(高畑山) Mt. Takahata Hike

A really pleasant hike, this loop is a great option for those who wish to get out of the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. This is part of the Hanno Alps, and covers some peaks.

Budget: JPY1,830 (~USD18)

JPY1,020. Train, Tokyo to Shomaru Station.
JPY810. Train, Nishi-Agano Station to Tokyo.

Hike Date / Difficulty (Elevation: 695m / 2,280ft)

January 31, 2021
Difficulty: 2 out of 5.
Route below is around 11.3kilometers, with an elevation change of ▲1,157m/ ▽1,218m (5h50m)
Map Link

When to Go
Anytime during the year! No special gear needed in winter.

Special Notes

Weather forecast: Japanese.
Trailheads. Both trailheads easily accessible by train.

Shoumaru Station (正丸駅). There's a restroom to the left of the station, and one store in front, though not sure as to the extent of the selection. There's vending machines too.

From the station, follow the river to the trailhead (google maps pin). Google maps works.

Nishi-Agano Station (西吾野駅). A much smaller stop that Shoumaru Station.

From the station, use google maps to go to the trailhead (google maps pin),

Mountain huts.

Paid. None.
Free. None.
Camping. None. Though there are enough flat spots for wildcamping, usually close to the summits.

Mountains covered:

Mt. Gorin (五輪山), 842m
Mt. Izu (伊豆ヶ岳), 850m
Mt. Komitake (古御岳), 830m
Mt. Takahata (高畑山), 695m

The ideal place for lunch is a clearing close to Mt. Takahata.
No signs in English, so take note of the Japanese characters.

Itinerary

07:03am. Train, Tokyo to Shomaru Station.
09:13am. ETA: Shomaru Station.
09:15am. Start hike.
11:10am. ETA: Mt. Gorin (五輪山), 842m
11:30am. ETA: Mt. Izu (伊豆ヶ岳), 851m
11:50am. Mt. Komitake (古御岳), 830m
12:20pm. Mt. Takahata (高畑山), 695m
03:05pm. ETA: Nishi-Agano Station.

Actual Log

06:30am. Started walking to the station, got some coffee and snacks.
07:03am. Train, Tokyo to Shomaru Station, via Hanno Station. I just had to cross across the platform. After Hanno Station, the train stops for a while at each station.
09:13am. Arrived at Shomaru Station. Exiting the station, to the left is the restroom, and to the right is the stairs to the trailhead. I went to the restroom first.
09:15am. Started hike. I went down a rather steep set of stairs, turned right and continued walking next to the river until I got to the trailhead.
09:40am. Arrived at the trailhead (google maps pin). The road curves to the right, and I went in the trail to the left.
09:48am. Arrived at a fork, thought it doesn't really look like a fork as it only has an arrow pointing to the right - 名栗げんきブラザ. I ignored that and followed the trail to the left. Soon enough the steep ascent started.
10:09am. Arrived at the ridge. More or less a descent up and down from here.
10:21am. Arrived at Mt. Gorin (五輪山), 842m
10:37am. Arrived at Mt. Izu (伊豆ヶ岳), 850m. Sat down to have a ten minute early lunch. Within a minute I arrived at a fork, I took the turn to the left, pointing at 天目指峠.
11:13am. Arrived at Mt. Komitake (古御岳), 830m
11:43pm. Arrived at Mt. Takahata (高畑山), 695m
11:49am. Arrived at a little clearing with a nice view of the surrounding mountains - this is the best lunch spot, but at this point I just ate and am rushing to go down.
12:19pm. Arrived at the road, I turned left, and immediately saw the cottage. The trail is to the left of the cottage.
12:57pm. Arrived at a fork, with the left road not pointing to anything really and the right pointing to the shrine. I turned right.
01:00pm. Arrived at the shrine, and continued walking. A restroom is available to the left of the red torii. The way down is a little path to the left of the torii (no need to go to the parking lot). I followed the road, and saw a right turn going to 吾野駅 - Agano Station. I skipped that since I am going to 西吾野駅 - Nishi-Agano Station. Within a minute or two is the turn going to 西吾野駅. The descent had a lot of switchbacks, but it was mainly a gentle slope, not hard on the knees, which I'm definitely thankful for.
01:32pm. Arrived at the end of the trail (google maps pin), and was back on the road. Started using google maps to go to the station. Basically followed the main road and turned left once I reached the main highway. At the traffic light, I turned right and followed the road til I got to the station.
01:54pm. Arrived at Nishi-Agano Station.
02:03pm. Train, Nishi-Agano Station to Tokyo.

Shomaru Station!

The path is to the right of the station.

Went down the stairs, then turned right.

Followed the main road, right next to the river (so I kept right in this fork), until I saw the trailhead.

The trailhead. It's the trail to the left after crossing the bridge.

Trails were easy to follow, and those that has multiple trails had other paths clearly cordoned off.

Gorgeous.

For those doing this in reverse, this section was really tricky as the path is an offshoot to the right - right where that guy is standing. But I think even if you do miss that turn, you'll get to the station... one way or another.