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Mt. Azumaya trailhead

前半は笹と白樺　The trail starts through "sasa" (bamboo grass) and birch trees.

中間の高台から見る四阿山 View of Mt. Azumaya from a high point midway up the mountain

菅平高原を見下ろす　背景に北アルプス Looking down over Sugadaira Highlands with the Northern Japanese Alps in the distance

登山道は面白い地質を通る。時に赤っぽい石、時に青っぽい、他の場所に黒い土。火山の影響かな?　この石は赤と青のハイブリッド。 Interesting geology along the path. Some areas with reddish rocks and dirt, some with blue rocks, and others with dark black earth. We could sense the ancient volcanic activity. This rock was a hybrid of red and blue.

4月20日の時点で所々に雪が残っていて、アイゼンは必要だった。 As of April 20th, there was still snow in several places. We definitely made us of our crampons.

四阿山の頂上付近の木の階段 Wooden stairs near Mt. Azumaya's summit

四阿山の頂上にある宮。真田地区の山家神社の説明版によると、戦国時代に四阿山が修験道の聖地だったのでその神社が登山口だったそうです。 Shrine at the top of Mt. Azumaya. According to a sign at Yamaga Shrine down back at the Sanada District, Mt. Azuyama was a pilgrimage destination back in the Warring States era, with Yamaga Shrine as the trailhead.

Mt. Azumaya's summit (2,354 meters elevation)

四阿山の北側の下り。アイゼンに感謝！ Descending Mt. Azuyama's north side. Thank goodness for crampons!

道が雪で隠れて、足跡も少なく、ピンクリボン探しでした。 The path was covered in snow, and footprints were hard to find, so we had to rely on the pink trail markers.

二つの山の間の笹平（標高2,040m） これから根子岳の頂上へ The bamboo grass flat between the two peaks (elevation 2,040m). From here we started the ascent to the top of Mt. Nekodake.

笹平を見下ろして、背景は四阿山 Overlooking the bamboo grass flat, with Mt. Azumaya in the background

根子岳の頂上付近の岩場。ドキドキする道。 Boulders near the summit of Mt. Nekodake. The path is not for the faint of heart.

根子岳の頂上　Mt. Nekodake summit 2,207m

根子岳の頂上から牧場へ降りる道 Descent from Mt. Nekodake's summit back to the pasture trailhead

途中に牧場の上で展望台の東屋がある Gazebo at the viewpoint at the top of the pasture.

左は牧場、右は白樺の林 Pasture to the left, birch woods to the right.

下りてからのお勧めのソフトアイス; 菅清園 Best spot for post-climb soft-serve ice cream: Kanseien in Sugadaira's central village

今回の立ち寄り湯; 十福の湯 外の広い石風呂と周りの庭園（枝垂れ桜も山桜も満開だった!）で体の充電が出来た。 Our post-climb bath this time was Juppuku no Yu. With it's outdoor bath made of majestic rocks and glorious garden (the weeping cherry trees and wild cherry trees on the nearby hillside were in full bloom), we rejuvenated our sore bodies.