Mt. Kogane, located in Hamamasu-ku, Hokkaido, is a thrilling and hard mountain with many steep slopes that used to be a kind of test of strength for local children. I have climbed Mt. Kogane, so I will summarize the detailed route and how to get there!
- About Mt Kogane.
- How to get there and introduction of climbing routes
- Precautions you should know before climbing
- Information on recommended nearby facilities
What is Mt. Kogane? More about Mt. Kogane
Mt. Kogane is a mountain located east of Hamamasu, Ishikari City, Hokkaido. It is easily recognizable from the town of Hamamasu as it is a conspicuous Mt. Fuji, and is also known as “Golden Fuji. The name is derived from the fact that gold was extracted here in the old days.
Mt. Kogane is so famous in Hamamasu that local children climb it as a kind of test of strength. At the beginning, there are not so steep places, but you will have to climb up a rocky slope that is so steep that there is always a rope on the way up. The round trip takes about 3 hours (including breaks), which is not so long, but the steep rocky terrain makes the climb tough for the elderly, small children, and beginners.
You can also see old trees on the hike, including a yew tree estimated to be 1,500 years old, which grows in the middle of the forest road before the trail. You can also see old yew trees growing along the trail!
There are also alpine plants growing in the upper part of the mountain, so you can see a variety of plants. This is one of the best mountains in Hokkaido that should be climbed.
How to get there and mountain climbing route introduction
To get to Mt. Kogane, if you are coming from Sapporo, take the Ishikari Kaido Road north to Hamamasu.
It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Hamamasu by car. The only convenience store on the way is Seicomart, so be sure to get food in advance. When you arrive at Hamamasu, turn onto Route 451 and go east.
If you are driving, you will pass Hamamasu Onsen and a free parking lot, and within 10 minutes you will see a sign on your left that says Koganeyama Trail, so turn there. On the way there, there is no sign for Mt. Kogane, and you will suddenly be given directions for the trail, so please look carefully to the left!
From this point on, the road is a gravel forest road, so if you don’t want to get your car dirty or damaged, you may want to give up the idea of entering the forest. There is space to park your car around the sign before the forest road (about 3 or 4 cars), and there is a single lane to the parking lot at the trail entrance, so be careful of oncoming cars!
There are several places where you can pass each other, but be careful not to drive too fast on this very narrow forest road!
There is a sign in the middle of the forest road, and a short walk from there is an old yew tree, 1500 years old, so don’t forget to take a look at it. I passed it up and went back on my way home.
There is a parking lot at the end of the forest road where toilets and water are located. The parking lot can hold only about 10 cars, so parking may not be possible during the climbing season.
Introduction to the trail route
First, there is the entrance to the Mt. Kogane Trail right from the parking lot. The photo shows the entrance.
From the entrance of the trail, it is a normal 20 to 30 minute hike up a certain degree of incline. You can enjoy forest bathing as you walk through the trees.
Now, here is where Mt. Kogane is different from ordinary mountaineering!
After about 20 or 30 minutes of climbing from the entrance, you will come to a fork in the road: the old road and the new road. The main difference is that the old road is a little longer and more challenging. However, the new road is just as hard in many places, so frankly speaking, it is the same except for the distance.
Both meet near the top, so the final point is the same no matter which route you choose! There is fresh water at the fork between the old and new paths, so if you want to replenish your mountain water supply, drink it!
This time, we used the new trail for the ascent and the old trail for the return. The total time was about 3 hours and 30 minutes round trip including the summit and rest stops along the way.
There is a rocky area at or near the summit with a false peak, which had better views and atmosphere. There is a path leading to the summit and the summit is located very close by. Click here for a photo of the summit.
The elevation of the summit is 739.5 meters! Alpine plants grow in the vicinity, so please take your time to appreciate them.
Things to know before climbing Mt. Golden
The photo is from the middle of the new trail. From the halfway point, you will be literally climbing up a rocky terrain. The new path is basically roped off, so use the rope to climb up in dangerous places.
Keep in mind that it takes about 20-30 minutes to reach the vicinity of the summit after starting to climb the rocky terrain.
Also, the trail climbs up a very steep rocky terrain, so I thought it was not a trail for the elderly or small children! On the other hand, I would recommend it to young people and beginners who are physically fit to some extent because of the short course time (it is strenuous but short).(It takes a lot of energy, but the distance is short.)
Also, the old road was more difficult because there were cliffs and short sections where the ropes were old and short.
I also personally felt that it was more dangerous on the way down than on the way up.It is certainly quite dangerous if you slip or fall because you are descending on a rocky terrain as well. Also, as you can see in the photo, the grass is gone where you walked.
In this case, depending on the weather and conditions, if the grass is dry, it is easier to walk on the grass where the angle is steeper. If the grass is dry, it is easier to walk on it because the weeds will act as a grip and you will not slip. However, if it is wet or there is still condensation from the morning, it is easier to walk downhill avoiding the weeds.
In summary, what you need to watch out for on Mt. Kogane is the steep rocky ascent and descent, and the narrow forest road on the way up!
These are my impressions of the actual ascent of Mt Kogane. I recommend it especially during the fall season, when you can see the entire area and the town of Hamamasu from the top, and you will be able to enjoy a wonderful view of the autumn foliage!
Information on recommended nearby facilities
Prices and opening hours are like this ↓
・Price Adults 500 yen Children 250 yen
・Opening hours 10:00 – 21:00 (summer) 1:00 – 20:00 (winter)
・Closed on the 1st of every month and New Year’s Day
For more information, please visit the website here!(Japanese)
Opening hours and prices of kakiage-don are as follows
Kakiage-don: bowl of rice topped with tempura tempura and octopus, 1,200 yen
Open from 10:00 to 14:00 (weekdays) and 11:00 to 14:45 (holidays)
Please note that it is open only during the summer season!(April-October)
Click here for the website!(Japanese)
Also, If you are interested in Trip to Hokkaido, Japan, please check here too.
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