Our Trek at Miyada Mountain, Komagatake Ropeway Cable Car Nagano Prefecture

10/05/2021

Our family got into a little adventure last Sunday by trekking the Miyada mountain via Komagatake Ropeway cable car for the whole day. ItIs our second attempt to climb the Miyada mountain. Not operating when the first time we came here due to heavy rain.

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Last Sunday the weather was good, so the cable car station opened its door again. In my observation, the month of June and mid of July is most likely the rainy season here in Japan. There are previously recorded a lot of landslides lately near the mountains due to heavy rains.

Bus to ropeway station
The shuttle bus going to the ropeway station.

It was 10 Am when we arrived at the car park from where the shuttle bus will pick up the passengers. We parked our car and bought a ticket for the shuttle bus and ropeway. Although it’s raining, the temperature in the city is hot as the end of July is the month where summer starts to kick in. But since the Miyada mountain is around 2600 above sea level, we anticipated a cold temperature.

About to ride the cable car.
At the ropeway station.

Every 30 minutes, the cable car is picking and delivering passengers to Senjojiki hotel or vice versa. They do have a hotel on the top of the mountain for those who want to stay overnight, and it’s called Hotel Senjojiki. It has two restaurants, a clean toilet, and everything that a tourist may need. The Senjojiki hotel is where passengers of the cable car are getting off. At the same time, this is the start of the hike. While we are inside the cable car, the view is so beautiful and relaxing. The ride lasts for around 15-20 minutes. There is a staff inside the cable car assigned to open the door once it stops. Our children were just so chill throughout the cable ride.

The view from the cable car
While riding the cable car and its view.

Upon getting off the cable car, we directly went outside and checked the view of the mountain. There is a trail going to the summit of Miyada mountain that we start to trek right after we arrived. The weather was just fine from the moment we start to walk. The trail is a little bit difficult because of the sharp rock whenever we step on the ground. At first, our child stumbles because of the slippery rock he is stepping into, but he managed to handle the hindrances that came his way.

Going up the summit.
The start of our trek.

There were a lot of hikers last Sunday, and everyone has been cautious. Like the old saying goes, slowly but surely. So everyone does that. Going up the summit takes around 1 hour with children, but maybe less than an hour for an adult only. The trail is somehow dangerous because of the rocky stairs that consistently present up to the summit—a total of 2 hours for descending.

The cloudy summit.
The cloudy view at the summit.

Thick clouds welcome us at the summit, and we can’t see anything from the downtown. The air is cold, around 13 degrees celsius, so we hurry inside the mountain lodge, a restaurant. It was about 1 PM when we arrived at the summit restaurant. A 200 yen payment is required if you want to use a comfort room at the summit.

The restaurant at the summit.
The summit restaurant.
Inside the restaurant.
Our food for lunch.
We ordered Japanese curry and hot ramen plus rice balls, which I couldn’t include in a photo anymore. Food is delicious even though we only saw one person at the restaurant doing all the tasks.
Going down the summit.
The clouds were too thick at the summit, so we went down as much as possible but with caution.

There was a moment when the thunder kept on striking loud while we were heading down, which made me feel scared for our lives. The thunder lasted for a few minutes while the light rain is pouring, then we managed to wear our raincoats. After a few minutes, the sky clears up again, but we were still cautious on the way down as it was steep and slippery.

At the hotel ropeway station.
Reach down the ropeway departure station safe and sound and I’m so proud of my babies.
Coffee break at cable car station
A hot coffee I drunk while we took a rest.
The view of the cable car.
The view from the restaurant hotel where the other end of the cable car is connected.
The shuttle bus to the car park.
The bus station for the shuttle bus will drop us at the car park.

No private cars can enter the road leading to ropeway station as the road is just so narrow. One bus is allowed to fit on some of the roads. By the time we went there, we had sawed minor landslides along the road. Thinking of everything we went through, this journey is unforgettable. We enjoyed trekking the Miyaga Mountain, another beautiful getaway we might visit all over again.

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Mt. Daibosatsu |Kids Hike| Family Summer Hike|Easy Trek for Kids – YouTube