Granite! Granite! Granite!
When the season arrives, I spend the weekdays pondering the crispy, dry granite, and on weekends hit the road before dawn breaks. I exit the highway from Tokyo without a single rest stop, hurry to a convenience store for some groceries, and make a beeline for the Mizugaki Mountain Nature Park. When the weather changes whimsically and the rocks are dampened by rain, the wistful feeling is akin to being in love.
Mt. Mizugaki, a veritable magnet for climbers. Just 2.5 hours from Tokyo, this place has become my “spiritual home ground”.
Mt. Mizugaki offers a plethora of climbing problems, with new ones being added all the time, not limited to the one thick topo book I have on bouldering (which is also in English). There are routes that can be enjoyed by beginners as well as V16 grade climbs that are sought after by the best in Japan and abroad. If you count climbing with ropes, there is an endless amount of climbing lines.
The number of problems is not the only thing that keeps me coming back. There is beautiful scenery all around, while the forests are filled with broadleaf trees that are bright and refreshing. The campsite is fantastic, and the starry sky at night is so breathtaking that one forgets all about the fingernail skin sacrificed that day. Another reason is the cuisine at the Mizugaki restaurant, which I visit almost every time I go.
The Ohnakas who run Mizugaki Restaurant are a couple of inveterate climbers who moved to the village just below, fascinated by the magical power of the peak. With the concept of “cooking from scratch,” they grow their own crops, have a hunting license, and serve set menus featuring game dishes and seasonal vegetables at their restaurant.
Husband Katsutoshi, who is in charge of cooking, describes the menu: “Since we deal with wild game, we immediately decided on hamburgers which are easy to eat and loved by all. We also started making pizza because we can produce our own wheat. We’ve tried yeast, but it’s tricky to get it to stabilize; but we’re not giving up.”
I always order the venison hamburger served with a special sauce on a hot griddle right in front of me. During the fall season, the sauce is sometimes changed to a mushroom sauce that the couple gathers from the mountains. The reason why the small side dishes are different each time you visit is thanks to the duo’s emphasis on using seasonal produce.
“We want to make it more accessible and enjoyable for those who come from far away, so we lend out crash pads free of charge!” says Erika-san, with her sunny smile. Of course, you can’t rent them when the two are out climbing. After all, they are climbers who live and breathe Mt.Mizugaki.
Mt. Mizugaki is an elegant mountain; however, it is not always so forgiving. Perched on unique granular footing unique to granite faces, you have to hoist yourself up using only the friction of the rock face; your hand can easily come off a hold that is only a few millimeters long and punch the rock, drawing blood. What is more, the area of Mizugaki requires a rather long walk to get anywhere. I walk around sweating with my luggage including my crash pad, out of sheer passion for the rocks.
Mt. Mizugaki is crowded due to being one of Japan’s 100 most famous hyakumeizan mountains. There is also a municipal campground, which attracts many climbers, campers and day-trippers. During the fall foliage season it is difficult to find a parking space and people tend to leave home at the crack of dawn because the sun sets so early. On the way back, traffic is always congested at the same spot on the Chuo Highway, which makes the return trip late. No clear reason is required, I just want to come here. Once again, all I can say is that this is a love affair.
This mountain belies a mysterious charm. But when all is said and done, it may be that I like the folks who are attracted to Mt.Mizugaki. I love to sit at the rocks and converse with the slightly shy and nerdy climbers who are attracted to this place, just as I love to get together with the climbing couple who got married here a few years ago and their friends to climb, laugh, and drink a toast. There is more to write in my love letter to Mizugaki, but I am running out of column inches so will leave it here.
