Two teams of four from Toyama-ken climbed Mt. Hakusan, one of the three holiest mountains in Japan. We planned for a two-night, two-day expedition on the mountain. But trail closures, a quickly approaching typhoon, and a mountain rescue helicopter encouraged us to shorten our multi-day trek to a one-day trek. And even though we carried 4 tents up and down the mountain, we never needed them. Here’s the journey:
Toyama to Ichi-no-seSaturday night we left Toyama at about 6pm and headed for Kanazawa via the expressway; it was raining. And we had been warned that a typhoon was headed our way. We stopped in Kanazawa for a sukiya dinner, a local fast food chain, before driving the dark wet mountain road to Ichi-no-se, our pre-hike camping destination. Unfortuneatley, the rain had gotten heavier by the time we arrived in Ichi-no-se and it was late. We found the camp ground, but it was flooded and dark. We had three options: 1) set up camp and get soaked 2) sleep in the car or 3) stay at the 1 and only ryokan, Japanese inn. We sent in a representative to inquire on the price. Our first quote was 6000Y ($51US) per person. That was too high. We sent in a second Japanese representative to bargain. We got in for 2000Y ($16US) per person if we brought our own bedding! Fabulous!! And there was a 24-hour natural onsen, hot spring, even better!
We un-packed, slept, ate, re-packed and got on the bus for Bettodeai, the trail head.
Bettodeai 1200m (3,937ft.) to the Emergency HutThe other team got a head start and left on the 7:30am bus. Our team made it on the 8am bus and started on the trail by 8:30am. The Shabo-Shindo trail was closed because of a soil avalanche, so we had to take the less popular Kanko-Shindo. It is a steep trail of stairs, boulders and ridge walking. After last night’s rain, we expected a wet day, but the clouds cleared and the sun came out! It was a beautiful and warm morning. Maybe our snowboarding parkas and gloves wouldn’t be necessary after all. We passed a lot of other hikers going down the mountain. One man asked us if we were planning on camping at the top and then told us it was impossible because of the typhoon. He said that the lodge was sending part-time staff off the mountain and closing down part of the lodge. And the trail to the campsite we had planned on staying at was closed. Our plans were quickly changing. After about 3 hours we made it to the Emergency Hut where the other group was resting. Luckily we had cell service and I called a friend who checked the latest typhoon update. He confirmed that it had picked up speed and would be in the area within about 9 hours. We figured we had enough time to reach the summit and get back down to the bus stop before things got crazy on the mountain. So we decided to leave our big packs in the shelter and just take the essentials: food, water, a warm hat and a camera!
Emergency Hut to Murodo 2450m (8,038ft.)Hiking without our packs was great! And the trail got a lot easier. We had another 2km to Murodo, the mountain lodge. Half of that was a steady climb up, but half of it was on a nice boardwalk through a valley. A well needed rest on the legs! The view was amazing! All the hard work and sweat was paying off. But seeing the big red-roofed lodge sitting on top of the mountain was a big relief. We had been hiking for about 5 hours and we were in desperate need of a water refill. We filled up liters and liters of fresh cold mountain water and ate our tasty burrito lunch.
Murodo to Gozen-ho (the summit) 2702m (8,864ft.)
Everyone was exhausted and feeling the pain, 2 people decided to start making their way back down to the Emergency Hut and then to the bus stop to set up camp before the typhoon hit. The other 6 of us pushed on to the summit, only another 40minutes. It was cloudy and windy, but the sun still shone through in bursts. We got to the top, prayed at the little temple and took pictures with the summit markers. There wasn’t a
view beyond the clouds, but it was a high just to have finally made it. But we felt the warm wind, a sign the typhoon is getting closer. The clock was ticking; we had to get down!
Gozen-ho 2702m to Bettodeai 1200m
From the summit to Murodo we were cruising, it only took us 20minutes. It was our first downhill in over 5 hours and it felt great. We refilled water, checked blisters and used the bathroom before starting the next section through the valley and back down to the emergency hut. After leaving the boardwalk on the valley the wind really started to pick up and the clouds were moving quickly, but it was warm. The other team was resting in the hut and eating their gourmet falafel sandwhiches. The wind was rattling the hut and if it had been several hours later, we may have had to stay there for the night. Luckily we still have about 3 hours of daylight and we knew the boys were already making their way down and would have camp ready and waiting for us.
So the 3 of us in our team took off with our big packs back on and walked the ridge in the wind. Only about 30 minutes after leaving the hut we heard a helicopter. And soon we saw it, a red and white rescue helicopter. At first I thought it was going to the top, perhaps there had been an accident. But they stopped when they saw us and just hovered and circled as best they could in the strong winds. Two rescuers were leaning out of the
helicopter and someone was trying to make an announcement. Even if it had been in English I’m not sure I would have understood it over the sound of he helicopter and the wind. But it was in Japanese and all we could hear was “………kudasai” or please. We translated that to “get the *!%# off the mountain!” They watched us for about 5 minutes, probably to make sure we had the right idea. We continued heading down the mountain while snapping some photos of the chopper being thrown about in the wind.
The last 3km were brutal. Our legs were shot, the wind was unsettling and the trail was steep and wet. It was slow slow slow going. There were lots of sections were I had to sit down and then slide because my legs couldn’t jump down anymore. But we finally made it to the bus stop about 6pm. The rain started as soon as we made it to the shelter. Lucky for us, the bus stop attendant gave the boys permission to sleep in the waiting room. So we had benches for cooking and eating. And a dry wind free room for sleeping.
Our team chef prepared a gourmet meal that had been carried most of the way up the mountain and back down. We drank red wine with tom yum soup and thai green curry with coconut rice. And for dessert we ate dark chocolate while drinking hot chocolate and bailey’s. It was the perfect meal to end the day. And after the wine and bailey’s we all thought we’d sleep like babies in that shelter. But that wasn’t too be.
After turning off the lights, I started telling my famous Spanish ghost story with just the eerie glow of my headlamp to fill the room. Actually, it was just to make sure people were still listening. Anyway, as I was scanning the room, I saw a massive insect crawling toward a team member sleeping on the floor. I grabbed his shoe and quickly smashed the bug and flicked it under a bench. By the end of the story another bug had appeared….from inside the first dead insect. A writhing knotted parasite had emerged from the dead bug. It turned us all into squealing girls. It was vile! Luckily, one was brave enough to fling it out into the howling winds of the typhoon. In the morning we checked it. It was dead, but over a foot long.
The ghost story didn’t keep people awake, but the winds did. For about 8 hours it sounded like big foot and his brothers were standing outside the doors trying to bang them down. Sign posts, metal gates and table tops were turned over in the middle of the night. And the bench I was sleeping on was too short for me. I was tempted to squeeze in on the floor...but after the parasite incident, there was no way in hell I was getting off my bench.
We had another gourmet meal planned for breakfast, but it wasn’t too be. The bus driver showed up and knocked on the door at about 6:30. He brought the bus a little after 7am.
And we waved good-bye to our shelter and to Mt. Hakusan.
It didn’t go as planned, but the best things never do.
Thanks Team!
See more pics on Linea's blog
