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![]() The incline is much steeper to the walks I've experienced in more Western countries (such as Blue Mountains, NSW or Great Ocean Road, Vic).īefore the final leg, you will come across a kind of open area with a demolished hut and you will see a Tori gate that goes up to another mini shrine. From there, it was roughly another 90-120 minutes to the summit of Odake. Right takes you on the loop back to the shrine. We also passed this huge rock that the locals were climbing but did not understand the significance.Īfter the Rock Garden, you will cross some large rocks over a stream and you can veer left or right here. A little further up 10-15 mins is the Rock gardens and a little waterfall. Lots of locals were lunching here bringing their own little gas stoves and making toasties. It is obvious that this is a rest area with tables and the WC hut. We had a snack break just before the rock gardens and this is also your last chance to visit the restrooms. We went from Mitake-shrine > Rock gardens > Mt Odake (follow the signs, most in English) and back down via the loop. I guess poles would really help going down. We saw a lot of people with trekking poles also but we did not have this and managed. There are lots of steep sections where it is mainly rock, tree roots and the paths are quite muddy after rain (like on the day that we went). Allow 5-6 hours with 1-2 breaks.Īverage or above average fitness is probably required and highly recommend that you have proper hiking boots. It is much quicker to descend and you can probably get back to the Shrine in 90 minutes. Mitake-shrine (Mt Mitake) to Mt Odake is not an easy walk and it takes roughly 2.5 hours one way, around 5 km. It is well-maintained and well-marked throughout so that you wouldn't even need a map if you are able to read the signs - which are in Japanese. IIRC camping at the huts require no reservation.Īs mentioned, the trail is long, but devoid of technically difficult bits. Kumotori Sanso - the mountain hut where I spent the night - can be reserved by calling or by emailling, though some japanese ability would probably be required. The ridgeline from the summit towards Kamosawa/Okutama is long, easy and breathtaking so I would recommend including that in your hike route. It's possible to go beyond Kamosawa towards Okutama on foot through several more mountains, but that extends your hike by a significant 5 or so km. Downward though, the long and smooth descent towards Kamosawa seems clearly the easier, though I'd recommend a detour up the summit of Mt Nanatsuishi on the way. The trailhead at Mitsumine Shrine is much higher up than Kamosawa at about 1000m, but takes you through a lot more up-and-downing (and through several other summits), making it somewhat unclear which is the easier approach. There are 3 main approaches to the peak, I hiked in from Mitsumine Shrine (accessible by bus from Seibu Chichibu station), spent the night at Kumotori Sanso, summited in the early morning and then hiked down to Kamosawa bus stop - a bus ride away from Okutama station. ![]() ![]() A member of the venerable "hyakumeizan" - 100 famous mountains - it is a thoroughly enjoyable and accessible hike, with excellent views of the surrounding mountain ranges and Fuji in the distance from the peak. is a somewhat taxing but non-difficult climb normally undertaken as a 2-day hike with a stayover at one of the several mountain huts.
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