Ura-Myougi (裏妙義山) – Kido wall Migi-kante (木戸壁右カンテルート)

Route name:  Kido-kabe Migi-kante (木戸壁右カンテルート)

Mountain:  Ura-Myougi-san (裏妙義山)

Map sheet:  21 [Yama-to-kougen-chizu (山と高原地図) series]

Rock type: Conglomerate

Time:  2-4 hours (+ 5-6 hours for the full continuation hike)

Length:  6 pitches / 140m

Grade:  Crux pitch of 5.7

Mt Myougi, or Myougi-san (妙義山), is home to some of the most adventurous hiking and scrambling trails in the Kanto area. Formed from an old volcanic caldera 3 million years ago its softer layers of sedimentary rock eventually wore away, leaving a series of jagged peaks and ridgelines characterised by rocky pinnacles and steep faces of volcanic conglomerate rock.

The two main roughly parallel ridgelines of Mt Myougi are known as Omote-Myougi (表妙義) on the southern side, and Ura-Myougi (裏妙義) on the northern side. Both offer plenty of adventure and a full traverse of the Omote-Myougi ridge in a day, over the main peaks of Hakuun-san (白雲山) and Kondõ-san (金洞山), is a fantastic challenge.

Here though we are concerned with the quieter northern ridgeline of Ura-Myougi. The climb described below can be easily combined with an ascent of the distinctive Chõsu-no-kashira (丁須ノ頭), or hammer rock, clearly visible from the nearby Joshinetsu expressway, and can be continued along the main features of the ridgeline to form a circular hike starting and ending at the same trailhead.

Getting there:

You can get here by taking a train to Yokokawa (横川) station followed by an hour’s walk up the road to the trailhead (or a taxi if you can find one), but a car will make it easier to access this route.

If driving from Tokyo (東京), take the Kanetsu expressway and follow the signs for the left fork onto the Joshinetsu expressway shortly after the Kamisato (上里) Service Area. Come off at the Matsuida-Myougi (松井田妙義) exit and follow route 51 north to the Goryo (五料) junction. Turn left onto route 18, then take the first left onto a local country road, and follow this road to the Nakagi river and Myogi lake (妙技湖). Continue up the road to the far end of the lake and on up the Nakagi river a short way until a right turn and a bridge across the river. Not far past this bridge you will come to the car park of the now-abandoned Kyū Kokumin Shukusha Uramyōgi hotel (旧国民宿舎裏妙義). Park here as the trailhead lies just a couple of hundred metres up the road.

Approach:

Walk up the road from the car park for a few hundred metres and you will reach the trailhead on your right, signposted to Chõsu-no-kashira (丁須ノ頭). Follow the trail for around 40 minutes to the area of the Kido wall (木戸壁), the first waymark on the hiking map around the point where the hiking trail enters a rocky gorge.

You will notice a shallow horizontal cave area about 30m up on your right. Head up to this cave, at the foot of the Kido wall, and continue up for another 20m or so to the right along the bottom of the wall and you will reach the start of the route, clearly identifiable by the line of Petzl bolts up the first pitch. If you find yourself entering the adjacent gully, you have gone too far.

Description:

The route is well bolted, with good bolt anchors between pitches, so just head up the line of bolts and you can’t go wrong. Approximate pitch descriptions are as follows:

Pitch 1: Several steep moves to start, then continue up the line of bolts to a bolt anchor on a ledge. (25m 5.6)

Pitch 2: Climb up and slightly right past an old ring bolt, then climb a steeper section up the edge, before moving back left when the angle eases slightly to another belay ledge. (25m 5.6)

Pitch 3: Climb up and to the right, then make a series of steep exposed moves, and finish up a groove to belay at a tree. (25m 5.6)

Pitch 4: Climb up and right, then through a couple of small overhanging sections on the kante itself, with tremendous exposure, to finish at a small airy stance. (20m 5.7)

Pitch 5: Climb a well-featured wall to another bolt belay on a narrow ledge. (25m 5.6)

Pitch 6: Climb rightwards to the top of the face above the belay, then pull over on your left onto a comfortable terrace. (15m 5.5)

This terrace is the end of the established route. It is possible to continue up to the summit of the pinnacle by traversing left and then bush-whacking up a steep grassy chimney and on through several more short pitches. There are belay anchors up there to facilitate rappel descent back to the top of the route, but little in-situ protection.

Getting down:

To descend, simply rappel the route on the bolted in-situ anchors. Note that due to the friction and the nature of the conglomerate rock, there are countless ways for ropes to get stuck or hung up on rappel here, so the sensible party will make a series of short rappels anchor to anchor on a single strand of rope.

Options for continuation:

1. A piston ascent of Chõsu-no-kashira

Back at the hiking trail, continue up through the gorge and up the steepening stream bed, through long sections with in-situ chains, until you eventually hit the summit ridgeline trail after 2-2.5 hours of map time. The trail now skirts around the back of the spectacular hammer rock to access it. There are chains up to the base of the rock, and then a solid chain hanging down the upper face from the top. Although well-featured and not very long, the Chõsu-no-kashira is slightly overhanging in places, and it may be prudent to keep your harness on and clip into the chain “via-ferrata style” in case of a slip.

Once back down, simply reverse the trail back to the car park.

2. A circular hike over the Ura-Myougi summit ridgeline

Exactly the same as above to Chõsu-no-kashira, but then continue along the exhilarating summit trail for a couple of hours, past the dramatic spires of the Aka-iwa (赤岩) and the Eboshi-iwa (烏帽子岩). This trail is engaging and exposed throughout, including one particularly documented section where it traverses across a wide vertical rock face with chains and (very rickety) ladders bolted to the rock.

Eventually you will reach the three-way Sanpokyõ junction (三方境). Take the trail off the mountain on your left, and you will reach the original trailhead near the carpark in about 1.5 hours. Combined with the climb, this itinerary makes for a long day out that is both satisfying and varied, and definitely provides the most bang for your buck.

Overall:

A fun route with an easy approach, and a heightened sense of exposure for the grade. If you have time, I strongly recommend extending it with the classic hike over the dramatic Ura-Myougi summit ridgeline.

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