[Half-day / Full-day hike] Kitayama West
Details
Hi fellow hikers!
This section of the Kyoto Loop Trail takes us northwest of the city, across the Kitayama mountains and down along the beautiful Kiyotaki River.
Two possible meeting points:
1. From Kyoto, in front of the exit 2 of Kitaoji station at 9:00am. From there we'll take the bus T37 departing at 9:11 (don't be late!). You'll find the
2. Directly at the Sanko Bridge at 10am.
【Half-day hike】
Finish point: Toganoo bus station. From there a bus departs every hour back to Kyoto (about 30 min ride to Uzumasa Tenjingawa).
Finish time: about 2pm.
Length/elevation: 12km, up and down 400m.
【Full-day hike】
Finish point: Arashiyama station.
Finish time: about 5-6pm.
Length/elevation: 22km, up and down 600m.
What to expect
We start from Sanko Bridge and climb into the deep forests of Kitayama. We reach the secluded village of Nishigamo Himuro, where Himuro Jinja is linked to the ancient practice of collecting and storing ice for the imperial court.
Continuing along the ridge, we get occasional views over northern Kyoto before passing Sawa-no-ike, an irrigation reservoir dating back to the late Edo period.
We then descend to the Kiyotaki River, where those doing the half-day hike can take a bus back to Kyoto. With a bit of luck we might still catch the blooming azalea on the slope of Saimyo-ji. Finally, those in for the long run will follow the river downstream, before crossing Rokucho Pass and descending into Arashiyama.
Points of difficulty
The initial climb is fairly steep, so please only join if you are comfortable with sustained uphill hiking.
Logistics
As usual, well-worn shoes, water, snacks and appropriate clothes for the day. There will be bathrooms available midway. Vending machines will be available once we reach Kiyotaki river, but overall the first half of the hike will be away from any refill point.
Usual disclaimer
By joining this hike, you acknowledge that the organizer assumes no liability for physical injury, financial ruin, enlightenment, karmic rebalancing, or any other unforeseen catastrophe.
[EDIT] Komoot bug: the bug has been fixed, correct map below.