After spending the night on top of Hinoki-dake’s barren peak, I awoke just in time to catch sunrise. As the morning sun rose higher, I could witness the spectacular sight of the mountain's narrow ridgelines and deep valleys being illuminated by the morning sun. Thankfully this sight provided the perfect start to the day.
Because I had to shorten my previous days hike to 4 hours instead of the originally intended 6 hours, today was going to be a long 6-8 hour trek to Komagane-Kogen via Mount Usugi-dake. Fortunately, the weather was exceptionally clear on this occasion enabling me to experience some amazing views for miles around.
Ending several hours later at Komagame-Kogen, I was able to reflect on the day’s journey while catching the last train back to Tokyo. Without doubt, the highlight was stopping by the craggy peak of Utsugi-dake. Standing at 2864 meters high, this mountain is the second highest in the Central Alps and offers some fantastic panoramic views where it is possible to catch a glimpse of both the Southern and Northern Alps.
Even more remarkable was the fact that I wasn’t presented with bad weather, something which I seem to be constantly cursed with whenever I want to go away somewhere.
