Try a bit different hike --- from the back of Mt.Takao

As the hiking site Mt.Takao is becoming more and more popular among the people, it has been no rare matter that we meet crowds of tourists here and there in Mt.Takao.

Some people like to take a different course to avoid these throngs and start their walking at the back of Mt.Takao.

Look at the simplified map of the back of Mt.Takao Here are some key points of the itinerary:

①  The recommended walking start point is the HIKAGE bus stop, where you can reach by about 15 min bus ride from JR Takao Stn. North exit (No.2 bus line bound for KOBOTOKE.  

②  Hikagesawa Camp site: Walking from Hikage Bus stn, you will reach Hikagesawa Camp site in 20 to 30 min. Here the road forks off in two directions:

《Right》 Hikagesawa Rindo: Selecting the right path, you go into Hikagesawa Rindo. This passage with about 3.5 km length leads to the top of Mt.Kobotoke Shiroyama.

《Ｌｅｆｔ》 IROHA-no-Mori course: The left passage is a kind of short cut to the top of Mt.Takao

compared to the Hikagesawa Rindo, leading to the middle of No.4 Trail                                                                                                

③  Mt.Kobotoke Shiroyama: waliking along Hikagesawa Rindo for about 1 hour, you will reach the top of

        Mt.Kobotoke Shiroyama where rest and refreshment facilities with wash room are facilitated.

        Here you can enjoy remote views of Sagamiwan(in the south), Mt.Fuji(in the west) and/or

        Minami-Alps mountains(in the north).

④  Itchodaira, ⑤Momijidai: You can enjoy about 1 hour trekking from Mt.Kobotoke Shiroyama to the top

of Mt.Takao along Kanto Fureai no michi. via these rest spots. This path is a little narrower than Hikagesawa Rindo and has several easy-to-walk up and down slopes.　　　　　　　

⑥  Top of Mt.Takao and further area:　Coming close to the top Mt.Takao, you will see pssages

　　　　become more and more crowded. Further sightseeing spots are probably well known to most of visitors. You can choose your favorite spots as you like.

At the end of this article, let me add one thing :　I met a foreigner(lady) at the lift station.

The lift station was extraordinarily crowded. A long procession of the people waiting for the seat of the lift has been formed, however, it was not easy to find the tail end of the procession. I saw a lady walking around to find where to get the ticket and another ticket to specify the order of the procession (by group) . This procession system so complicated that even most of Japanese visitors were not sufficiently understood.

I talked to the lady and showed where the end of the procession is and explained the procession system shortly.

After that we talked about miscellaneous topics, among which I found that she is spending a somewhat

elegant life in Japan. She stays in Japan 12 to 13 weeks in summer time working for a university in Hachioji for these three years. She said that she loves Japan and this way of living in Hachioji.

She has known not only the major sight-seeing spots of Takaosan but also Hikagesawa Rindo and said Hikagesawa-Rindo is very refreshing and comfortable.

Maybe this is a common feeling of the people who experienced Hikagesawa-Rindo.

(Cidar)