JB #1 : Mt. Nantai, Nikko - 20140524

FIRST, I have to tell you that.. I am definitely... definitely... DEFINITELY NOT an expert, but I have to admit, I like to hike mountains casually. No heavy and special equipments, no properly specialised clothing, no 'formal' experiences ... NO. I just have cheap-discounted shoes, normal backpack, and cheap easy-dry cloth. Luckily, Japan provides me massive chances to do casual mountain-hike. The tracks are mostly known, with precisely predicted hike time, proper huts at the stops, and proper direction signs. In short, it is not suitable for hikers who love to get lost. 
Mountain-hike is kinda a 'hip' outdoor activity amongst Japanese. If you think that fashionable girls and women can only be weak and afraid of sun light, than your thought will be totally invalid here. Mountain-hike is an outdoor activity for everybody. By everybody I mean... EVERYBODY. It is not only for healthy men at their prime age (let say 18-55), but also for kids (I am serious here..kids like kindergarten age), men and women (yup, even for those women who wear high-heels and fake eyelashes on normal days), and elderly (60++).  No kidding, guys... NO kidding !!! I know.. I know, shame on us who said we are too weak to hike mountains. We are defeated by kindergarten kids, grandpas, and grandmas.   

Anyway,

On May 24th, 2014... after such a pretty long break since my last hike (what the heck did I do to waste my time before??!!), I and my crazy-best-buddy decided to hike Mt. Nantai (男体山) at Nikko, Tochigi-ken. After checking several possible weekends, we went on that day which was predicted as a perfectly bright day (which was luckily true!!).

We used the Tobu Nikko pass which is available for Tobu Skytree Line from st. Asakusa to st. Tobu-Nikko. This pass also cover the bus fare around Nikko (click here for more info). The journey started from Kita-Senju at 6.31 a.m., the earliest train available, and we reached Nikko around 8.20. We waited the Tobu bus at stop 2A for 8.48 a.m. bus. We arrived at the Futara-san Jinja Mae stop (二荒山神社前バス停) around 9.30 am.

        

The front gate of the Jinja

 

                           

After the front gate with Mt. Nantai as the background

The hike is basically divided into 3 courses (according the information from the Jinja); a 40 min hike of pines-covered dirt track, a 20 min car-road track, and a final 180 min of keep-changing track. In total it is a 4-hour hike on average speed (the time usually includes some short rest-stops).    

 

The first gate for the hike

After paying entry fee for ￥500, we started our hike at 9.55 a.m.The slope was nice, covered by dense planted pines (or might be cedar, I am not sure), although at some parts it was quite sharp. We did it kinda slowly but surely with one short-drinking-stop and reach the car road after 20 min walking.

 

                 This is where we got out and met the car road,  though no car passed by 

We walked around 20 min on the asphalt. Afterward, we reached the next gate and that was where all the fun begun !!

 

The gate to the final stage (feels like playing an RPG)

   

The course was started with some dirt stairs for around 10-15 min, followed with sandy-rocky track for another 10-15 min. I have to say, I HATE stairs.. like A LOT !! And sand-ft-small rocks is my weakness. I couldn't handle it well, so I was kinda slow on the first 2 challenges. However!! After we reach the 6th stop （六合目), it turned to be a lovely lovely LOVELY course. It was a rocky-humid coniferous forest. Well, I will just show you guys some pictures since I can't describe how lovely it was (at least for me and my buddy).

 

It was like a tropical forest at the beginning, with several weathered woods

(oh, that's my best-buddy) 

 Afterward, the track became more and more rocky

(yup, that's me. Credit pictures to my buddy)

 And, it was suddenly an open air. Who wouldn't fall in love to those beautiful rocks?

We can even see the Lake Chuzenji and other mountains.

The course was a constant rocky track until we reached the 8th stop （八合目）. There is a small altar beneath the rock at the 8th stop. Afterward, it was another 5-10 min rocky track where it suddenly turned into a wet-muddy dirt track (again), with a constant sharp elevation and some snow left.

 

The small altar at 8th stop.

(Another courtesy to my buddy)

 It was sharp, it was a bit snowy, but for sure, it was muddy

And YES... the dirt track was followed by another endless staircase to heaven (literary.. or probably it was due to my personal issue towards stairs)

 

The snowy stairs to heaven

After a long fight with the stair... VOILA!! A red-dusty-rocky open air appeared out of nowhere (OK.. a bit exaggeration here..but I want to keep it exciting through the whole story!!) The bushes are so low that we could see the whole surrounding panorama

 

(my buddy's picture)

Another angle of Lake Chuzenji

The last fight was a struggle to me, since I (like I said) am also not very friendly with sand-ft-small rocks. However, all the fight was worth!! The view from the peak is priceless!!!

 

Entering the gate of the peak, we were welcomed by the signs

 

I am not so sure what is this, but probably the Izanagi's plate?

 

And also about this one. Is it possible that this is the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi?

The sword that Izanagi-no-mikoto used to execute Kagu-tsuchi?  

 

Also, this might be Izanagi-no-mikoto's statue?

In short, this long story (half) ended as we reached the peak at 12.50 p.m. It was a paid-off-3-hour-hike. Why? Because of this

After half an hour lunch break, we descended the slope in 2 hours. Absolutely right in time to catch a bus at 3.46 p.m. in front of the Jinja. We took a relax seat on the station while waiting for the last train at 5.36 p.m. (which we could ride by using the Tobu pass without paying additional ￥1030). We reached Kita-Senju around 8 p.m. with fulfilled heart.

  Thanks Buddy !!!!