Golden Week holidays passed by in a flash, and today, with sleepy eyes, work has resumed. This year, we were blessed with fairly good weather, and I believe many enjoyed their leisure and sightseeing trips. For this year's Golden Week, I climbed Mt.Hiuchi (2,462m) in Niigata Prefecture. As there seemed to be less snow, I gave up on skiing. Instead, I wore mountaineering boots and climbed using crampons and an ice axe. There were a few people enjoying back country snowboarding. I made one day round trip from Sasagamine, and though the duration was long and tiring, the long-awaited climb to Mount Hiuchi was worth it. The view was spectacular.
In March of this year, I gazed at the sturdy Mount Hiuchi during a ski hike from Sharman Hiuchi Ski Resort to Mouint Hanareyama. Above picture of Mount Hiuchi was taken at that time. The amount of snow is quite different from now. This time, the sky was clear without a single cloud throughout the day, and I could also view Hanareyama from Hiuchi Mountain. The snow melted early this year, and Hanareyama, as seen from Hiuchi, lacked snow. It feels lonely when the snow melts early for someone who loves playing in the snow.
From the summit, Mount Myoko looks imposingly close. The unique shape of its outer rim is distinctive. I visited Mount Mitahara and Kannayama for ski touring before the pandemic, but I haven’t climbed them during the snow-free season. Next time, I’d like to traverse them when alpine plants are in full bloom.
In Northern Shinano, there are mountains loved and called the “North Shinano Five Peaks,” which are Mount Myoko, Mount Kurohime, Mount Madarao, Mount Iizuna, and Mount Togakushi. Mount Hiuchi isn’t included in this list, but it’s referred to as one of the “Kubiki Three Mountains” along with Mount Myoko and Yakeyama.
There are also many hot springs nearby in Northern Shinano. There are numerous mountains that make you want to hike them up every time you visit. The mountains in Japan are truly wonderful.
