[Looking Back on This Year] The Story of Climbing Mt. Tsubakuro, a Long-Held Dream, This Summer

The best thing I did this year was climbing Mt. Tsubakuro.
I was finally able to climb the mountain I had longed to visit for a long time.

It is winter now, but
I would be happy if you could join me in reminiscing about my best summer memory.

■ What is Mt. Tsubakuro?

It is written as "燕岳" and pronounced "Tsubakuro-dake".
It is not "Tsubame-dake".

Elevation: 2,763m
Round trip: 10.2km
Cumulative elevation gain (ascent): 1,673m

Mt. Tsubakuro is a mountain in Nagano Prefecture, known as the "Queen of the Northern Alps."
It is also called an "introduction to the Northern Alps," but since it is the Northern Alps,
even an "introduction" is quite tough.

However, if you make it to the top, you are rewarded with a magnificent view.
It is a very popular mountain that truly lives up to its name as the "Queen," offering a panoramic view of the Northern Alps, including Mt. Yari.

■ Climbing Mt. Tsubakuro in midsummer is tough, but the view is the best!!

I went from 7/31 to 8/1.
I took the overnight bus "Mainichi Alpen-go."
It was a solo hike.

6:30: I started climbing from the Nakabusa trailhead.

It is a steep climb from the very beginning.
I climbed the Kassen-one ridge, one of the "Three Great Steep Climbs of the Northern Alps."
Climbing through the forest belt in the summer heat drains your stamina due to the humidity.

Mt. Tsubakuro has benches here and there,
and it is very well maintained.
There are no dangerous sections.

When I climbed it, there were many people resting.
There were many women carrying large backpacks that stuck out from their backs,
and when I asked them, they said they were doing a traverse over three days while camping.
So cool!!
Someone with no stamina like me could never do that...

After climbing for a while, I arrived at the "Kassen-goya" hut on the way.
The red watermelon banner caught my eye.

You can eat watermelon here.
Eating watermelon after climbing while panting in the heat, the sweetness and moisture really ease the fatigue.

If you climb further, there is a point where you can see Mt. Yari.
It really makes you feel like, "I've come to the Northern Alps!"

I could finally see Enzan-so, the mountain hut where I would be staying that night.
But then, an older gentleman nearby called out, "It's a long way from here!"
And honestly, it really was...

When I finally finished the climb, there was a sign!
I reached the ridgeline! Enzan-so is just right there!

The view opened up, and Mt. Tsubakuro was on my right.

To my left was Mt. Yari, and I was surrounded by the mountains of the Northern Alps.

Whoaaaaa!
Isn't this view incredible??
It was tough, but I'm so glad I came!!!

I checked into Enzan-so.
After dropping off my bags, I headed toward the summit of Mt. Tsubakuro.

Along the way, the "Queen of Alpine Plants," the Komakusa, was in bloom.

Enzan-so looked so far away now.

Dolphin Rock

Mt. Tsubakuro Summit

The view from the summit.
I can't get enough of this desolate world of white sand, greenery, and rocks.

You can see the city of Azumino.

■ What kind of mountain hut is Enzanso?

"Enzanso" is read as "Enzansou".
"Tsubakuro-dake" and "Enzansou"—it's confusing...

Isn't it surprising that such a beautiful and magnificent mountain hut exists at an altitude of 2,500 meters?

Enzanso is a very popular mountain hut.
You can even eat cake (I had bad timing and couldn't eat it, so I'll definitely get revenge!).

The accommodation fee is 15,000 yen for one night and two days with two meals included.
You can book online, but payment is in cash at the reception.

The space allocated to each person is the size of one futon.
Moreover, the futon size is smaller than usual.
The partition between neighbors is just a roll screen.

It's a bit difficult to change clothes in this narrow space.
Also, since the bed was on the second floor, it was a hassle to climb up and down every time.

The toilets are flush and very clean.
There were about 6 women's toilets on each of the first and second floors, so it was comfortable without having to wait in line.

Dinner is a bit early, starting at 17:30.
The menu includes rice, miso soup, hamburger steak, salmon, salad, simmered vegetables, and dessert.
You can eat such a substantial meal at an altitude of 2,500 meters.

Lights out is at 20:30, which is quite early.
However, you are free to come and go, so I went outside to see the stars without making any noise.

I don't have a photo, but you can see more stars than you could ever compare to the city.
You can also see the Milky Way.
I saw 7 shooting stars in about 20 minutes.

Even though it's nearly 30 degrees hot on the ground at night, it's quite cold at an altitude of 2,500 meters.
It was the right decision to bring a fleece and gloves.
Some people were wearing thin down jackets.

This is the popular original T-shirt from Enzanso.
I bought it and wore it on the way down, but I didn't have the courage to wear it in my neighborhood...

■ Moved by the Northern Alps mountains illuminated by the morning sun

I woke up at 4:00 AM because I wanted to see the sunrise.
People heading out for a traverse were departing one after another.

The alpenglow (the sight of the morning sun hitting the mountains and making them glow red) was beautiful.
The mountains were pink.

Breakfast started at 5:05 AM.

I started my descent around 6:00 AM.
After taking breaks, I arrived at the trailhead around 10:00 AM.
I stopped by a day-trip hot spring at the trailhead.
Since the mountain hut didn't have a bath, I washed off all my sweat and felt refreshed.

***

Even now, I find myself grinning when I think back on Mt. Tsubakuro.
The scenery spreading out outside Enzanso mountain hut makes my heart dance.

Being able to reach such a high place on my own two feet,
and being able to experience scenery that can only be seen here,
I'm so glad I took up mountain climbing.

Which mountain should I climb next year?
Just thinking about it makes me happy♪