March 9th, 2025 Start&Finish: Higashi Agano station to Agano station. The weather: High 13 Low 1 (but we had sleet and a high of about 6 the day before so the air was cold) Outfit/Equipment: Warm hiking trousers, long sleeve undershirt, hoody, down vest, hat, gloves, hiking shoes. Map: We started off on this map, […]
Category: Winter Hikes
物見山・Monomiyama
February 23rd, 2025 Start&Finish: Higashi Agano Station to Koma Station The weather: High 9 Low -5. Sunny but chilly in the shade. Outfit/Equipment: warm trousers, long sleeve sport undershirt, hoody, down vest, hat, gloves, hiking boots. Map: We stuck two maps together so we started on this route to Ebigazaka, took a trail from there […]
仙元山・Sengenyama (the long version)
February 16th Start&Finish: Ogose Station to Musashi Ranzan Station The weather: High 16, Low 5. Warm and sunny. Outfit/Equipment: Warm trousers, sport long sleeve undershirt, light long sleeve top, hiking boots Map: We never found a particularly good map but just had a general map of the area. There were plenty of signs. Crowds: Very […]
棒ノ嶺・Bonooreyama
February 11th Start&Finish: Sawarabinoyu Dai3 Parking lot (there is also a bus stop nearby if you don’t drive) The weather: High 9 Low -3. Sunny but increasingly windy and extremely cold at the top. Outfit/Equipment: Warm trousers, warm long sleeve sport top, hoody, down vest, hat, gloves, hiking boots (waterproof boots and gloves essential for […]
宝登山・Hodo-san
February 9th Start&Finish: Nogami station to Nagatoro Station The weather: High 10 Low -3 Sunny but with a cold wind. Outfit/Equipment: sport tights, warm trousers, sport long sleeve top, hoody, down vest, hat, gloves, hiking shoes. Map: We followed the red course on this map Crowds: Loads of people walking the same trail but the […]
仙元山・Sengenyama
February 1st Start&Finish: Ranzan Keikoku Sightseeing Carpark (嵐山渓谷観光駐車場) The weather: Sunny and surprisingly mild. Outfit/Equipment: Warm trousers, sport long sleeved top, stolen hooded sweatshirt (don’t tell my son), gloves. Map: I had our new hiking map of the area but mostly just followed the signs. Crowds: The occasional hiker and dog walker. Time: 10am to […]
正丸峠・Shomaru Touge
January 26th Start&Finish: Shomaru station The weather: sunny and cold Outfit/Equipment: warm trousers, sport long-sleeve shirt, long sleeved top, down vest, hat, gloves. Map: We followed this map (and didn’t get lost!!) Crowds: The odd hiker here and there. There was an eki-den in Agano but we were travelling past that area. The train was […]
刈場坂峠・Kabasaka Touge
January 12th Start&Finish: A loop course from Shomaru station The weather: Cold and cloudy with the odd burst of sunshine. Outfit/Equipment: warm trousers, sport long-sleeve vest, long sleeve top, down vest, hat, gloves, hiking shoes Map: There is no map. We ended up turning the wrong way and walking off the edge of the map! […]
日和田山・Hiwada-san
January 3rd. Start&Finish: Koma station to Musashi Yokote station The weather: Overcast and cold. Outfit/Equipment: warm trousers, long sleeve heat tech, long sleeve top, light down vest, hat, hiking shoes. Map: We followed this hiking course in reverse. Crowds: Hiwada-san in particular is a popular mountain but it was quiet after that. Time: 9am to […]
奥多摩・Okutama
December 29th Start&Finish: Okutama station to Kori station The weather: Cold and sunny Outfit/Equipment: Warm trousers, long sleeve heat tech, long sleeve top, vest top, hat, hiking shoes. Map: We followed the Okutama Walking Trail Crowds: Extremely quiet. Time: 10am to 12:30. Difficulty: 16,641 steps.