Hiking in the Tanzawa Mountains 丹沢山地

For my last hike of 2019, I chose 3 small peaks along a narrow mountain range, squeezed between the Tanzawa mountains and the urban sprawl of Tokyo. This hike is right next to the city, and it’s possible to get to the start of the trail in under two hours. I had been to the area a few years ago, but this time I used different routes up and down. From afar, these mountains can seem deceptively high, however the trail inclination is mostly slight to average.

The highest part of the hike follows a gentle ridgeline

I took the Romance car to Atsugi station, technically still within the Tokyo area, where I transferred to one of the frequent buses heading out to Miyagase Lake 宮ヶ瀬湖. At 10am, I was ready to start hiking under blue skies and near freezing temperatures. The first part followed a section of the Kanto Fureai no Michi 関東ふれないの道. Like other portions of this long-distance trail, it was well-maintained and well-signposted; the surrounding forest was pretty and quiet, making this a good start to the last hike of the year.

Following the Kanto no Fureai Michi trail

Soon, I was getting my first views of Tokyo. With the zoom of my smartphone camera, I could make out the row of skyscrapers in the city center, as well as the Skytree. Later on, I had glimpses of the ridges and peaks of the Tanzawa range in the opposite direction. I arrived at the top of Mt Kyogatake 経ヶ岳 at 11h30, where I had a magnificent view of Mt Oyama, Mt Tono and Mt Tanzawa, their peaks white with snow. A few minutes before the summit, there was a local trail heading left to the next mountain in the opposite direction – a hike for another day maybe.

Lunch with a view of the Tanzawa mountains

Mt Oyama, with its distinctive pyramidal summit

After a quick bite, I set off again. Some clouds had appeared over the Tanzawa mountains, but overall it remained a sunny day. The path descended steeply, crossed a road, and ascended steeply again. The climb was made easier thanks to steps built into the path, a common feature in the Tanzawa area. I reached a level section, soon merging with a path coming up from the left, the one I had used on my previous hike here.

The trail is well-maintained, as in the other parts of the Tanzawa mountains

The path immediately started rising again, via another series of steps, and turned into a narrow ridge with spectacular views of the Tokyo metropolis on the right, and Tanzawa mountains and Miyagase lake on the left. Up to this point, the hike had been relatively easy, but this section required some surefootedness. Although I had hiked this part before, it all seemed new to me, and I spent a lot of time taking photos. Enjoying the dual view of the mountains and the city from above is one of the aspects I like the most about hiking in the Kanto area.

In winter, the trail is often in the sun

Approaching the highest point of the hike

I reached the top of Mt Bukka 仏果山 just before 1h30 pm. The summit is completely in the trees, but someone thoughtfully built an observation tower so hikers can enjoy panoramic views of the entire area; the next peak has a similar tower. Despite being artificial structures, they make the hike worthwhile. They offer some of the best views in the Kanto area. I could see the entire Southern side of the Oku-chichibu mountains stretching from East to West, from Mt Takao to Mt Kinpu; in the foreground was Mt Sekiro. Unfortunately, Mt Fuji was hidden from sight, despite being quite close.

The observation tower rising above the trees…

…offers a great viewpoint of Tokyo

Without the protection of the trees from the icy wind, it was very cold at the top. I had left my backpack with my gloves at the base of the tower, so I soon went back down, and continued to the next peak. This section was short and easy, and I reached Mt Takatori 高取山 just fifteen minutes later. From the top of this second tower, the view was similar, except for a person dabbling in amateur radio; he had deployed quite a big antenna on one side.

Amateur radio antenna and Mt Oyama

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Panorama of Tanzawa and Miyagase lake

I had the second half of my lunch, and after I had my fill of food and views, I climbed down the tower, and started to descend towards Aikawa town. It was nearly 3pm and at this time of the year, it would be getting dark soon. The path down was easy to hike; there were a number of other trails, but I just followed the signs for Fureai no Mura ふれあいの村, and it took me less than an hour to reach the bus stop for Atsugi. It was a short ride back to the station. I hopped on the romance car back to Tokyo, and started to think of all the great hikes I would do in 2020.