This is the hardest hike I’ve ever done in my life.
We started our ascent at 8:30 and were supposed to be at Sonbutsu Sanso in Tonodake by 16:00, but we didn’t arrive until 18:40. It was already dark, and the last hour of the ascent was just too hard for me. I honestly thought I was going to die on that mountain.
I was told there was no water in Nabewari, so we had to bring a lot. I carried about 4L of water plus 1L of Aquarius, making my total bag weight around 10kg. I ended up drinking almost all of it because I was so thirsty, but I was later told that if my bag hadn’t been so heavy, I probably wouldn’t have needed that much water.
Leeches are common on this mountain after rain and during humid months between May and October, so I bought leech repellent from KoujitsuSanso ,my favorite outdoor shop. Most of my hiking gear is from them. I love how helpful the staff are when it comes to finding the right size or type of hiking shoes, bags, and other gear, and the quality of their products is great.
I sprayed the Leech repellent on my shoes and pants before I left my place, but I did spray again when we got to Okura Bus Stop. There was also some salt at the toilet area at Okura bus stop, you can just bring a plastic or ziploc to put it in, but in my opinion there’s not a lot so I would just bring from home next time.
We also bought the stamp-rally pamplet for ¥500 at Yama Cafe near Okura bus stop. We want to collect the stamp for the collectible gift when you complete all the stamp from the Tanzawa mountains.
Timeline:
SEP 07, 2024
8:30 – Rico, Pauline and I left Okura bus stop and headed to Nabewari Trailhead / 登山口 / トザングチ . I was already very nervous about leeches, constantly checking my clothes and surroundings. I think this tension contributed to the muscle spasms I experienced early on, as I was already stiff at the beginning of the hike.
9:30 – We took the route via Futamata Branch / 二股分岐 / フタマタブンキ.
There were also yellow signs along the way to help confirm you’re heading in the right direction.
One of the biggest lessons I learned was the importance of mental preparation. Planning your route, knowing the distance, elevation, and steepness — and comparing it to your previous hikes — prevents being shocked by a sudden jump in difficulty. I didn’t do that, and I paid the price.
11:00– I started getting cramps in one leg and took a break. I made the mistake of putting my backpack down, and when I picked it up again, I saw a baby leech on my right hand. I started screaming. After that, the path became extremely steep and both calves began cramping. My friend even carried my backpack for a while so I could rest, but I still struggled to walk.
15:30 – We finally arrived at Nabewari Sanso, but it was already closed as the last order is at 13:00. We ran into the owner on his way down and spoke briefly. He told us to come earlier next time due to limited supplies. He was carrying 4–5 styrofoam boxes and a big knife, and I felt ashamed struggling with my bag while this man in his 70s didn’t even look tired.
There were benches at the summit where we rested. I told my friend he could go ahead and leave me because I couldn’t continue. I honestly preferred waiting near the bathroom rather than pushing on toward Tonodake or going back down alone. That’s how desperate I felt. But my friend stayed with me, so I forced myself to move.
I tried to eat the onigiri I have but I couldn’t swallow anything so I just drank the energy jelly and it gave me a little bit of boost.
16:05– We headed toward Tonodake. The path became foggy and I started worrying about wildlife, especially bears. My friend tried to calm me by saying there were no bears there, but deep down I knew that wasn’t entirely true. I wanted to believe him just so I could relax.
So imagine my horror when an hour and a half later we saw Bambi and his mom near the trail. There were fences all over too and I started thinking what if it’s to keep bears out etc. I started panicking.
I think that is when I felt my friend getting scared too because if there’s deers, there’s a possibility that there’s also bears or other animals around too. Ever heard of the 4 F’s (Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn) response of our body during life-threatening situations? Well I think my body chose to freeze that day. Great.
The path was mostly wooden boardwalk but I still struggled severely going uphill, even after removing items from my bag. We were almost out of water and it was getting dark. I wanted to run but had no energy, so we tried to walk faster whenever the trail flattened.
18:00– My friend turned on his headlamp because visibility was poor due to fog and sundown. The last hour was the worst. I almost cried. I even had a horrible thought that it would be easier if something just ended my misery. My whole body hurt. I kept thinking, What did I get myself into?
18:39– I finally saw the light from the lodge and felt my body relaxed finally. I cried when I entered the lodge and saw our friend. It was an overwhelming experience and I learned a lot from that day.
The lodge staff Fukamatsu-san was super nice, I thought he was gonna get mad at us because we were too late. But he just said he is glad that we were safe. He let us rest and we bought hot water for ¥200 and ate our cup ramen. I was so hungry but I feel so sick I couldn’t eat my share of ramen.
19:15 – We started getting ready for bed so we cleaned up and changed.
20:00 – Lights out. I had a hard time sleeping that night even though I was so tired because my body is still so tense but eventually fell asleep around midnight.
SEP 08, 2024
04:30 – We woke up and got ready for sunrise. Rico made coffee for us while we watched the sunrise.
