[Southern Alps] Zarugadake | 46km Loop from Aonagisan to Nunobikiyama - A Quiet Traverse of the Shiramine Southern Ridge (Tent Camping)

I love walking along quiet ridgelines for a long time.

This time, I walked the Shiramine Southern Ridge route, connecting the ridgeline from Aonagisan to Zarugadake.
It is a grand mountain trek typical of the Southern Alps, crossing Inamatayama and Nunobikiyama.

The distance is 46.4km with a cumulative elevation gain of 4175m.
I spent two days walking through this quiet mountain area.

I will record the actual route conditions, decision points, and the views from the ridgeline.

Mountain Trek Data

Mountain Names: Zarugadake, Nunobikiyama, Inamatayama, Aonagisan
Mountain Area: Southern Southern Alps (Shiramine Southern Ridge)
Date: September 16-17, 2023 (2 days, 1 night)
Weather: Sunny on both days
Course:
Day 1: Hatanagi Gate -> Aonagisan Trailhead -> Ikenodaira -> Aonagisan -> Inamatayama -> Tokonosawagoshi -> Nunobikiyama -> Zarugadake (Tent camping)
Day 2: Zarugadake -> Enmatsuo-yama -> Ikewariyama -> Descent via West Ridge -> Sawarajima -> Higashimata Forest Road -> Hatanagi Gate
Distance: 46.4km
Cumulative Elevation: 4175m
Activity Time: Approx. 16 hours

Physical Difficulty: ★★★★★
(For experienced long-distance trekkers)

Overall Course Map

Climb from Hatanagi Gate to Aonagisan, then head north along the Shiramine Southern Ridge to Zarugadake.
The next day is a loop route descending via Enmatsuo-yama and Ikewariyama, down the West Ridge to Sawarajima.

Reason for choosing this mountain

It was a three-day weekend.
I was debating until the very last minute whether to go to the Northern Alps or the Southern Alps.

I worried while eating dinner,
and I worried while taking a bath...

What I finally chose was
the quiet Southern Alps.

Walking through areas with few people, rather than famous ridgelines,
is also one of the charms of the Southern Alps.

Aonagisan, Inamatayama, Nunobikiyama, Zarugadake.
I had wanted to
connect and walk this ridgeline, where large peaks line up when viewed on a map.

Course conditions and impressions

Hatanagi Gate to Aonagisan

I arrived at Hatanagi in the middle of the night, but
the parking lot was already almost full.

I took a bicycle from Hatanagi Gate along the forest road
to the Aonagisan trailhead.

It was still dark, but I started my hike from here.

Near the trailhead,
there were places where the trail had collapsed, making the path difficult to follow.

Extra caution is required during the hours when you need a headlamp.

Water springs out near Ikenodaira,
and it was a place with a true Southern Alps atmosphere.

Aonagisan to Inamatayama

From Akakuzure,
there is a section commonly known as the 'Aconite Road'.

Compared to when I walked it before,
there were more trail markers.

Standing on the summit of Aonagisan,
the view of the main Southern Alps ridge spreads out before you.

Arakawa Sanzan, Shiomidake, Ainodake, and Notoridake.
The scenery with the main peaks of the Southern Alps lined up was breathtaking.

Inamatayama to Nunobikiyama

After crossing Inamatayama,
I descended to Tokonosawagoe.

There is a reliable water source here, but
since I was carrying two days' worth of water, I did not refill.

The climb to Nunobikiyama is
quite steep.

With the weight of my pack,
it was a section that really took a toll on my stamina.

Even so,
standing on the summit gives a sense of accomplishment.

Nunobikiyama to Zarugadake

From Nunobikiyama to Zarugadake is
the quiet ridge of the Shirane Southern Ridge.

There are almost no other hikers,
and it has the kind of tranquility typical of the Southern Alps.

This is my fourth time reaching the summit of Zarugadake.

No matter how many times I come here,
it's a mountain I want to visit again.

On this day, I camped at Zarugadake.

Morning at Zarugadake

The next morning.

When it was time for sunrise,
to my surprise, four solo hikers had gathered.

Everyone was
someone who had walked the Shirane Southern Ridge to see the sunrise at Zarugadake.

It was a short time, but
we had a lively conversation about mountains and spent a meaningful time together.

Once-in-a-lifetime encounters are also
one of the charms of the mountains.

Zarugadake to Ikewariyama

From Zarugadake, crossing over Haimatsuo-yama to
Ikewariyama.

From here, I descend the West Ridge.

This ridge
has markings, but there were some sections that were difficult to follow.

The double ridgeline near 2279m was
a place where it was somewhat difficult to determine the path.

Sawara-jima to Hatanagi

Descending the West Ridge,
I arrived at Sawara-jima.

From there, walk along the Higashimata Forest Road
to return to Hatanagi.

The final stretch is a long walk on the forest road, but
it was a large-scale mountain trip typical of the Southern Alps.

Course Conditions and Points of Caution

*As of September 2023

Near the Aonagiyama Trailhead

The area near the stairs has collapsed, and
the path is difficult to discern in the dark

Before Ikenodaira

There is one
collapsed traverse section

Proceed with caution

Inamatayama to Tokonozawagoshi

Near the ruined building, there is
a false peak

Be careful not to miss the bypass trail

Before Nunobikiyama

There is a collapse in the scree slope

Watch your footing

Namakiwariyama West Ridge

・There are markings
・Be careful when switching ridges
・The double ridge near 2279m is confusing

Signal Reception (Docomo)

Nunobikiyama: Good
Zarugadake: Poor
Sawara-jima: Good

Reflections

The quiet Southern Alps.

Even if it is not a famous ridgeline,
there is a grand mountain landscape there.

Aonagiyama, Inamatayama, Nunobikiyama, and Zarugadake.
Each mountain had a solid presence.

And
the time spent with a fellow hiker I met at Zarugadake.

It is because of moments like these that
I want to go to the mountains again.

While focusing my hikes on the mountains of Shizuoka,
I would like to continue connecting the ridgelines one by one.

If you like mountains,
I would be happy if you followed me.

Until the next mountain record.

Reference links

Click here for the record of my 5th hike to Zarugadake
→ [Southern Alps] Zarugadake | A quiet 23.5km loop route with 3200m elevation gain from Rankan Ridge

→ [Southern Alps] Zarugadake (2,688m) Shizuoka's 100 Mountains Guide | Difficulty and route explanation