Is it really stupid to climb the "baka" ridge?
We arrived at Tonodake excited and raring to go. This was our first “big” mountain this year (ok, it is only 1400 m, but we lost a lot of muscle strength in 2020 – thank you Corona). The carparks were already packed with fellow hikers heading out on various routes in the Tanzawa area. From this car park, you can hike up to Mount Nabewari (鍋割山), Mount Sannoto (三ノ塔) or even trek across to Mount Tanzawa (丹沢山). Due to time restrictions, we decided to do a straight up and back route.
The Baka Ridge
The start of the trail was an easy slope with picnic tables along the route. Looking around we were in good company with a variety of hikers of differing ages and shapes. We got to the first and second huts quickly and with little effort, and I was feeling like this hike was going to be a breeze. Little did I know. When we turned the next corner, we were confronted with a steep slope of steps. It turns out that the stairs we were climbing at Mount Nokogiri last week, were just a warmup. Around 85% of the trek up to the summit of Mount Tonodake was steps. We took a lot of refuelling breaks. This was made easier by the mountain huts and benches along the way.
Despite the number of man-made steps, we were still able to enjoy the wildlife and surroundings. Each section of the course was a little different. The trail was made up of steep climbs followed by short flat sections, almost as if it were a staircase made for a giant. The flat parts felt like relaxing sanctuaries between the sharp inclines. One section of the ridge was lined with cherry blossoms. Seeing wild cherry blossoms along the trail filled the atmosphere with a strange kind of magic. We were enchanted. It might be that I was feeling a little delirious in my exhaustion or just the fact that I have an overactive imagination, but if I had glimpsed a unicorn running through the trees, it would have seemed completely normal.
The views were also incredible, and there were plenty of places to stop and admire them along the way. I found myself wondering how they would change throughout the seasons and made a plan to go back again later this year.
We're all in this together!
By the time we were nearing the top, a strong comradery had developed between all the hikers. What started with knowing looks, turned into vocal support of “You’ve got this!” “Keep going! You can do it!”, “We’re all in the same boat!” and advice like “Slow and steady wins the race”. Hikers coming back down cheered us on “It isn’t far now!”. This is something I love about the Japanese hiking community, and something you are unlikely to see in the city. On the mountain we are one family - it doesn’t matter where we are from or what our backgrounds are, we are all hikers, and we look out for and support each other.
My favourite section came right before the last steep push. It is a narrow ridge that needs to be done in single file and even involves a ladder. I could see that I was not the only one revelling in this section, as other hiker's faces lit up. We were like children finding a new obstacle course to try in the playground. It was fun to move our bodies in a different way after climbing so many steep sets of stairs.
A legal drug!
The last incline was gruelling, but we could see the top and knew that we were almost there. With the support of our fellow hikers, we pushed our exhausted bodies up the last stretch. On reaching the summit, the temptation to collapse on the ground was soon overtaken by the excitement of wanting to run around and see the views from every side.
The faces of the hikers at the top were filled with exhilaration. One of our team members exclaimed, “I don’t know why more people don’t do this! It’s a legal drug!”. And it really is, I can’t describe in words the high you get when you reach the top of a mountain. You feel like you could be flying. Looking over the surrounding area makes you feel like a God and at the same time makes you feel incredibly humble and small.
The descent
After taking some photos and spending some time in contemplation, we reluctantly left to get some food at our favourite hut on the way back down. The hut is run by a friendly older couple. You can’t beat the udon and tonjiru soup there. They have tables outdoors and in. You can also buy kakigori (shaved ice) there, which we skipped this time, but would definitely get if we were hiking in the summer.
We took a relaxed pace back down the steps. Coming down is always tougher on the knees and despite strapping my knees with double the amount of KT tape I normally would, the last stretch of stairs was a little bit painful (guess who forgot her trekking poles!). Regardless of the pain, we arrived back at the car and immediately started planning our next adventure. This year is going to be amazing.
