Splendid Backdrop Scaling Yatsugatake Mountains
Last summer near perfect conditions provided an excellent opportunity to take a three day hike over the Yatsugatake Mountains. These volcanic mountains are situated on the border between Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures and are around 3 hours’ drive west of Tokyo. The high alpine terrain is dotted with a several mountains lodges to accommodate the large number of visitors who head for the breathtaking scenery and to escape the sweltering conditions which afflict much of Japan through the summer months. Included below are some highlights from this backcountry adventure.
1. View from the Gyoja mountain lodge
2. Crossroads towards towards Nakadake and Amidadake
3. Mount Fuji from Akadake
4. A mountain lodge heading down from Akadake
5. Somewhat akin to Machu Picchu
6. Steep and rugged high alpine terrain
7. Mount Fuji makes for a breathtaking backdrop
8. Route defined through rock cairns
9. Eroded volcanic mountain range
10. Barren alpine plain
11. Overlooking the Ioudake mountain lodge
12. Giant explosion crater from Honzawa onsen campsite
I love all these beautiful pictures!!! I can feel the fresh air on the peak of the mountain. Thanks for sharing good stuffs with us.
Thank you very much Tina and hopefully you have the chance to hike these peaks yourself someday 😉
Incredible photos! I was planning to hike Akadake as a day trip. Do you reckon it would be possible to extend the hike for a day trip if I got to the trailhead around 9am? Also, I would be attempting this in early June. Do you think the snow will have mostly melted by then? Thanks!
Kindly,
Steve
Very kind of you to say 🙂 From what I can tell most of the snow on the higher ridgelines has now melted so by early June you should be fine. However, to tackle Mt. Akadake from Minotoguchi in a day you need to be fairly fit. According to the map it takes around 5hrs 20 mins to reach the summit. Taking only a few short breaks possibly 5 hrs is doable but overall, I would be allowing at least 10 hours to complete the round trip so focus on starting as early as possible.
Inspiring! I will try this route I was given. Appreciate the pictures here during my research. Well done.
Thanks for your blog, lots of really interesting and inspiring reading.
I’m interested in doing the hike out to Honzawa from Ioudake , it doesn’t seem far but quite a bit of elevation gain/lost, how long would estimate for that section?
Thanks for your message, Colin!
For the hike between Ioudake (Mt. Iou) and Honzawa Onsen, the distance isn’t huge, but as you noted, there’s a fair bit of elevation change and some rocky sections. Assuming you’re starting from Ioudake’s summit and heading down to Honzawa Onsen, the descent typically takes around 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on your pace and trail conditions. Going in the opposite direction (from Honzawa up to Ioudake), you should allow about 2 hours or a little more, since it’s a steady climb through forest and up to the ridge.
If you’re planning to connect this with other peaks (like Tengudake or Yokodake), the total time will increase, but for just the Ioudake–Honzawa Onsen section, 1.5–2 hours each way is a good estimate. The trail is well-marked and not technically difficult.