Stage 3: Yakushi-dake to Kurobegoro-dake
Total Distance: 9 miles (14.5 kilometers)
Total Time: 8.5 hours
Ascent/Descent: 2,840 up and 4,040 down
The weather was a total gift and this section was the highlight of our trek! The hike itself was less punishing in terms of up and down and the scenery was heaven. But the day didn’t start out so promising…
Broad ridge from Mt. Kitanomata-dake; Yakushi-dake in distance
Heading out into a soaking downpour and thick fog at 6:00 a.m., I thought the day would end up being a bust — especially as we picked our way down a slippery, rocky ravine gushing with water from the previous night’s long, thunderous storm. The first hour to the Yakushi-dake campground was slow, wet, and gloomy. The rain stopped as we filled up our water packs, but the first peak of the day, Mt. Taroyama, and its surrounding grasslands lie hidden in a fog. The trail was well-maintained, though, with lots of boardwalk to protect the meadows. We stopped in at Tarodaira-goya hut for a restroom break and a bottle of green tea.
Click any photo for a slideshow.
At the summit stele of Mt. Kitanomata-dake, we snacked on some protein bars. As it had for most of the morning, thick fog obscured the view. Suddenly, a strong wind rising up from the valley intensified, swirling the mist and fog around us. Blue sky peaked through as the fog amassed into big puffy shapes that quickly floated eastward on a swift air current. Within minutes, we had clear views of rolling green hills, imposing peaks, and steep shadowed valleys.
Click any photo for a slideshow.
We were at the north end of a long, grassy ridgeline, with a clear path along its top. It was a gorgeous stroll. We encountered a few rock scrambles and plunged into narrow deep juniper trails a few times, but mostly it was a gallery walk through nature’s work of art. The temperature warmed and we were soon shedding layers and applying sunscreen. A turbulent layer of thick blue-grey clouds was kept in check, suspended above the scenery. Turning around as we gradually ascended higher up Mt. Kurobegoro, we could trace with our eyes the path we had walked thus far across the grassy highlands from Mt. Kitanomata-dake, with yesterday’s Mt. Yakushi-dake in the background.
Mt. Kitanomata-dake grassy highlands, Mt. Yakushi in background
Grassy highlands of Japan Alps; route to Mt. Korobegoro
Click any photo for a slideshow.
The climb up Mt. Kurobegoro was easier than it looked from below and within 30 to 40 minutes, we were peering down into a vast cirque on the opposite side. Nestled in a little flat valley, we could see Kurobegoro Hut another few hours into the distance. It was time to descend — aggressively — several thousand feet!
Mt. Kurobegoro ridge, peering into the cirque
The descent into the cirque was quite steep and rocky (familiar, by now), but the views were magnificent. As we descended slowly back into the tree line and towards the hut, the colors of Autumn became more vibrant. We crossed gentle little streams, passed between imposing boulder fields, wound our way through pockets of white aspen and cedar, and captured every little meadow flower in a photo. It took us far longer than it should have to traverse this glorious, peaceful slice o’heaven, but we were ok with that. We made it to the hut about 20 minutes before the clouds unleashed. After checking in, we sat outside on a covered porch with a glass of Italian wine and some locally-brewed sake, listening to the wind blow through the remote mountains of Japan.
Click any photo for a slideshow.
Mt. Kurobegoro and the glorious cirque
About a dozen other Japanese hikers drifted in from various directions as the downpour tapered to a misty drizzle. Dinner was served promptly at 5:30 p.m. - another round of fried pork cutlet (don katsu), unlimited rice, pickles, and miso soup. As we sat around the low tables after dinner sipping sake and beers, we struck up a conversation with a young English-speaking Japanese hiker whose girlfriend attends college in Korea. This was our first real exchange with any fellow hikers in the Alps, as we were the only foreigners. We had a really nice evening, chitchatting about Seoul, swapping trekking stories, and planning future hikes. Around 8:00 p.m., we retired to a private room for some quiet zzzz’s. What a perfect day!
Click any photo for a slideshow.
