One of the 100 most famous mountains in Japan, Daibosatsu-zan (Mt. Daibosatsu-zan) in Yamanashi Prefecture!
We chose Daibosatsu-zaka (2,057 meters above sea level) in Yamanashi Prefecture as the site for testing Patagonia's trekking gear. It is one of the 100 most famous mountains in Japan, and is popular among beginner climbers because it is the easiest mountain near the Kanto region to reach the ridge line at the forest limit. There are several trailheads, but this time we set the starting point at Kamihigawa Pass (elevation 1,580 meters). It is easily accessible by car or bus.
The participants were Hiroshi Yamamoto, Issey Enomoto, and Hideki Shibayama, the main members of the ♡Huinamu Running Club, plus Yukino Miyazaki, a TV personality, and Haruka Koyama, an office worker, for a total of five people.
From left, HOUYHNHNM's editor Hideki Shibayama, writer Issey Enomoto, TV personality Yukino Miyazaki, office worker Haruka Koyama, and HOUYHNHNM's deputy editor Hiroshi Yamamoto.
Yamamoto and Enomoto have been trekking for about 6 years. Yamamoto has experience completing 100-mile races and Enomoto has experience completing long races of over 100 km. Shibayama has been treering for about 2 years. Although he has no race experience, he is confident in his physical strength due to his youth.
This was the first trek for Mr. Miyazaki and Ms. Koyama, on the other hand. Mr. Miyazaki was inspired by the runners around him when he was a manager of the Ekiden club as a student, and running has become a daily habit for him. He is an athlete with good running speed who participated in this year's Tokyo Marathon and completed the race in 3 hours and 44 minutes. Mr. Koyama was a member of the track and field club during his school days. He was a member of the long jump and short distance clubs, and was a national champion in junior high school and competed in the National Athletic Meet in high school. Although neither of them has any experience in trekking, they both have great potential.
Now, it is time to set out for the Daibosatsu Ridge. First, we will start from a ridge path called Karamatsu Ridge, aiming for a viewing spot on the ridge called Raiiwa.
From Kamihigawa Pass, we will climb Karamatsu Ridge via a hut called Fukuchanso. You may be thinking, "Treeruns run uphill, don't they?" However, only a few top athletes run uphill. Citizen runners like us do not run uphill, but walk. However, our pace is faster than the average hiker. We will be going at about 60-701 TP5T of standard course time.
When we find the occasional flat trail, we switch from walking to running mode. You will be running on a trail where the sun shining through the trees feels good.
As you continue up the trail and reach a place with a clear view, you will see Mt!
Although the summit area was covered with clouds, it was still exciting to see Mt. Fuji is beautiful from any angle, but the view from the mountain is exceptional.
Now, we are almost at Thunder Rock.
Mr. Miyazaki and Ms. Koyama enjoy the uphill trail. As one would expect from someone who is physically active on a regular basis, their steps were light. It was hard to believe that this was their first experience in trekking.
About an hour after leaving the trailhead, you will arrive at the viewing spot, Thunder Rock.
From this thunder rock, another 10 minutes' climb will take you to the summit of Daibosatsu-zan (Mt. Daibosatsu-zan). But this time, we decided to pass on the summit because it is surrounded by trees and there is no view at all. This is because the summit of Daibosatsu Ridge is surrounded by trees and there is no view at all. Mountain climbing is often about peak hunting, but trekking is not about stepping on peaks. If you can run comfortably, that's all that matters.
