Mount Daibosatsu (大菩薩嶺)

Written By Don Kalubowila

The plan was to car sleep near trailhead so we can start the hike early. Early start, always a good strategy when it comes to climbing, this is especially true is Japan as, it gets darker surprisingly faster. The drive to the trailhead through winding hilly road surrounded by range of mountains was one of the highlights.

Soon after we reach the trailhead, it got darker very fast (We were lucky as we’ve converted the back of the car with sleeping platform during our stopover on the way. It was pitch-dark and not a single soul was around. Despite the screaming of animals (bears included) from distance throughout the night, we slept reasonably well (falling rain helped), We woke up around 6 to the noises of the hikers around us.

The plan was to start around 6 but by the time we started it was around 8AM. Hike from the trailhead through lush green up to the peak, through Daibosatsu Pass surrounded by nature and breath-taking view of mountain was relatively easy hike. At around 1800M there is little restaurant, well maintained toilet, and rocky areas with magnificent view. From there we hiked through rocky area towards the peak. There is not much to see at the peak – no view. But as old saying goes “it's not the top of the mountains but the journey to get there is what matters. Bonding with my 15-year-old-son Haruki, having small talks, enjoying cup noodles is, to me, is the heaven on earth. The descend was shorter but bit sloped (but not truly hazardous).

Notes:

  • We lost cellular coverage halfway through the drive to the trailhead.

  • Garmin GPS coverage kept losing. Activate GPS by going into open area with clear of the sky before starting the hike.

  • There is a toilet at the trailhead (not so clean). There is a small shop at and if you buy something, you can use the toilet in the store) and another around 1800M.

  • Buy supplies in advance as there is no convenience store for 10-15 Km’s.

Don Kalubowila
“The life would have been easier had I not learned to challenge my own fears, had I not considered other possibilities, had I believed everything I was told (including things that was coming from my own brain). But easy has never been the point., if I didn’t take that first step out of my comfort zone, I couldn’t have traveled in 38 countries, I couldn’t have sailed across Atlantic, I couldn’t have cycled across US, Mexico &Japan, I couldn’t have worked in half a dozen of countries, and I couldn’t have done so many things I’ve done. If I had believed what I was told and let my own fears dictate my life, what boring life it would have been”
www.donkalubowila.com
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