It’s strange, but we have a greater appreciation for the view from the top of mountains when we have to endure some hardship to get there. To reach the hotel at the top of Utsukushigahara, people can take a shuttle bus from Matsumoto station. However, we decided to climb the trail from Sanjiro cattle ranch. There is a 600-meter elevation gain on the trail. This photo was taken by my friend, Kiyoshi Yugawa with his mobile.
As you approach the top of Utsukushigahara, you realize that it is a large plateau. It is a table top mountain standing at the center of Japan. You enjoy 360-degree panoramas at a height of 2034 meters.
Upon reaching the top, we often spontaneously begin to search for familiar mountains. Finding one at the place we expected makes us very happy. It’s common for us to talk about our favorite mountains as a matter of course.
This is the mountain I always look for, Mt. Ontake. While I don’t own the mountain, I have a sense of pride in it for some reason. I used my Nikon Z5 to take this photo.
If we’re fortunate, from Utsukushigarara we’ll be able to spot Mt. Fuji at a distance.
