A trip to Mt. Ibuki, decided the day before
The other day, I went to Mt. Ibuki (1,377 m) in Shiga Prefecture with friends I've been climbing mountains with for years.
In fact, this hike was decided the day before. Our usual leader hadn't been sharing plans much lately, and it was only after I'd nudged him again and again that he said, "All right, let's go" — the day before departure. On top of that, there's only one bus to the Mt. Ibuki trailhead, leaving at 11 a.m. And only one bus back, at 3 p.m.
The advance reservation slots were already full by the day before. I greeted the morning still anxious: "Will I even be able to get on the bus?"
An unexpected mishap starting from Umeda
First, I stumbled badly with the train.
I meant to take the JR line from Umeda Station toward Maibara, but instead of the Special Rapid I boarded a regular Rapid. I didn't notice it became a local, stopping at every station, from Takatsuki on — and only realized inside the train that this was going to mean a serious delay.
So I thought it over and decided to switch to the Shinkansen when I reached Kyoto Station. I was really flustered.
But then the Shinkansen booking app I always use wouldn't open because of a password issue, no matter what I tried. With no other choice, I asked a station attendant to cancel my Suica entry and issue a new ticket. Buying the ticket with someone guiding me was more complicated than I expected, and honestly, the steps of setting my smartphone aside to operate the machine felt hard for me.
I should have taken the Special Rapid; it was precisely because I missed it that the Shinkansen idea came up. Looking at the times shown on my transfer app while on the train, I judged, "This will work," and pieced together my next move while on the go.
It may be obvious to seasoned riders, but for me it was a fresh adventure. I was a little impressed, too, that we live in an age where something like this is possible.
The Shinkansen is fast. From Kyoto to Maibara it's only about 15 minutes nonstop. This transfer ended up saving the day. Maibara is the land where Ishida Mitsunari's castle once stood — a station where you can feel the history.
Thanks to that, I arrived before the friends I was meeting and managed to secure a same-day bus ticket. Once we boarded, the bus was nearly full. The fold-down seats weren't in use, but it was pretty tightly packed — probably because there's only one bus. Even though it was a Wednesday, a weekday, it was bustling with older hikers.
Herbal ice cream and a trail full of flowers
As soon as we reached the trailhead, I had some herbal "yakuzen" ice cream at the guesthouse. It was ice cream made with various medicinal herbs, and since it came in a small cup I finished it in no time. Then we started climbing.
Mt. Ibuki is a hiking course that's far easier than the mountains we usually climb.
You can head there without any big commitment. But the wildflowers along the way were so beautiful that I kept taking photos and barely made any progress.
Above 1,300 m, flowers and plants that only grow at that altitude show themselves, and my curiosity never ran out.
A tour guide nearby was giving explanations, so I listened in for free from the side and even took the liberty of asking questions now and then.
Cup noodles at the summit and a magnificent view
The view looking down from the summit was magnificent, as expected. That said, it was hazy that day, and it was a little hard to see all the way to Lake Biwa — which I regret.
There's a hut at the summit, and the toilets are well kept, which is reassuring. The wind can pick up, but I think it's a mountain you can fully enjoy in a hiking mood.
At lunchtime, since I hadn't brought anything, I looked for food at the hut, and all that was left was cup noodles. Everything else was sold out. I picked up a Super Cup for ¥400. Maybe because of the altitude, the internal pressure had risen and the cup was slightly puffed up. A classic high-mountain thing. I got hot water poured in, and slurping it at the summit — it was surprisingly delicious. It's truly a mountain you can enjoy with ease.
As for costs, though, the bus fare is ¥2,000 one way and ¥4,000 round trip. Add the train fare from Osaka, and it comes to roughly ¥10,000 in total.
Searching for a smartphone — the people we met on the mountain
Instead of retracing the same path, we chose a route that loops back around to the bus stop. Along the way there's a triangulation point marking the summit, and we took a photo there too. Then we headed down. We spent about two hours on the mountain in total.
On the way down, we met an elderly man climbing up with a desperate look on his face. He said he'd come from Hiroshima and told us, "I can't find my smartphone," looking terribly anxious. Our bus was leaving in 30 minutes, and it pained me that we didn't have time to help him look.
The man walked desperately all the way back to around the triangulation point, retraced his memory, and managed to find his smartphone. Drenched in sweat, he made it back down safely. At the parking lot entrance, three women who seemed to be his companions were waiting, and when I asked, "Are you with him?", they said yes. I'm truly glad nothing bad happened.
I gave the people I met along the way a "Beware of Bears" keychain I make myself, free of charge. They were really delighted, and it reminded me once again that I want to keep treasuring these once-in-a-lifetime encounters.
The way home, and a beer
After a while we rode the bus, all on the same one, and headed home safely. Maybe because of the 1,300 m altitude, my head was throbbing a little. Feeling slightly carsick from the swaying bus, I took the Special Rapid from Maibara Station to Osaka Station. There I parted with my friends and took the subway home.
Once home, I took a bath and had a beer. After dinner, I even got a little work done. I surprised myself that I still had the energy — but even at the end of the day, I wanted to move forward, if only a little. That's how I felt.
A Mt. Ibuki trip decided the day before, full of commotion. Still, looking back, the train mishap, the cup noodles at the summit, the people we met — all of it is a good memory.
