Stage 1: Murodo to Goshiki-ga-hara Hut
Total Distance: 4.5 miles (7 kilometers)
Total Time: 4.5 hours
Ascent/Descent: 2,290 up and 2,230 down
Welcome to altitude! We started our hike at 8,000+ feet above sea level, with no acclimatization. In fact, we literally slept at sea level in Toyama the prior night, so the shift to thinner air was noticeable from the first steps — not drastic, just noticeable. We filled up our water packs from the mountain spring outside the bus depot, got our bearings amidst numerous inviting trail heads, and set out on a cobble-stone path towards Mt. Jodo at 9:50 a.m. It was 54 degrees (fahrenheit) with sunshine and blue skies… for about 30 minutes. By the time we started the rock climb/scramble to the top of Mt. Jodo, the path had become rugged and a thick fog was closing in.
Mt. Tateyama, Murodo, Japan
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We reached the summit of our first small peak (2831 meters) in a literal whiteout, which cleared by the time we strode across the rocky ridge line to a weather station on the north peak. The views from the north peak gave us a preview of things to come: swirling mist, deep valleys, juniper-covered Alpine meadows, and rocky ridge tops. It was up-and-down over steep, rocky terrain for the next several hours, with more rock scrambles, some hand-over-hand climbing, rope supports in a few places, and a bit of sliding on loose scree. We skirted the ridge at Ryuo-dake and then went up, over, and down the peaks of Oni-dake and Shishi-dake. The going was slow and we averaged less than 1 mile per hour, which was actually on the faster end of the projected time mentioned in the Cicero guide. Hiking in the Japanese Alps is slow and careful (not fast and furious). We saw just a handful of other hikers and lucked out on the first day with lots of dynamic clouds, but just a slight, brief drizzle.
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Quick snack before tackling Shishi-dake
The highlight of stage 1 was the last 30-40 minutes, from a broad saddle with expansive views at Zaratoge up through an alpine lava meadow. We skipped along a boardwalk lined with the season’s last blooms, watching the clouds build and darken. We checked into Goshiki-ga-hara hut just before 3:00 p.m. and were pleasantly surprised to have our own room. We hung our damp clothes in the drying room (available at every hut) and got our beds laid out. Then we popped open a couple of beers and sat outside, admiring the fantastic mountain views for about an hour before the clouds unleashed.
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Like anything on a time schedule in Japan, dinner was “precisely” at 5:00 p.m. I mean - precisely on the dot… and that was the same at every meal, at every hut. Meals are an optional cost at check-in. If you purchase one or more meals, they let you know the dinner and breakfast time and you had better be there or you will miss out. You can also bring your own food and there are always snacks and plenty of beverages for purchase at any time. I cover all of this — as well as expected cost — in the logistics post.
Logistics to the Start Point in Murodo
Getting to the start point in Murodo was a 2.5 hour journey and worth a few details. In order to get ahead of the inevitable tourist crowd, we stayed in a hotel above the train station in Toyama the night before our planned start date. We caught the 6:00 a.m. train to Tateyama and then transferred to a cable car. After the steep 1600 foot ride up the cable car lift, we then had an hour-long scenic bus ride to Murodo, which is a popular tourist area situated at 8,000+ feet above sea level. Loads of Japanese people go to Murodo for day hikes or a mountain hotel and onsen stay. Once you leave the main caldera, though, the crowds thin to just a handful of other multi-day trekkers.