The Northern Alps 1999.

It was finally time for my summer holiday. Combined with two week-ends I had a total of nine days off. I had decided to spend as many as those days as possible in the northern alps hiking from mountain top to mountain top enjoying the gorgeous environment. Unfortunate for me I had to go to our Toyota office the Friday before my holiday started, which meant that I would have to postpone my departure until Saturday morning, or bring all my stuff with me and go to the mountains directly from our Toyota office. I opted for the last option.

I finally got off the trolley bus at Kurobe dam Saturday morning after having spent the night in a train, and the morning waiting for the trolley busses to start running. Everyone else but me and 5 old ladies headed for the dam. We headed for the little trail leading down to the bottom of Kurobe gorge, down behind the dam.

I had been down in Kurobe gorge a year ago, but that was in the northern end, up by Keiyakidaira. This time I would "explore" the southern part of Kurobe dam. The trail was pretty much like the trail in the northern end, cut into the rocks, only difference was that down here in the southern end, the trail was a lot closer to the bottom of the gorge. I soon passed the 5 old ladies, and then came to a place where it looked as if there were 2 trails. I checked both trails out, and decided to follow the one going up. It was clear that there had been people there before because there were footprints and other human remains. The trail went up and up, and it got worse and worse. I started wondering if this really was the correct trail, but there continued to be footprints and other signs of humans. I finally reached the end of the trail, which was a vertical rock wall. I now realized that this was not the trail, and all the other footprints were those of other hikers who also had taken the wrong trail. I turned around and halfway down I met the 5 old ladies on the way up the same wrong trail.

Back down again I took a break. The weather was incredibly good, and I was sweating like a pig. When the 5 ladies came back down again I asked one of them to take a photo of me with my camera. The first old cow was not too cooperative despite the fact that I had just saved her an hour up the wrong trail. The second old lady was a lot more cooperative. She pressed the shutter, but nothing happened. What? I had a look at my camera, and indeed there was something wrong. No matter how many times I pressed the shutter, the camera wouldn't take a single picture. Oh no. I had brought this expensive and heavy camera all the way in here, and now it didn't work. Could it really be true that I would have to carry it on the whole trip without being able to take any more than the two photos I had already taken. That would really suck. Very disappointed I put my camera away and continued down the trail.

I didn't plan on following the trail down in the Kurobe gorge all the way to the end. My plan was to hike up to Masagozawa and the Tsurugi snow valley, and from there hike back down south to Kamikochi. When I reached the trail for Masagozawa, I said good bye to Kurobe gorge and headed for Masagozawa. The weather was still gorgeous with blue sky and lots of sunshine, so I was hiking around in nothing but my short pants, my socks and my hiking shoes. I was having a great time; untill I reached the Hashigotani pass. Now it suddenly started raining. At first it looked like a little innocent shower, but it didn't stop right away. It actually started pouring down, so I had to seek shelter under a big tree and get into my rain wear.
After waiting 20 mins. under the tree and the rain didn't seem to stop anytime soon, I left the tree and continued on the trail down towards Masagozawa. I had already walked more than three quarters of that trail, but due to the rain, the last quarter seemed longer than the three other combined. When I finally got down to Masagozawa lodge the rain had stopped. I got some lunch and decided to stay there that night. It was still my first day, and as such I was not really in shape for hiking yet, and I was already exhausted. When I got up the following morning the weather was just as bad as the day before so I decided to wait a little longer before packing my stuff and moving on. I was quite surprised about the bad weather. I had gone hiking 5 times the year before, one time earlier this year, and every time had been great weather. What was going on here? Had my luck left me now?
By noon it finally got better weather, so I packed my stuff and left the campsite by Masagozawa lodge. I took the trail up the Tsurugi snow valley up to the campsite by Tsurugizawa cabin. I had taken this same trail the year before and almost gone up the wrong snow valley. This time I knew better. I walked out on the frozen snow all the time and was up by Tsurugizawa cabin in about 2 hours without losing my way. Compared to the year before there was a lot more snow this year, and a lot more wind up on the Tsurugizawa campsite.

