Mount Daifugen – 大普賢岳
After about a year and a half studying at Kouka-en I was finally able to go on a full day hike which turned out to be a little more treacherous than I anticipated.
Mount Daifugen sits about a two hour drive South West of Osaka on the edge of the Nara Prefecture. It is the second highest peak in Kansai (1780m) only rivaled by Mount Hakkyo (1915m). It also neighbours Mount Sanjo, a holy pilgrimage site with three “tests of courage” and a ban on women for the last 1300 years, how courageous.
To call this hike in winter dangerous would be an understatement. Looking back at this run last February I can’t help but laugh at how underprepared I was. It started with having to skillfully execute my 50 horsepower, summer tire rental Daihatsu Mirai K-car with no insurance up the last leg of the snow covered road sideways in reverse to lock wheels and get the necessary grip while praying I don’t slide off the side of this rock in the middle of the night. I also decided to rock my two year old Merrell hiking shoes that have been my dailies since coming to japan as I can’t find shoes that fit and as a result are quite smooth on the bottom.
I slept in the car that night to get my hike in on the one day off I get a week. Driving into the campground which had been closed for winter and all amenities locked up. Guess who didn’t bring toilet paper. Luckily my body is an absolute machine and I was able to hold off any unwanted movements until the end of the day. I woke up that morning greeted by a cloudy sunrise which soon turned to a moody fog that engulfed the mountain. I smashed my onigiri and protein bar and headed up.
The course starts with some soft inclines for about the first half hour with the lower 1000 meters consisting of primarily Sterwartia, Hemlock and Crepe Myrtle. I had never seen Sterwartia in the wild until this time, their strange angular almost geometric growing behaviour is truly unique and beautiful.
So the gentle saunter slowly morphs into higher angle ascents and descents until you come face with sheer face and you’ll ponder how these structures stand in an earthquake prone country.
Sneak down and along the side of the stone wall and be met with the scrambling section of the mountain.
After crawling up this section you’re greeted by Hinoki Cyrpress and a whole new spectrum of ground flora. Additionally some of the vertical sections are aided by iron ladders and walkways. Check out some of the roots on these absolute monsters.
After a few slips and close calls on snowy paths which could have lead to certain injury I reached the peak. With no view in site. But if you check out google there are photos of a panoramic view.
If you’re in Japan for Kokufu or Taikan-ten this mountain might be a little unpredictable with snow and ice, but if you have the gear and like an adventure I highly recommend it.
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