Komachi yama

The hike is at Komachi-yama, a relatively close mountain. The starting point is by Komachi no Yakata (http://tsuchiura-n.or.jp/service1.html). It is a relatively short hike, about 1.5 to 2 hours total hiking time plus breaks, but the top of the mountain offers a great view of Mt Tsukuba and also has a nice shady picnic area where we can eat lunch.

The weather forecast is looking mixed at the moment, but the forecast for the weekend is looking better. I will check the trail, and the weather forecast, on Saturday morning, and if necessary, the hike will be postponed, and I will send the announcement by Saturday afternoon at the latest.

As it is quite a short hike, there will also be an optional bike ride as well from Tsukuba Center to Komachi no Yakata.

Meeting time:
For those travelling by car, the meeting time will be 09:50 at Tsukuba Center parking, next to the bus terminal. For those travelling by bike the meeting time will be 09:20, also from the Tsukuba Center parking. You are also free to travel directly to Komachi no Yakata if you wish.

Everyone should aim to meet at Komachi no Yakata at 10:30 ready to start hiking at about 11:00. There is some contingency to allow for delays and finding parking. If you arrive early or have some time to spare there are some restaurants/cafes and a souvenir shop at Komachi no Yakata.
We will have lunch at the summit at about 12:00, before returning.

Difficulty: 1

If you are interested in taking part, please send me the following information:

1) Name:
2) Phone number:
3) If you plan to join the cycle ride from Tsukuba Center:
4) If you have a car and are able to give a lift to others from Tsukuba Center to Komachi no Yakata:

What to bring:

• Hiking shoes.
• Layered and/or waterproof clothes in case of changes in the weather.
• As we are now approaching the summer, sunblock and insect repellent may be useful.
• Lunch and drinks.
• Snacks.

Cost: TWMC charges a 300 yen fee for adult participants.
Car drivers do not have to pay this fee.
Fuel costs should be shared between passengers.
Insurance is left to the individual.

COVID-19: Following the update of the government's guidelines on the 8th of May, the decision on whether to wear a facemask is left to the individual.

Disclaimer: There are risks associated with hiking in the mountains. All risks are accepted by individuals participating in the hike; TWMC and the organisers accept no responsibility for these risks:
https://www.twmc.club/about-twmc/disclaimer

I look forward to seeing you for the hike,

It proved to be third time lucky for this year’s Komachiyama hike – after being postponed twice earlier in the year, the first time due to heavy rain earlier in the week, the second due to an extreme heat advisory, we were finally able to undertake a hike on this fun local mountain.

Komachiyama has some very nice hiking trails but is not hiked often by TWMC: because it is overshadowed (both figuratively and at times literally) by its neighbours Tsukuba-san and Hokyo-zan; and because parking can often prove to be difficult at the base of the trails.

In an attempt to ameliorate the latter complication we decided to travel to the mountain in two groups: the first group setting out from Tsukuba Center by bike at 09:30, and the second by car at 10:00. With the mountain being only about 12 km from Tsukuba Center over flat terrain it was a nice ride to get warmed up for the hike for the experienced cyclists in the first group.

The groups rendezvoused at the Komachi visitor centre, with the group travelling by car arriving just a couple of minutes before the bike group. We now had ten hikers – four from the bike group and the others from the car group – and together we embarked on the trail, taking the most straightforward route following the numbered markers in ascending order. We had a few stops or diversions along the way to look at some interesting (or interestingly named) rocks such as “bear rock”. With some of these rocks a few hundred metres from the main trail, one of the groups which diverted found itself on a different trail, and after an exchange of messages, decided to continue on this new trail to the summit.

Thus two groups proceeded up two different trails to the summit arriving just after noon, within a couple of minutes of each other. It was a glorious November day, we really had got lucky with the weather this time, and with the trees which normally cover the summit having shed their foliage, we were treated to fantastic views with perfect seeing conditions. Fuji-san and Tokyo, including the Sky Tree, were very visible to the South(West), and Lake Kasumigaura, plus Mito, Ōarai, and Kashima from the opposite side of the peak.

We enjoyed lunch at the picnic area and then spend some time relaxing on the area from where the local paraglider school launches. (There were no paragliders flying on the day, but we did see some students training on solid ground at the base of the mountain.) Lazing in the sunshine we were in no rush to depart, but eventually depart we did, embarking on the return journey down the mountain, following a slightly different route, to complete a loop back to the trail head. After arriving back we once again split into two groups, the cars and bikes both wending their winding ways back to Tsukuba Center. The bike group took the opportunity to stop at a farmer’s stand that they had spotted on their outbound journey to avail themselves of the opportunity to purchase some of the local produce.

After waiting so long to be able to hike Komachiyama this year, we could not have asked for a better day to spend on the mountain. Thank you to everyone who took part in the hike. TWMC will surely return to this mountain in the future.