I got up early Monday morning and the weather had finally gotten better. I packed all my stuff and left Tsurugizawa. When I had been there a year before, it had been clouded so there had been no point in hiking up to the top of Tateyama. I had come back to do exactly this, and to my great pleasure, the weather was with me this time. I hiked up to Bessan, or Mt. Extra as it would be called if translated litteraly. From there I continued over all the other tops of Tateyama enjoying the surrounding view when possible, when there wern't too many stupid noisy tourists.

From the top of Tateyama I could see just about everything. On the western side was the Toyama plain and the Toyama bay. On the eastern side was the Kurobe gorge, dam and lake and the mountains on the border to Nagano. Behind them were Mt. Asama, Mt. Togashi, etc. To the south I could see Mt. Yakushi, Mt. Yari, Mt. Hotaka, etc. where I was headed. And far out in the horizon I could see the southern alps and Mt. Fuji sticking up through the clouds. I felt like standing on the roof of Japan.

Tateyama being one of the 3 famous religous mountains and being very accessible via the Alpen Route, is unfortunately infested with stupid noisy tourists, and is therefore not one of my favourite envionments, so I hurried on to less crowded trails. From the top of Tateyama I had also been able to see Goshikigahara, which is a high lying plain a little south of Tateyama. This would be my next stop. From the top of Tateyama it had looked as if it was "right over there", I could clearly see the cabin and everything else. For what ever reason, I had the idea that not too many people visited Goshikigahara and the other places between Tateyama and Mt. Yari. I assumed that there would not be too many people on the trails in this area, so great was my surprise to find an actual path laid out in the middle of the mountain. I had come all this way to get away from society, and now I was walking on this man-made path. Well, at least there were no other humans in sight, and it was easier to walk on the path than on all the sharp rocks..........

I made it all the way to Goshikigahara where I was unfortunate to run into a buch of old curious people asking me all kinds of irritating questions like "are you alone?" when there was nobody but themselves and me in sight. Fortunately for me they were staying at the cabin and the campsite was located quite some ways from there.

I put up my tent at the campsite and started looking for water. There were some faucets nearby, but nothing came out when I turned the nob. Probably all the snow had melted already and the faucets had run dry. Instead I went and got some water from the nice clear creek near by.
I was sitting in my tent cooking my dinner when someone suddenly comes by and starts talking to me in japanese. I answered in english hoping that that would scare the guy away. I was not in the mood to entertain some one when I was in the middle of cooking. Instead of running away scared, the guy now says "Excuse me, water where?". What the hell is going on here. Why does this guy think I am some kind of tourist guide who knows everything? I tell him to go get some water in the creek, and the guy asks "Where?".

When I wake up the next morning the weather is miserable again. I wonder if that is Gods punishment of me for treating all the stupid japanese tourists as stupid japanese tourists. As I am packing my stuff, an old japanese dude comes by in his rain wear. I say "Terrible weather isn't it", and the dude goes "That's the way it is. Every second day is good, every second day is bad" and he leaves in the rain again. Pretty cool dude, but the weather still sucks.

I move on towards Mt. Yakushi and manage to loose my improvised backpack cover and break my umbrella in the strong wind. My shoes are soaked and it is really misearble. I am hiking around in these beautiful mountains, but all I can see is the thick fog and the rain getting in my eyes. It's a 6 hours hike to the next little cabin. It didn't take me 6 hours, but it felt like 12. When I finally arrive I am totally exhausted and I sit outside under a cover wondering what to do. I could continue over Mt. Yakushi, but I am to tired, and I wouldn't be able to enjoy the view from the top. I could put up my tent and wait for the weather to get better, but all my stuff is wet so that would be miserable. I am sitting there thinking about my options when this old guy comes out and starts talking to me. He looks like a guy who just left his nice and comfortable house, so I assume that he is just another stupid tourist, and don't make an extra effort of talking with him. The guy then suddenly says "Why don't you come on inside and relax until you make up your mind what to do?", and it dawns on me that this probably is the guy who is running the cabin. That was very nice of the guy, so I decide to stay in the cabin for the night, and regret being such an arrogant asshole.

I make a lot of friends in the cabin during the day. Everyone is interested in what the tall blond foreigner is doing alone in the mountains, and they are very surprised to find out that I know their country better than they do.

When we wake up the next day, the rain has stopped, and the weather is getting better. Some mountain tops are already sticking up through the clouds, and it probably won't be long before the whole vallye is clear of clouds also.

