+700m / -650m / 13km
I reach Ninose by train around 9:30am. I get ready and head north after crossing the river. On the right, a small opening in a rockfall fence marks the start of the trail. The first 500 meters are not very inviting: the route is hard to make out, fallen trees block the way, and the ground is slippery on the steeper sections.
I keep going, and things improve once I reach higher ground, where the sun filters through the trees. From there, I simply follow the ridgeline north. The trail is easy enough to follow and no longer really slippery, although a few trunks still lie across the path. The climb isn’t steady: it’s a succession of small summits and passes, with a few flatter stretches in between. I can hear the bell of Kurama-dera echoing in the valley to the east. A little later, I catch a glimpse of the temple through the trees.
Patches of snow start to appear. They become more frequent and more extensive as I go on. Some cover steep sections of the trail, and I have to look for safer lines just off to the side. If it’s the same on the other side of the summit, the descent could be tricky… I didn’t bring my microspikes.
Near the top, everything is covered in snow. Fortunately, it’s heavy, wet, slightly sticky snow—clumping into big lumps under the baskets of my poles—which actually makes it fairly manageable, even downhill. The real problem is that it hides the trail almost completely. The snow is quite deep, and at times I sink in by around 20cm.
After the summit, I’m not really sure where to go. I follow another hiker’s tracks for a while, then drift away from them. At what looks like the end of a forest road, I reach a dead end: dense vegetation and steep slopes on every side. I backtrack about 200m and pick up the tracks again. A little farther on, I finally spot a sign pointing to Ohara. The snow gradually disappears as I descend. Around 2pm, I stop at the side of the trail for lunch. Just like on the way up, trees are everywhere and there’s little to no view of the surroundings.
I leave the ridge at a small pass and drop down towards Ohara. Lower down, the path widens and levels out. After passing a dam construction site, I spot the garden of Jakkō-in temple, and then enter the village at 3:30pm. A few walkers are out enjoying the fine weather.
At the bus stop, I have just enough time to pack away a few things before boarding for Kyoto.