From Kawahake bus station, go right at the junction with the Kawakami-makioka Rindo forest road and in about 80 minutes you will arrive at Mawarime-daira.
Mawarime-daira, where there are numberless rocks, is popular as a rock climbing area as well as a place to camp. Here, you’ll find the Kinpu-sanso mountain hut, where you can bathe and get food, as well as a campground and parking area. Go beyond the parking area and hike along the unpaved road that follows the stream.
After about an hour of hiking from Mawarime-daira, the forest path ends and a hiking trail running along the left bank of the stream begins. The elevation gradually rises as you traverse this path.
When you reach the junction at Nakanosawa-deai with its dyke, take the mountain trail to your left. Cross a small bridge, then hike up a ridge through a conifer forest with a mossy underfoot and eventually you will rise above the treeline. Within about three hours of hiking from Mawarime-daira, you will arrive at Kinpousan-goya mountain hut. Along the trail, you can see patches of rhododendron degronianum, a plant species endemic to northern Japan which blooms around June.
From Kinpousan-goya, hike up a zigzagging path through a rock pine belt and in about 20 minutes you will reach the peak of Mt. Kinpu.
In the area of Mt. Kinpu’s peak, a massive pile of boulders called Gojo-iwa towers imposingly over its surroundings. The Gojo-iwa can be seen from the foot of the Mt. Kinpu and is a symbol of the mountain. You will also see a tori arch and miniature shrine which serve as the inner shrine for Kanazakura-jinja in Yamanashi prefecture.
For the return leg of your trek, simply repeat the same course in reverse.
