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.