Sunrise was so beautiful but I was still reeling from the events the previous day and as much as I want to go to the next summit, Mt. Hiru, I opted to stay and rest some more at the lodge. Rico and Pauline went to Mt. Hiru summit around 7:30 and they were back around 10:00.
While waiting for them I enjoyed talking to the lodge’s owner Hanatate-san. He was so nice and gave me some tips for hiking next time. I told him I would go back for revenge hike and want to actually get there at 3pm, not 18:40 like last night. He wished me good luck. I bought a t-shirt from them to remind me of this day.
I even met Mami and Souta. Mami gave me her energy jelly because I can’t eat anything. She was so nice! She’s more experienced hiker but she said Souta has more stamina.
Mt. Fuji even decided to show up that morning as if trying to cheering me up. But I never really cheered up that day. I felt devastated and a failure even though I still managed to reach Tonodake. I stayed that way for a few days despite everyone telling me that I should be proud of myself for not giving up.
10:00– We started our descent. It’s about 7km to reach Okura bus stop. The path was mostly wooden boardwalk and rocky path. I would probably choose this route next time. Go to Tonodake first, then Tanzawa, stay the night there and the next day, go to Mt. Hiru and then back to Tonodake then Nabewariyama then descend. As long as we get to Nabewari-Sanso at 12:00pm before they run out of udon, we’re good.
10:45– We passed by Hanadate Sanso and had brunch. We got udon and melon flavored kakigori.
What I packed in my bag:
- 4L water + 1L of Aquarius.
- Sleeping bag (650g) – I brought it because I was told they don’t wash the blankets at the huts so I thought it’s better if I bring one.
- Rainwear (Top and bottom)
- Medicine (For headache, stomach ache, motion sickness,
- Change of clothes for the night + another set for the next day hike (Set of undies, socks, towel, t-shirt and top)
- Extra T-shirt (I thought I wouldn’t need this but I did and I’m glad I brought one)
- Wipes (powder sheets) and wipes for female
- Alcohol spray
- Leech repellent spray
- Gopro, anker charger and cables
- Snacks
- 1 trekking pole
Things I should’ve packed:
- Headlamp
- Bear spray (I know they say there’s no bear there but for my peace of mind, I think I would bring one next time. It got really scary especially with the fog and when it was getting dark.)
- Slippers- I left my slippers to change into after the hike in my friend’s compartment at the parking lot because I want to lessen the weight of my bag, but I got really bad cramps two hours into the hike and I wondered if I should’ve brought it and change into it for a bit so my feet can rest. My hiking boots were new and maybe it wasn’t a good fit or maybe I just need more time to get used to it, but I definitely wished I brought my slippers with me.
- Mosquito repellent spray.
Things I learned from this hike:
- Do not underestimate a mountain and do not to overestimate yourself as a hiker. I have much more respect now to mother nature after this experience because nature has a way of humbling you.
- Always plan properly: check elevation, distance, steepness. I read about this before but I didn’t plan thoroughly and to be honest, I really don’t know what I was looking at when I was looking at the route we were taking. All I know is that we had to start from Okura station, to Nabewari, then to Tonodake, stay there for the night and head to Mt. Hiru summit before going back. I didn’t check the elevation and the distance. I didn’t compare it with my previous hikes.
- Gradual progression matters. I got too confident because I didn’t have a hard time hiking Mt Mitake (929m) for two days, that I thought I can do Nabewari (1,272m), Tonodake (1,490.9m) all the way to Mt. Hiru (1,675m) with total distance of 28.8km too. I did not consider how steep the uphill was and forgot that I took the cable car in Mitake so really my elevation gain was only about 235m and total distance for Day 1 was 4.2km and 11.6km on Day 2. I should’ve picked a lower mountain and shorter distance before going here so I can gradually increase difficulty.
- Bag weight makes a huge difference. It was my first time carrying a backpack weighing 10-11kg and I should have ever done that.
- I struggle with altitude over 1000m. I realized I have a hard time breathing when the altitude is over 1000m because I felt the same thing in Mt. Fuji when I hiked a few years back. So next time, I know not to do something like this for my level.
- YAMAP is invaluable for planning and emergencies. You can also check the map without internet and make your hiking route on the app and submit it from the app directly for emergencies in case you are not able to go down.
The first few days after were emotionally hard. I felt like quitting hiking altogether. Even just thinking about wearing hiking boots and stepping in the forest made me anxious.
It took me a week to really get over what happened that day and because I do not want to be completely traumatized with hiking, I decided to ask my friends to jon me on an easy hike the next weekend. I already went hiking with them before, so I feel comfortable enough. I want to go somewhere that, in case I need to go down, there are actual routes that can take me out of the trails.
We ended up going to Takao-Kobotoke-Kagenobu-Jimba a total of 30km in distance. Definitely not an easy hike, but enough for me to un-hate the mountains. But I’ll save that story for another blog.
Thanks for reading!
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