Mt. Utsugi Round Trip from Ikeyama-one Ridge

From Komagaike bus stop, walk on the roadway and enter the trail from the side of Komagane Kogen Ski Resort. The trail ascends the steep slope in zigzags through the forest, crossing and merging with the forestry road several times. The end of the forestry road is approximately an hour and 20 minutes away from Komagaike bus stop.

Ascend the slope through the forest, the trail reaches a fork known as Takauchi-ba. Take the left trail and proceed in a southwest direction, then traverse on the south slope of the ridgeline to get to Ikeyama-goya shelter hut, which is approximately an hour away from the end of the forestry road. There is a watering place nearby.

Go left at the next fork and proceed on to the south, and the trail starts to ascend in zigzags, until it reaches a flat ridgeline then an open space where hiking trails merge. Hike on through the ridgeline in the conifer forest, and the entrance to Ohjigoku (literally, “Big Hell”) is approximately an hour and 20 minutes from Ikeyama-goya.

Ohjigoku is a rough spot on the trail that passes on a narrow and rocky ridgeline, where staircases, bridge and chain-supported areas appear in succession. After passing through a traverse known as Kojigoku (literally, “Small Hell”) and proceeding on staircases and bridges, the trail turns into a gentle ridgeline and reaches the fork to Utsugi-daira in approximately an hour and 50 minutes from the entrance to Ohjigoku.

Proceed to the right at the fork, to a northeast direction along the ridgeline, and the trail eventually reaches above the tree limit, where granite rocks are scattered about in the stone pine belt. Komaho Hutte is approximately an hour and 10 minutes away, and Mt. Utsugi is approximately another 5 minutes away. The summit has a great view of the mountains of the Central Japanese Alps. Stay over at Komaho Hutte and return on the same route the next day.