June 1st
Start&Finish: Nago (名郷 ) stop to Sawarabinoyu (さわらびの湯) bus stop.
The weather: High 25 Low 15
Outfit/Equipment: light weight trousers, cool tech tshirt, hat, hiking shoes, 1L water
Map: We followed Yamap and signs on the trail. You follow all signs to Warabiyama (蕨山), then once you reach it, all signs to Sawarabinoyu.
Crowds: No one going or coming back but strangely quite a few people at the summit. Where did they come from and where did they go??
Time: 9:40 to 1:45
Difficulty: 21,000 steps, 210 flights.
We decided to head back to the Naguri area again, this time to aim for Warabiyama – one of the few peaks over 1000m in this area. We didn’t like the idea of finishing the hike and then waiting for the intermittent buses so decided to drive to Sawaranoyu, take the bus first up to Nago bus stop and then walk back. It’s a long way by bus so don’t think you could walk it instead, unless you are super fit. The parking fills up surprisingly quickly at Sawaranoyu. There weren’t many spaces left when we arrived at 8:30 so make sure to get there nice and early.
You have to head slightly downhill from Nago bus stop to the trail start and the sign’s a little difficult to spot but once you’re on the trail it’s not too bad. There are sign posts along the way, if a little weather beaten, and there aren’t many side trails to get lost on. The first 45 minutes or so are the hardest, with a steep endless climb, but once that’s past it becomes a bit less intense with a few breathers in between the climbs. You will definitely need waterproof shoes for this hike. We had to cross through a couple of rivers; there were no handy stones to jump across so you just had to walk through. I am so thankful for my hiking shoes. If there’s one bit of kit you splash out on, make sure it’s a decent pair of waterproof shoes.
For such a high mountain there were few vantage points, and with wispy cloud/mist below us there wasn’t much to be seen. Most of the trail takes you through trees and heavy shade. It’s very cool and peaceful and whilst wet after all the recent rain, thankfully not too muddy.
There are a few benches on the summit but also a plague of flies, so we didn’t linger long. The trail down isn’t too steep and takes you past a number of other peaks until right near the end when it becomes steep and slippery with plenty of rocks and roots to trip you up.
It was a steep trail but not overly long so I wasn’t as shattered as I have been after recent, longer hikes. The area is lovely, especially hiking past the streams, waterfalls and little shrines along the way. The temperature difference once we reached the bottom was impressive and we were glad it had been so much cooler in the mountains.
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