Heading to the longed-for Karasawa Cirque while nearly losing heart | Day 2 (Part 1)

In late June, I went on a hiking trip to Kamikochi and the Karasawa Cirque.
Click here for Day 1's report.

Hikers start their mornings early.

Now, as someone who usually goes to bed around 1:30 AM and wakes up at 8:30 AM, did I manage to wake up in the morning?

I did! And at 5:00 AM, no less! More than three hours earlier than usual. I must have slept soundly, because I woke up feeling refreshed.

For breakfast, I ate the chimaki (rice dumpling) bento I had received the night before on the room's terrace. In addition to the chimaki, it also included fish sausage and konjac jelly for trail snacks. This chimaki had chestnuts in it, which added a nice accent and made it incredibly delicious.

Day 2 Itinerary (Tokusawa - Yokoo - Motani Bridge - Karasawa Cirque round trip)

Since I managed to wake up at 5:00 AM, I had a leisurely breakfast and started from Tokusawa-en at 6:00 AM. I was blessed with good weather.

Today's route is here
It is a round trip from Tokusawa to Yokoo, Motani Bridge, and the Karasawa Cirque.

Let me start with the conclusion.
I nearly lost heart along the way!!! But I managed to pull through. I also got plenty of souvenirs. Now, what could those souvenirs have been?

Tokusawa - Yokoo (6:00 - 7:15)

Kamikochi in the early morning. The air was so clear that I couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Although the sun was up, the sky, the forest, and the river all seemed to still be slumbering.

The path from Tokusawa to Yokoo was mostly gentle and easy to walk.

Arrived at Yokoo. I was impressed by how clean the toilets were, despite being so deep in the mountains. I used them while thinking how glad I was to be Japanese. You can also refill your water here. Much appreciated.

Yokoo - Motani Bridge (7:15 - 8:45)

From Yokoo, the feeling of being deep in the forest intensifies. The path has some ups and downs here and there, but the difficulty level is low.

When I went to Yakushima a few years ago, a guide taught me that the yellowish-green color is the fresh green of new leaves. I can feel that the forest is alive.

Walking along while feeling the mountains getting closer and closer.

Break at Hontani Bridge (8:45-8:55)

Arrived at Hontani Bridge. There are a few people taking a break here. I took a rest while snacking on a bite-sized yokan and some nuts.

When I put my hand in the water, it was very cold.

It was not even 9 o'clock yet, and according to the map, it would take another two hours from here. Considering our level, I thought maybe we could arrive with ease even if it took an extra 30 minutes. But I was naive...

Hontani Bridge to S-Gare (8:55-10:30)

Well, the real climb starts here. I was prepared for it. And the path is well-maintained. But somehow, I couldn't take a step forward. I was slow. The scenery was beautiful. I just kept repeating that my legs were heavy.

Our progress was slower than the pace we had anticipated.

S-Gare to Karasawa Cirque (10:30-11:30)

Just climbing. It's tough. But I also think that being tough is what mountain climbing is all about. I have the feeling of going higher and higher.

There were still patches of snow along the way, which made me realize how high the altitude was.

Just when I was thinking, 'This is way too tough,' I heard another hiker say, 'I can see the carp streamers at Karasawa Hut!' and I thought, 'Is that the voice of God??' Just a little bit more! And finally, climbing through the snow. It was exhausting, but I could see the building, so I just emptied my mind and kept moving my feet.

I made it to the Karasawa Cirque!!

I was moved that I was able to make it this far on my own two feet. I finally reached the Karasawa Cirque I had longed for. It's even larger in scale than I imagined. Thinking about how this terrain was formed by the movement of glaciers in ancient times made my own existence feel somewhat small.

If you take it one step at a time, you can go where you want to go. But just when I thought I had achieved it here, there were Mount Kitahotaka, Mount Karasawa, and Mount Okuhotaka right in front of me. I also realized that there is always someone better.

Lunch at Karasawa Hut (11:30 - 12:20)

Just when I was looking forward to the meal, I thought, 'Is the shop not open??' and I panicked.

There's no way that's right, I saw it on Instagram, and when I checked, it was open in a different spot.

Among the various menu items, I chose the beef bowl, my partner chose the curry, and we both had coffee. It was delicious. I heard the oden is famous, but I wanted something filling, so I went with this choice. Thanks to it, I felt revived. Thank you to everyone at Karasawa Hut. The deliciousness of a meal while looking at this view is something only those who have climbed here can experience. Combined with the best spice of all—hunger—it was the best lunch ever.

Well, since the climb took longer than expected, I'm going to hurry back with a goal of arriving at Tokusawa-en by 4:00 PM. I actually wanted to take a walk from Karasawa Hut to Karasawa Lodge, but I didn't have time, so I gave up on that this time.

Gotta get back to Tokusawa-en by 4:00 PM

Karasawa - Motodani Bridge (12:20 - 13:50)

I realized it on the way back. Because the path is good, I didn't really feel like I was climbing a very steep place, but when I descended, it was quite steep. I understood why it was so tiring. I descended while replenishing with Amino Vital.

Motodani Bridge - Yokoo - Tokusawa (14:00 - 16:00)

While taking a short break at Motodani Bridge, I headed back while keeping an eye on the clock. At Yokoo, there were many monkeys that weren't there in the morning. When I tried to leave my bag to go to the restroom, I felt eyes on my bag, so I had my partner watch it. It's best to keep your valuables with you at all times so the monkeys don't take them.

Arrived at Tokusawa-en at exactly 4:00 PM

I am supposed to call Tokusawa-en after 4:00 PM, and I managed to arrive at the lobby exactly at 4:00 PM sharp. I am so relieved. It was the right decision not to explore Karasawa Hut. Although I really wanted to. I will save exploring the Karasawa Cirque for next time.

Lots of souvenirs

For the first time in a while, I got a souvenir on the day of. What I got was muscle pain. Recently, even when I go hiking, I haven't gotten that sore, but it seems the load was heavy this time, and the muscle pain hit me on the same day. So painful.

After this, I wanted to write about how I spent Day 2 at Tokusawa-en, but this has become such a massive piece that I will save it for next time~