Mount Iwate

The mountain scenery seen from the train station and the rural village is lovely.

My Japanese sister brought me and my colleagues to see the remains of the Lava Flow from Mount Iwate. For the first time my colleagues and I see stretch of formation of solids lavas and you can see small pines trees growing from the solidy Lava... an amazing sight with the snow starting to melt at this time late April 2019...

Mount Iwate (岩手山, Iwatesan) is an active stratovolcano located in the Iwate Prefecture of Japan. It stands at 2,038 meters (6,686 feet) and is the highest peak in the prefecture. The mountain is a popular destination for outdoor activities, such as hiking and skiing, especially during the summer and winter months. It is also an important landmark, visible from many parts of Iwate Prefecture. Mount Iwate is part of the larger Iwate volcanic region and is known for its scenic beauty, with a well-defined, symmetrical shape. Its summit features a crater lake, which is an iconic spot for visitors. The area surrounding the mountain is rich in nature, and it's a key spot for those interested in exploring Japan's volcanic landscapes.

Iwate san is one of the most popular hiking areas in Tohoku. It is steep and quite challenging. Good hiking shoes and walking sticks are highly recommended as it gets very slippery because of the small rocks. There are 7 different trails. I used Yanagisawa trail which starts at Umagaeshi camp ground. There are three big parking lots where you can park hour car and get ready. There is cold tasty water fountain and bathrooms here. Yanagisawa is the most popular trail among the others. Approx. 5.5 km in total and 4hrs 25 min suggested ascending time. Descending is also very challenging and suggested time is 3hrs 15 min. I made it less then 6 hrs including the Ohachi meguri round walk at the top. Umagaeshi is 633 m high and the peak is 2038 m. So the altitude change is about 1400 m. The steepness start right away and continues all the way up. There are lots of places you can enjoy the view if the weather is nice. On the 8th station there is a big hut and natural water fountain. Very relaxing place and best place for taking break. It is around 2000 yen per night including sheets etc. The guy was very friendly. After a short break I decided to make the peak first and come back here for a longer break. From the point it is not very challenging except a short distance to climb the hill. Use the right to climb the hill and left to round the loop at the top. This will be easier. After the 2.5 station the route is split into two. The right one is the new road which is a bit longer but goes through the forest. It is more shady. The old road is open, there is not much trees and very rocky. You can enjoy the view but I found this one more challenging since it was slippery. I went up from the new road and down from the old one. There were beautiful flowers on the way. I posted here. It was totally fun and great hiking. Hope this comment is helpful.

The crown jewel in the long string of magnificent mountain experiences available in Iwate! On a nice day the views are simply epic!

Good chop

Very pretty

Picturesque views all around the mountains and volcanoes, well worth a visit if it's a sunny day.