Having a mountain of perfect beauty, which has become a landscape symbol of the country, such as Fuji, makes any other peak in Japan pale. However, the inhabitants of the island of Honshu hold the second highest peak, located to the west of the enigmatic Kiso mountain range, in great esteem and veneration. This is the Ontake volcano.
Ontake reaches 3,067 meters of altitude, well below Fuji, which beats it by almost 700 meters. But the way to ascend to the highest point is very similar: there are shelters for pilgrims and mountaineers called “stations” that appear as intermediate milestones where you can rest, refresh yourself with a cup of tea and – in case of need – even spend the night.
From the seventh station, the attack to the summit takes less than three hours. The climb is arduous, because like all volcanic territory, the soil is very loose and rugged, requiring good equipment. In addition, snow usually appears starting in October, so aid facilities are closed and authorities prefer that no one walk on roads where changes in weather are sudden and severe.
The ascents to the top of Ontake were closed for almost nine years, after the 2014 eruption in which 58 mountaineers died trapped by lava and volcanic bombs. In addition, five others disappeared forever, their bodies have never been found.
By having protective and healing properties, the volcano causes people of all ages and physical conditions to dare to climb. Many times without adequate physical preparation, suffering from altitude sickness and the cold that it gets above 2,500 meters of altitude. So the authorities have improved the roads and stations, so that pilgrims can take refuge from any setbacks. The existence of a cable car also encourages people with little mountaineering skills to dare to travel through these alpine environments.
On its most classic side, there are two sacred waterfalls that are mandatory to visit before facing the steep climb. Purification rites are carried out in them. Unfortunately – as also happens with Fuji – many times conquering the summit does not guarantee a good panoramic view, as the clouds usually get stuck on the summit and turn it into a thick layer of freezing fog. However, since the roads reopened in July 2023, hundreds of pilgrims and mountaineers have returned to frequent the slopes of Ontake to reach the edge of the crater and enjoy the turquoise water lakes found inside. .
In a predominantly Shinto country, the shamanic Buddhism that survives in this central area of ??the island of Honshu, “surrounded” by the country’s largest metropolises, is exotic for the Japanese themselves. .
As in all of Japan, public transportation is effective in meeting the challenge of climbing Ontake. Kiso-Fukushima is the reference railway stop. It is reached from Nagano. From there buses leave three times a day in the direction of Tanohara, which they leave at the foot of the mountain.
