Mountain: Mt. Nikko Shirane (日光白根山）2,578m
Nearest Station: Nikko Station (still 2 hours away...) Bus station: Nikko Shiranesan Ropeway
Located deep in Nikko National Park, is Mt. Shirane (not to be confused with the mountain in Kusatsu of the same name), the tallest mountain of the region. I had heard this mountain had some amazing views from the top, so I contacted my "hiking sensei" Mr. Naoyasu Kikuchi. The only available time for both our schedules was mid-October (2017). I took the first train of the day, and three hours later I arrived and met up with the Sensei at Utsunomiya station. We then drove another 2 hours along the long and winding roads through Nikko national park until we reached the parking lot at the base of Mount Shirane. The sky above seemed a bit suspicious, as the tail end of a Typhoon was still passing towards Japan, but wasn't expected to touch Nikko.
Time to turn back...
We took the short ropeway up to the mountain trailhead, where there would have been a nice view if the sky wasn't so cloudy. In the time since we had passed by Nikko station, the two of us noticed a distinct shift in the weather. Perhaps that typhoon had a bit more influence than we had expected.
We entered through a large gate that was meant to keep out animals. From there, it was a standard forest mountain trail, not too steep, but still enough to get the blood pumping. As we continued along the path, the sky grew darker and darker. After about 30 minutes, the rain started trickling down. We both had rain gear, but as the path continued, the rain intensified. We still had a long way to go until the top, and as disappointing as it was after such a long journey to the mountain, it seemed the safest option was to turn back. We slowly descended over the now wet and slippery mud trail, but reached the top of the ropeway station with no real incident. But the day wasn't over just yet...
Stuck in the ropeway car, in the middle of a typhoon
We got in the ropeway car, the only two passengers on the mountain it seemed. The ropeway started to move slowly down the mountain, and then it stopped. An announcement came on. "Due to the high winds, the ropeway will be temporarily suspended" We looked at each other, confused. Did they forget there were still passengers? So, we sat there, hanging above the mountainside for a good 15 minutes while the rain and wind rocked the cars, and we hoped nothing bad would happen. Soon after, the wind started to slow down, and the car began to inch towards the bottom. The standard 6 minute ride turned into an hour. Afterwards, we relaxed at the hot spring at the bottom, and then took a drive to Sengokuhara, where the weather was a bit kinder, and stretched our legs for a half hour.
A year later, it was time to challenge the mountain again.
In September 2018, I came a bit better prepared with a plastic rain jacket. There were no Typhoons on the way, and I was determined to make it to the top. We arrived again at the parking lot, and this time we were joined by some of Naoyasu's hiking friends. Quickly, we were back on the hiking path, and I was eager to push forward on the hike!
The Worst Place for a Migraine
Perhaps I was a little bit too eager and tried to dash up one of the steep hills.
2018 had been a bit of a rough year health wise, and due to several stresses I was probably in the worst shape I had been for almost a decade. Through a combination of altitude & weather change, tiredness, hunger, and that small bout of over exertion, I was suddenly hit with one of the worst migraines I have ever experience, including blind spots and full aura. Being half way up a mountain is not the best location to get caught by a sudden migraine. Thankfully, Naoyasu & his friends had some painkillers, which helped it a bit. At this point, we took a good 30 minute break before choosing to go back or carry on.
After a half hour rest, the worst of the migraine symptoms had passed, and although I still wasn't 100%, we were so close to the top, so we move onward with caution. I had traveled so far, twice, and wasn't ready to give up just yet. I remember there was a ridge just before the summit where the wind was blowing strong, and I was having extreme doubts about my health condition. "What if the migraine comes back?"I kept worrying. The top of Mt. Nikko-Shrine is very rocky, slippery, and combined with the oncoming fog, it was the last place I wanted to experience visual disturbances. Thankfully, the medicine was working well, and I was at least comforted by the fact that I wasn't alone on this climb.
An otherworldly fog on Nikko-Shirane summit
When we finally reached the top, we were completely engulfed by the thick fog. It was quite an otherworldly experience, and I was so caught up in the surreal atmosphere I had completely forgotten about the migraine, and even recorded my final steps to the summit. I remember seeing a ridge off in the distance, and thinking, that looks like the back of Godzilla. It also reminded me of a scene in the Hobbit where the mountains came alive and were attacking each other.
The way down was where the migraine tiredness finally hit me. I took it slow descending, and thankfully there were no other incidents. Overall, I think the trail of Mt. Nikko-Shirane was fairly easy, but the weather and the migraine made it a great challenge. So I guess the moral of the story is, even a simple course can become an epic struggle, so come prepared for anything. Also, good to have medicine just in case of an emergency.
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