Weather Kept Messing with My Plans…
I was originally planning a 2-night, 3-day traverse in the Southern Alps, but the weather looked really iffy, and I figured a major weather change during such a physically demanding trip would be tough. So, I canceled my mountain hut reservation at the very last minute. Then I remembered Mt. Arashima, one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, in Fukui Prefecture, which seemed to be the only place with stable weather. So, I decided to hike it pretty much at the eleventh hour, packed up, and drove off in the middle of the night.
A Lower Mountain, Not a Long Route… Should Be Easy, Right?
Mt. Arashima is 1523 meters high. The course time from Kadohara Trailhead, which I chose, was 3.5 hours up and 2.5 hours down. I totally thought it would be an easy day trip.
I arrived at the trailhead around 5:30 AM. It was misty, so rain didn’t seem likely, but the visibility didn’t look great for views. After changing into my hiking boots and double-checking my gear, I submitted my hiking registration at the office, which from afar I initially wondered why there was a phone booth there! Then, it was finally time to start the hike.
The Steep Concrete Climb Was a Trap…
Next to the phone booth, there was a concrete path climbing steeply far into the distance. After a short ascent, I heard a suspicious, barking sound, and then suddenly, a wild boar burst out from the side, startling me! It was a bit far away, so nothing happened, but honestly, I totally panicked for a second…
And this concrete climb was much steeper and longer than I expected. Since it was a well-maintained path, I unconsciously picked up my pace, but it really wore me out. It seems there used to be a ski lift, though it’s now abandoned, and I was climbing for over 50 minutes just to get to where the lift station would have been…
And right next to that lift station was the actual Mt. Arashima Trailhead. After nearly an hour of climbing, seeing “Trailhead” written there really took the wind out of my sails…
Through the Beautiful Virgin Beech Forest
From the trailhead, the path led through a beautiful virgin beech forest. Along the way, there were signs saying “Totoro Tree” (though I honestly couldn’t tell which one it was…), lovely moss, delicate little flowers blooming quietly, and rays of light piercing through the trees in the morning mist. It made for a truly pleasant hike.
As I climbed up to around Shakunage-daira, there were spots where the view opened up. If it had been sunny, I might have been able to see Mt. Hakusan, but unfortunately, there were still too many clouds at this time to get a clear view.
Tackling Steep Climbs Until the Very End, Finally Reaching the Summit
Before reaching Mt. Arashima, there was a steep climb called “Mochigakabe.” There were even some ominous signs warning about frequent slipping accidents, which made me a bit nervous, but at least for a summer trail, it didn’t feel particularly dangerous. It was just a continuous steep climb.
Mt. Arashima, despite being one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains, has a somewhat understated feel. Perhaps because the weather wasn’t completely clear, I had the summit all to myself. Since it looks like an isolated peak from below, I should have been able to get a 360-degree view if it had been sunny…
The steep climb was quite hard, so I rested for a bit. After waiting, some of the clouds cleared, revealing an incredible view. I thought to myself, “This kind of moment is one of the reasons I’m so hooked on hiking!”
The Final Part of the Descent Was Brutal…
Since I had a good rest at the cool summit before heading down, I was able to descend quite briskly. However, after passing the “trailhead” where my spirits had flagged on the way up, there was no cover from the intense direct sunlight. Plus, the descent, including that steep concrete slope, lasted for almost an hour. This part was way harder than I’d imagined. By the time I reached the Kadohara Trailhead parking lot, I was absolutely knackered. Someone who came down about 5 minutes after me mentioned they had hiked Mt. Hakusan the day before (a roughly 10-hour round trip), and that Mt. Arashima felt incomparably tougher than that. It gave me a strange sense of relief, knowing my feeling wasn’t off. I thought it would be an easy low-altitude mountain, but it seems this route is seriously tough for a summer hike.
On the other hand, this mountain must be quite a snow mountain in winter, and I thought it would be fun to try climbing it then too.
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