I say good bye to my new friends and head towards Mt. Yakushi. The weather s clearing up fast, and very soon there is a nice blue sky without a single cloud.

Fron Sugo-pass cabin there is a 5 hours hike to the top of Mt. Yakushi. The last part from Mt. North Yakushi to Mt. Yakushi is a little like rock climbing where the trail consists of naked rocks, but there is still no need to climb. It didn't take me 5 hours to get to the top. Although I haven't been albe to hike too far every day due to the bad weather, I am now getting in shape, and I am moving forward at a decent pace.

The view from the top of Mt. Yakushi is great. Like from the top of Tateyama, I can see everything. Except this time I am looking at a landscape which I only know from the map, which I have been studying for so long wondering what it really is like. Now I can see it all. I can see Mt. Yari again, this time a lot closer. I can see Kumonodaira. I can see Yakushimidaira with the little ponds. Now I get all excited about hiking to all these places and get more familiar with them. I finally move on after having studied the landscape in detail.

On the way down Mt. Yakushi I catch up to an old couple. The guy has one of these bear bells on his backpack which goes ping ping to scare the bears away. Incredibly noisy and ridiculously unnecessary on this naked mountain top. I speed up to get past this idiot and away from his noisy bell. About 100 meters after having passed him, my own foot now suddenly goes clap clap. I look down, and find that only half of my sole is attached to my shoe, the other half is hanging loose in the air attached to the part which is still attached to my shoe. Oh no. My shoe has died on me. It couldn't handle the extra speed down the mountain in my attempt to get away from the noisy guy. This is not good. If I continue like this the remaining half of the sole will fall off also and I will be hiking around in shoes without soles. Not a good idea. On the way down the mountain I am thinking about what to do about my dead shoes, and I come to the conclusion that the only right thing is to sow the sole back on. Hopefully I can get some steel wire down in the cabin at the foot of Mt. Yakushi.

When I reach the cabin I ask for some steel wire and some Ramen. To my surprise they have both. I use the steel wire to sow my soles back on my shoes, and I eat the Ramen. I hike on, really proud of fixing my dead shoes in the middle of nowhere without almost no tools. No coincidence that I am an engineer.

After my adventures on Mt. Yakushi my next destination is now Kumonodaira and Takaamagahara hot spring. I have never been any of the places, but have studied them both on maps. Takaamagahara hot spring is the most inaccessible hot spring in Japan. It takes a two days hike to get in to it and a two days hike to get back out. This being the case there can't be to many people in it, and it is highly unlikely that there is a single stupid japanese tourist. Sounds like the ideal place for me.

I leave Tarodaira cabin and head for Yakushizawa cabin. It is a very easy hike over a flat plain with a path laid out. Just the right kind of trail after the rocky trail on Mt. Yakushi. I am really enjoying the hike, hiking speedy aling the path looking at the surrounding landscape and wondering who laid the path, and how long it took. Nice place to be working in, but pretty monotonous work. Nothing for me.

At Yakushizawa cabin I take a rest and meet two young girls. They have just come out from Takaamagahara hot spring and are now waiting for their parents to catch up with them. Oh. Bad sign. If these two girls has made it into Takaamagahara hot spring, there may even be some stupid japanese tourists. I have a little chat with the girls, who do not strike me to be rocket scientists, before I take off and challenge the steep slope up to Kumonodaira.

The hike up to Kumonodaira is suposedly a 4 hour hike, but I am now in shape and I conqour the slope in about 2 hours. Being up on the plateau I now feel like a superman. I still have lot's of energy, the weather is absolutely gorgeous, and so is the surrounding landscape, and best of all, I made it to this mysterious place which I had been wondering about for years what it would be like. Since I for the first time by accident found a little hot spring symbol on the map of Toyama in an area where there seemed to be nothing but mountains, I had been wanting to go there.

