interesting sights.

Fugaku Lave Cave information is HERE. Narusawa Icicle Lave Cave site is HERE. Cost: ¥500 ($5) per person to visit the two caves. Parking is free. You can walk between the two caves via a hiking path (25 minutes) or the main road (15 minutes). Access: Located in Yamanashi prefecture. Get there by bus or car only (see websites above for specific directions). 日本語の情報は HERE.