Kamagadake 1161m is an intermediate hike perfect for anyone looking for a little more challenge compared to Gozaisho. The trails described here have many river crossings and require some route finding skills, as there is no real trail and mostly just markers. It can also easily be combined into a long loop hike with Gozaisho or made shorter by using the ropeway. Just like Gozaisho it's easily accessed from Nagoya by direct bus.
⏲︎ Time: 6h
✎ Kanji: 鎌ヶ岳
⚲ Location: Mie/Shiga
↔ Distance: 6km
✮ Difficulty: Intermediate
ᨒ Elevation Gain: 675m
☀ Dayhike
☉ Hiking Season: May
to November
Access
Park your car at the ropeway station for 1000¥ per car or along the road close to one of the trailheads for free. (If you come by highway you'll need an ETC card, they are changing the exits to ETC only right now)
For public transportation, take the direct Mie Kotsu bus from Meitetsu Bus Center (Nagoya). It has one departure on weekdays and two on the weekend. Cost is 1500¥ one way. You can use your IC card or buy a ticket at the bus center.
Trail description
There are many different trailheads and trails to hike around Gozaisho and Kamagadake. Have a look at Yamap (click the map below) and choose the trail based on your fitness level and time. Described here is one of the more difficult trails that has many river crossings and is not well marked. If it rains the river crossings might be too dangerous and with low visability it's easy to get lost.
Start from the parking lot linked above and walk along the road up to Ichinotani lodge. You can buy drinks here and it's also the last toilet. (100Y) Keep to the left and get off the road onto the trail next to the lodge on the left. You'll continue walking next to the road on a forest trail along the river.
After about 20min you'll get to a dam and cross the river, now the actual trail starts.
For the next 1.5h you'll walk next to and in the river bed up to the ridge towards Kamagadake. The trail is hard to spot at times and you'll have to keep an eye out for the mostly pink trail markers on trees or spraypainted marks on rocks. The last 30 minutes to the ridge is through a boulder field and you scramble up without a trail. From the ridge the trail gets a lot more busy because it merges with the short trail from the other side and connects to Gozaisho. It's about 20min of steep trail to the peak.
The peak makes for a great lunch spot with beautiful views in all directions.
For the way down be careful which trail you take, described here is the one closer to the shrine (and not the one by the actual peak). The trail down starts out steep but after 10 minutes it gets more gradual and goes into the forest. Just like the trail up you'll descent along a river with minimal markers or visible trail. Look out for spray painted markers or rock cairns. You'll get out next to a couple of vacation homes and either walk left back to the parking lot or right towards Yunomine Onsen town and the ropeway along the road.
Both trails described above have many small waterfalls and the forest is moss covered and beautiful. The trail is not busy, especially compared to some of the other Gozaisho and Kamagadake trails. We only met 3 other people on the way up and down.
Lastly if you go during summer watch out for mountain leeches. The Suzuka Mountains are infested with leeches and they usually start appearing around mid May. Bring salt just in case and stuff your pants into your socks.
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