On my way to the campsite I pick up some fresh clear water from a little creek. Nature is so generous offering clear and good tasting water from small creeks all over the mountains. I spend the night in my tent on Kumonodaira and leave for Takaamagahara hot spring the following day. When I arrive I am first a little disappointed. Not as "natural" as I had hoped. There are two baths: Womans only and mixed. I always wonder why there is no mens only? To avoid any problems I head for the mixed bath and find this unfriendly guy iin it, who can not even say hello. Despite the unfriendly guy I get in and enjoy the warm water. After a while the unfriendly guy leaves, and another more friendly old guy, who I passed on the trail down from Kumonodaira, shows up and gets in.

After having soaked in the hot spring and washed me in the nearby cool creek, I go back to Takaamagahara cabin where I get a drink and some Raman. Here I meet the unfriendly guy again, who is still as unfriendly, but there is also a young girl working in the cabin who is a lot more friendly. She asks the usual questions like "So you like japanese nature?", and "Are you hiking alone?", so I ask her the usual questions like "How long do you work here?", and "What do you do when you don't work here?". Funny thing is, it turns out that all the young girls working in the mountain cabins work there for about 3 months. The rest of the year they have other small jobs, study and travel abroad. That's what the girl in Takaamagahara cabin, Sokuroku cabin, and Suisho cabin did.

Although it was great weather the day before the weather is still great. I guess the cool dude on Goshikigahara wasn't right anyway about "one day good, one day bad weather". I say good bye to the friendly girl at Takaamagahara cabin and think screw you to the unfriendly guy and start hiking back up into the mountains. My next goal is Mt. Washiba. I hike up the forest, and as I get up the weather gets gradualy worse. It changes from bright sunshine to overcast and a little chilly. When I finally reach Iwagoke pass a little bellow Mt. Suisho and Mt. Washiba the sun is gone and there is now a cover of clouds. Guess the cool dude was right any way. I forget about hiking over Mt. Washiba and instead take the trail down it's side which will take me to the source of Kurobe river. That's something worth seeing also. It is now raining a little on and off, and the whole trail turns into a little creek. When I finally reach the source of Kurobe river I find a little plaque indicating the place where Kurobe river starts, but that plaque must have been put up on a sunny day, because when I was there the river was running down from a lot higher up Mt. Washiba.

I spend the night at Mitsumata campsite in the rain. Only comfort being that I managed to find a half bottle of red wine at Mitsumata cabin. The following day I get up and hike to Sokuroku cabin in the rain again. That dude wasn't right at all. It was bad weather the day before and it is still bad weather. I spend the rest of the day in Sokuroku cabin making more new friends and drying all my stuff.

I have a good time at Sokuroku cabin, and when I get up the following morning, the weather is still bad. It is now Saturday and I have only two more days of my holiday. I was planning on spending these two last days in Kamikochi, where I have never been despite my 2 previous attempts to go there. According to the weather forcast the weather should be reasonable good on Saturday, but Sunday should be rain. I leave Sokuroku cabin at 5:30 in the morning and head for Mt. Yari. I had been able to see this dramatic mountain on all the days where the weather allowed, but now I can't see any part of it even though this is the closest I have ever been to it. I am hiking along the trail in a terrible storm on a ridge getting closer by every step. After hiking for 3 and a half hours it now goes up very steep, and I finally get to a place where it is a little flat. I turn a corner, and am suddenly in front of Yarigatake cabin. I am standing about 100 m from the top of Mt. Yari but I can't see the top. Guess I am out of luck, so I start hiking down. It's no fun hiking around in a cloud in a storm on top of a mountain. Might as well be back home in my apartment in Tokyo eating, drinking, and listening to music.

The hike down from Mt. Yari to Kamikochi via Yarizawa is around 22 km. The first part is a rocky trail going down. The last part is a muddy flat trail with lot's of stupid japanese tourists. Just my cup of tea. On the way back down, one of my shoes died again. This time I didn't stop to fix it because it only had to survive the way back to Tokyo. I finally arrived at the bus terminal in Kamikochi after several unpleasant experiences, one being an irritating screaming little boy and his parents who didn't do anything to make him shut up. I got on the first bus out and got on the train back to Tokyo. I was back in Tokyo around 9 in the evening.

I spend my last holiday washing my stuff and drying my tent and sleeping bag. I hung it outside to dry it, and took it back in when I came back home from shopping around 5 in the afternoon. At 6 in the evening it started pouring down, and the trains stopped running. Guess I am a lucky guy after all not being stuck in the train in the rain.