(立山) Mt. Tate Hike

More often called "Tateyama", Mt. Tate is easily my favorite mountain range in Japan! It's just so gorgeous and so accessible via public transportation, but it is also the most expensive mountain to hike, it seems. 

Budget: JPY18,333/person (~USD170)

• JPY8,533 – Roundtrip bus, allocated using Willer Bus Pass
• JPY9,800 – Alpine pass, exclusive to tourists
• *JPY300 - Camping fee, but only if you go during the summer season

Hike Date / Difficulty (Elevation: 3015m /9892ft)

• Hike date: November 1-4, 2019
• Difficulty: A decent 3 of 5. It’s a chill hike, though at higher elevation.
• Route below is around 7.9kilometers, with an elevation change of ▲911m/ ▽914m
• PDF Map Link
• I would recommend you do the Mt. Tate (立山) & Mt. Tsurugi (剣岳) hike if you can.

When to go

April 15ish to November 30th, when the buses are still running. There is also avalanche risks, so please take note of this timeline. Beacons are highly recommended outside of the hiking season.

Special Note

• A couple of possible wrong turns, so PLEASE check the map. I have attached a pdf map above. 
• No water source for winter, other than snow, of course.
• Items marked with * are covered by the Tateyama Alpine Route pass, exclusive to tourists, covering a one way trip from Toyama to Nagano (or vice versa). It costs JPY9,800. Otherwise, the regular fee is JPY12,660. I’d recommend it even just for simplicity – tickets are no longer needed to be bought at Toyama.
• Buses to and from Tokyo are covered by the Willer Bus Pass (JPY12,800 for three days, weekends included). Otherwise, normal reservations can be made via the Willer website.

Itinerary

Friday

• 22:10 Bus from Tokyo Station Kajibashi Parking lot to Toyama Station (JPY8,000 ish if you don’t have the Willer Bus Pass)

Saturday

• 06:05 Arrival at Toyama Station
• 07: 00 Train from Dentetsu-Toyama to Tateyama Station*
• 08:12 Arrival at Tateyama Station*
• 08:20 Cable car: Tateyama to Bijodaira*
• 08:27 Arrival at Bijodaira*
• 09:00 Bus: Bijodaira to Murodo*
• 09:50 Arrival at Murodo*
• Go to camp area, which is about an hour from where the bus drops you off. Pitch tent, and rest for the day. 

Sunday

• Hike.

Monday

• 09:00 Onsen near Murodo
• 10:00 Snack at the Onsen place
• 11:15 Tunnel Trolley Bus: Murodo to Daikanbo, 10:45 if possible.*
• 11:25 Arrival at Daikanbo*
• 11:30 Ropeway: Daikanbo to Kurobedaira*
• 11:37 Arrival at Kurobedaira*
• 12:00 Cable car: Kurobedaira to Kurobe Dam*
• 12:05 Arrival at Kurobe Dam*
• LUNCH at Kurobe Dam*
• 14:05 Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus: Kurobe Dam to Ogizawa*
• 14:21 Arrival at Ogizawa *
• 14:40 Local bus: Ogizawa to Nagano*
• 16:25 Arrival at Nagano Station
• Explore Nagano Station – just eat at the station. There’s nothing around the area.
• 18:00 Bus from Nagano to Shinjuku (JPY3,100)
• 22:35 Arrival at Shinjuku Station

The trip up to the trailhead was gorgeous by itself, and we enjoyed the bus ride to Murodo, appreciating the autumn foliage. 

The trailhead! There's a beautiful marker of Tateyama, and I look forward to the marker at the top!

We started the hike and the backdrop is just gorgeous. 

Close to the shrine is mountain hut (?), and plenty of flat spot. It was a nice place to take a breather and continue taking in the view. 

The top of the shrine! Normally, there's an entrance fee but for winter, everything is not open for business, so the entrance was free. The store right there was also fully closed, and everyone had their own stoves. This is not the summit though, so we continued on. 

The view from the summit is such a juxtaposition - snow up here, autumn down there. 

This is it! The marker! Wait, what? 

Huh. Yeah, this little thing here marks the highest point of Tateyama. 

We continued on, and it was mainly walking across the ridge. 

Well, with its share of ups and downs...

....and walk on the edge else you fall and die. 

It took us a bit longer than expected, but wasn't the sunset just beautiful?

I feel like that's Tsurugi, but I probably am wrong. 

This is a new day - we started our hike up Mt. Tsurugi way before the sunrise. 

And thus enjoyed the sunrise in the middle of a mountain. I will, however, cut off the Tsurugi portion of our hike for this post. If you'll skip Mt. Tsurugi too, then the way to go is down to the camp area. 

Here's the camping spot in Tateyama. 

There normally is running water but since all businesses are closed, there's no water either. No worries, there's a river right next to the camp area. Oh, but no toilets either, so find your own hidden spot. 

Before we left, we went to the onsen, had a nice soak, and ate the best red bean paste I've had in my stay in Japan. 

The trip down involves passing by Kurobe Gorge, and we just spent an hour walking around the lake.