Harinoki Circuit Report Part 1
Even when asked, "Which mountain are you climbing next?"
Since I just follow wherever Tom-papa decides,
I had a hard time remembering the name of the mountain we were climbing this time...^^;
For those who are as unfamiliar with it as I am,
“What is the Harinoki Circuit?
It is a mountaineering route that starts from Ogisawa in the Northern Alps,
goes through Harinoki Pass → Mt. Harinoki → Mt. Akazawa → Mt. Narisawa → Taneike Sanso, and returns to Ogisawa
(or vice versa)."
We took the route from Ogisawa to Taneike Sanso,
plus Mt. Jiigatake and Mt. Renge,
and climbed it in 3 days and 2 nights!
8/17 (Sun) Around 6:00 (I think) started the climb
We left Toyohashi around 23:00 on the 16th (Sat),
and since we were taking turns driving... and then climbing,
the first day was tough again this time (Sleep is really important!)
Photo below right: There is something faintly like a building on the mountain...
"That is Taneike Sanso, and the area below the clouds on the bottom left of the photo is Harinoki, where we are going tomorrow," says Tom-papa... Where? Where?
So, I'll just aim for Taneike Sanso for now.
Photo below: I'm happy about the level paths and stone benches.
Photo bottom left: Tom-papa taking a nap on the side of the trail because he was so sleepy.
I walk slower than him, so I could have gone ahead,
but to others, he just looks like a "person who has collapsed,"
so for now, I'll take a break too until he wakes up.
It was worth sleeping, my energy is restored♪
We climbed smoothly and saw Taneike Sanso!
We had the Taneike Sanso specialty "pizza" for lunch♪
It was freshly baked and delicious~
(It seems the summer pizza festival ended on 8/19... I'm glad we got to eat it!)
At the campsite about 130 steps from the mountain hut,
Tom-papa quickly set up the tent.
Photo bottom right: A bear-repelling oil can and stick were set up.
It gets foggy after the afternoon (photo bottom right),
but Tom-papa said, "If we're going to climb, it's today! Let's go!"
So we decided to go climb Mt. Jiigatake (probably the mountain in the back).
"If we don't hurry, the summit will be covered in fog,"
so we walked hard,
and successfully reached the summit of Mt. Jiigatake's central peak! (Photo top right)
But as you can see, it was all white with fog^^;
Well, it was foggy and sunny, so we could see the scenery♪
Honestly, if the sun had been blazing,
Mt. Jiigatake might have been tough (physically)...
So I think it was just right that it was a little foggy.
Photo below: We were also able to enjoy the alpine plants♪
Photo below: On the way back from the central peak of Mt. Jiigatake, we found a ptarmigan family on the south peak (photo below).
I'm happy to meet a ptarmigan family,
but I don't want to meet a bear.
Someone said they saw a bear,
and at the Tsumetai-ike Sanso campsite towards Kashimayari from Mt. Jiigatake,
a bear cub appeared that day,
"Urgent notice: Please refrain from using the Tsumetai-ike campsite."
Everyone moved to the mountain hut...
At our Taneike Sanso campsite too,
the mountain hut staff
"What time are you leaving (the next day) and where are you going?
There is information about bear sightings, so please be careful," they said,
calling out to every tent.
A child from a family camping
was banging on an oil can.
When I went to the outdoor toilet at the mountain hut,
I had a little chat with a staff member and a female climber who came to pick up her lunch for the next day...
"There was news that a bear ate a lunch box, right?"
"Oh, it's exactly the same lunch box as this one," said the staff member.
(*The location was not this mountain hut)
The woman and I instinctively said, "What!?"
"It's scary once they learn the taste of humans," I said.
"The taste of humans!?" said the staff member and the woman.
"I should have said the taste of things humans make," I said.
It was a conversation between three people meeting for the first time^^;
Hoping that no bears would appear,
I fell fast asleep while worrying zzZ
Tom-mama