I hurt my back during a hike to Mt. Hakkyogatake, so I had no choice but to give up on my annual Golden Week snow mountain climbing, which I’d been doing for years. Even though my desire to enjoy the mountains wouldn’t subside, I saw a friend’s SNS post praising Utsukushigahara. It seemed like Utsukushigahara would let me enjoy spectacular Japan Alps views with just a light hike, and my friend confirmed there was no more snow around there, so I immediately headed to Utsukushigahara.
In the early morning, from the quiet Shirakaba Lake where no one else was around, I could see Mt. Tateshina and the sunrise. As I gained elevation and approached Utsukushigahara Plateau, I was deeply moved by the beautiful scenery of layer after layer of mountains visible during the drive. I pushed myself a bit, but I’m really glad I came.
I must have been to Utsukushigahara before, but I couldn’t clearly remember what kind of place it was. It’s less about serious climbing and more about leisurely strolling while enjoying magnificent Japan Alps views, which was perfect for me today.
The air was clear that day, and not only could I clearly see the snow-capped Northern Alps, but also distant mountains like Mt. Ontake, making it a perfect stroll for admiring the mountains. On the other hand, gazing at those beautiful mountains sparked a growing feeling of wanting to do a snow climb around Mt. Tsubakuro this year, and a sense that a mere stroll wasn’t quite enough…
Arrived at Ougabana, and from here I could see the Northern Alps and Mt. Ontake even more clearly than from Ougato. I strongly felt again that while climbing the Northern Alps is great, simply gazing at them like this is also truly wonderful.
Most people would normally take the well-maintained path back from here, but since I was feeling a bit unsatisfied, I decided to take a small hiking trail that extends from Ougabana to head back.
The atmosphere suddenly changed from the well-maintained path I’d been on. It became a path of thin, flat scree, making footing unstable, followed by a narrow traverse trail barely wide enough for one person. It required more caution than I expected, but there were hardly any people, and I could always walk with magnificent scenery on my right, allowing me to enjoy a peaceful hike.
A stroll through Utsukushigahara allowed me to enjoy beautiful scenery for most of the time. It’s said that you can see a large part of the Japanese Alps and many of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains from here, making it a place to truly enjoy spectacular mountain views.
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