Japan
Tanigawadake - July 1989
I planned this one day trip to Tanigawadake with Etienne Hubert,
a fellow Tokyo American Club member who had joined me on one of
the TAC hikes to Odake. We went on Saturday 22nd July, and were
looking forward to good weather as the rainy season had just offically
ended. Meeting on Platform 8 at Ueno Station at 7 a.m., we took
the Express train Tanigawa #1 departing at 7-10 a.m. and arriving
at Minakami at 9-32 a.m. At Minakami we changed to a local line
and took the 9-44 a.m. train alighting at Doai at 9-52 a.m. Doai
is an incredible station being located in a tunnel deep under the
mountains, and as you leave the train you are met by a long upward
shaft of some 486 steps leading to the surface. On this particular
day the scene was made more eery by the presence of mist in the
tunnel, and as we started to climb the steps we could not see the
top at all. |



Doai Station
Breaking out in to daylight from the station we turned right and
followed Route 291 for twenty minutes until we reached the terminus
of the Tanigawadake Ropeway. This is a cable car which lifts passengers
up to Tenjindaira, a vertical lift of 750 meters. At Tenjindaira
there are several lodges and ski slopes, and it is certainly their
presence that justifies the ropeway. As it was a hot and sultry
day we were glad for the ride on the cable car and did not have
to walk up. |

Tanigawadake Ropeway
Leaving Tenjindaira at 10-35 a.m. we began the climb over muddy
paths supported by logs, passing through low foliage and trees.
As this range of mountains is not so high, we were not above the
tree line and this made for very humid conditions. |


After a while we passed a small hut and the trail began to break
out in to the open with Tanigawadake up ahead. The path changed
to brocken rock and scree, and was quite steep in parts. Etienne
set a cracking pace, and by the time we reached the top I had consumed
nearly 2 litres of Pocari Sweat sports drink! |


Tanigawadake stands at 1,963 m and on this particular day was
not very inspiring due to the swirling mist. Very little could be
seen from the top, and within 5 minutes of our reaching the peak
a thunderstorm, which had been threatening in the distance, suddenly
hit the mountain.The rain was tremendous, and huge flashes of lightening
were accompanied by loud claps of thunder that reverberated off
the mountain walls. We donned rain gear, and decided to get off
the mountain as quickly as possible. We set off along the route
for Nishiguro One, but having gone less than 30 yards we had to
return to a stone marker to recheck compass bearings. We started
off again as the rain got even heavier, and we practically ran down
the first couple of hundred meters of the descent.The lightening
was quite frightening, so we decided to "hole up" for
a few minutes until it had passed. Keeping our heads as low as possible,
we sat on the side of the mountain in the heavy rain for at least
15 minutes. |


Gradually the storm abated and we were able to continue our descent
along the ridge. Looking back up towards Tanigawadake the view was
quite magnificent, with rock walls and heavy streams suddenly sprouting
from nowhere due to the heavy rain. The ridge got quite tricky in
parts, and at times we had to rely on the chains provided for the
descent.The rocks were quite slippy due to the rain. We eventually
got off the ridge and entered a wooded area, finally descending
on to the road at about 3 p.m. some 200 meters above the Ropeway
Station. |



By now we were absolutely soaking wet and were covered in mud
to boot! We were soon drying off at the Ropeway Station and refereshing
ourselves with a cold beer. We sat at the Ropeway Station and had
lunch, and then decided to see if we could find an Onsen nearby
to go for a hot bath. Etienne chatted with a local taxi driver and
we were soon on our way to a Ryokan in Minakami which had a rotenburo,
or outside hot spring bath. We had a few anxious moments on arrival
at the Ryokan whilst the taxi driver negotiated with them to see
if it was possible for two wet and dirty "gaijin" to enter
the hallowed bath, but eventually they agreed. After peeling off
our wet clothes and showering, we stepped outside into the rotenburo
and luxuriated in the hot water. On the side of a gorge, the rotenburo
overlooked a stream with fir tree covered mountains in the background
amidst swirling mist.
By the time we had got in to dry clothes and had another beer
in the hotel lobby we were completely relaxed and ready for the
train ride home. A short taxi ride took us to Minakami Station where
we arrived just in time for the 6-09 p.m. train back to Ueno. We
finally arrived at Ueno at 8-30 p.m. well satisfied after an interesting
day out. |
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