Onechiyama 大根地山 hiking 2020/1/25

大根地山 Onechiyama hiking 2020/1/25

This mountain is located in Chikushino city and is close to Homanzan. It is not directly connected to any other mountains and stands alone. In the past the mountain was a popular retreat for priest and monks living on Homanzan and Hikosan. Now it is a great mountain with some very nice shrines on the peak. We started our hike at the site of an old elementary school which has now been turned into a city owned park and campsite. The access for this mountain is tricky without a car but there may be some buses or you could take a Taxi from Kamado-shrine. 

The camp area has a river running through it and large areas for picnics and relaxing.  There are plenty of information boards and even some English on them.

A short way up we were greeted with this waterfall 扇滝. It doesn't have a high flow rate but it is rather tall. It made for a beautiful sight and was great to see. Just above it wa a small shrine in the rock.

This shrine can be found just before the final set of steps up to the main shrine 大根地神社.

The trail to the summit continues past the shrine and zigzags up to the top. The view was a little cloudy but still impressive.

The route we used to go down goes past the summit and is overgrown in places. We had to climb over and crawl under many fallen trees. There were signs of wild boar from prints and droppings.  At the end of the trail we came out near some fields and walked back to the car park.

Koshosan 古処山 Hiking in Asakura 2020/1/18

Koshosan 古処山 Hiking in Asakura 2020/1/18

Koshosan 古処山 is located in Asakura 朝倉市 in Fukuoka. The start point we used was from the famous village of Akizuki 秋月 which attracts lots of visitors each year in the Autumn to admire the beautiful red leaves. We hiked up on this day in winter and on a day when rain was a possibility. We got far but it did end up raining in the end on the return journey. Still we got to see a wild deer and enjoy this historic mountain. 

Access: You catch a bus to Akizuki from Amagi and there may be some buses from Hakata for sightseeing. We drove on this day and parked near the base of the mountain in a free parking area. 

We started the hike following a rocky river. The water was clear and fast flowing and every so often we found Buddhist statues.

We had heard reports of wild deer in the area but we were still surprised when we came across one so easily. It seems to the a young one which would explain why we were able to sneak up on it.

At the summit we set up the gas stove and made some food. However it was very cold and started to snow and then lightly rain. I abandoned plans to continue to other peaks (I will be back again for those!) We greeted some fellow hikers and started hiking back down.

I used a slightly different route for part the way down. This one went through the forest and avoided the slippy stone path.  It was a great hike but I feel that I need to go back and enjoy it on a clear day and also press on to the other peaks.

Homanzan 宝満山 to Wakasugiyama 若杉山 and all the mountains in between 2019/12/7

Homanzan 宝満山 to Wakasugiyama 若杉山 and all the mountains in between 2019/12/7

At the start of December I took at good long hike across a whole bunch of mountains from the famous peak of Homan to Wakasugiyama. The journey is not too difficult but the distance is quite far (18km in total) so make sure you bring plenty of water and food. At Sasaguri station is there is cheap public bath which you can use to relax. My advice is to download the Yamap app and download the free hiking maps. I used this do this hike and it save you a lot of stress and the risk of getting lost and I have been using to track my hikes since. 

We all started hiking together at Kamado shrine. After reaching the summit of Homazan I split off to hike to Wakasugiyama alone. First heading towards Sangunsan and the mountains between.

After reaching Sangunsan I started to look for the route to Wakasugiyama. It is not well signposted but straightforward enough to find. Just before you head up to the top of Sangunasan you need to continue forward instead.

The route is not difficult but there are a few steep areas. You will cross a number of other peaks as well as crossroads leading to other trailheads. I took a rest after a while but generally kept the pace up and pushed on.

After a while I came to a road. The trail continues on the other side and this bridge is not damaged and not useable. The road instead went to the right down a steep short section. The road is not too busy but there was enough traffic to urge caution.  After this point the final leg to Wakasugiyama starts.

I visited the impressive shrines on the top of Wakasugiyama and then started the hike down. It is a long journey but it has plenty to see on the way. The mountain is home to some old and beautiful trees. I also found a campsite and enjoyed watching the trail turn from rural to urban as I approached the station.