at is a mountain located in Japan. Mount Chō is part of the

Hida Mountains The , or , is a Japanese mountain range which stretches through Nagano, Toyama and Gifu prefectures. A small portion of the mountains also reach into Niigata Prefecture. William Gowland coined the phrase "Japanese Alps" during his time in Japan, ...

(Northern Alps) in Chūbu-Sangaku National Park, and is located in the cities of

Azumino is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 97,761 in 39744 households. and a population density of 290 persons per km2. Its total area is . Etymology of Azumino Azumino is a combination of two wo ...

and

Matsumoto Matsumoto (松本 or 松元, "base of the pine tree") may refer to: Places * Matsumoto, Nagano (松本市), a city ** Matsumoto Airport, an airport southwest of Matsumoto, Nagano * Matsumoto, Kagoshima (松元町), a former town now part of the c ...

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

. It is located to the south of

Mount Jōnen is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, reaching the height of . It is situated in Japan's Hida Mountains in Nagano Prefecture and in Chūbu-Sangaku National Park. The shape of the mountain looks like the triangle. It can be seen from ...

on the ridgeline of the Jōnen Mountain Range. Mount Chō is a popular destination for hikers because it offers views of other famous Japanese mountains, including

Mount Yari is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains. The peak lies in the southern part of the Hida Mountains (Northern Alps) of Japan, on the border of Ōmachi and Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture and Takayama in Gifu Prefecture. The priest Banry� ...

and

Mount Hotakadake , also known as Mount Hotakadake, is one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains as coined by the media, reaching a height of . Mount Hotaka is situated in Japan's Hida Mountains and all its major peaks except Mount Maehotaka, lie on the border b ...

along the ''Panorama Ginza''. The summit of Mount Chō has a gentle slope, and near the summit, several small ponds are found, including Chougaike (蝶ヶ池) at and Youseinoike (妖精ノ池) at . Viewed from Mount Chōyari, the double-ridgeline of Mount Chō can be seen. Much snow accumulates here, affecting the distribution of alpine plants. Near the summit is a zone of creeping pines, and it is a habitat for

rock ptarmigan The rock ptarmigan (''Lagopus muta'') is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in the UK. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut, where it is known as the ''aqiggiq'' (ᐊᕿ� ...

Climbing

History

* In 1826 ( Bunsei 9), the

Jōdo-shū , also known as Jōdo Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-Tendai monk Hōnen. It was established in 1175 and is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan, along with Jōdo Shi ...

Buddhist monk, Banryū (播隆), is said to have made the first recorded ascent. Banryū is known as the "unknown first alpinist". * In 1932 ( Showa 7), the Japanese mountaineer and photographer, Kanmuri Matsujiro, photographed ''Yarigatake viewed from the summit of Chogatake'' for his

Kurobe Gorge is a canyon near Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The Kurobe Dam in Kurobe Gorge is one of highlights of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. The area was designated the Chūbu-Sangaku National Park on December 4, 1934. Geography Shimonoroka ...

photography series. * In 1958, the Chougatake Hut was opened by Nakamura Yoshichika. * In 1969, the Mitsumata Trail, built by Nakamura Yoshichika and others, was opened.

Climbing Routes

There are several climbing routes, including direct ascents from the east and west, as well as ridgeline routes from the north and south. In addition, there is lodge, ''Chougatake Hyutte'' (Chougatake Hut), just below the summit with a small tent site. The route from , is one of the most popular routes, and takes approximately 5 hours, and climbs 1300m over 6.5 km. The start of this route also branches to Mount Jōnen. Mitsumata Trailhead is accessed by taxi, approximately 30 minutes, from

Hotaka Station is a train station in the city of Azumino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Lines Hotaka Station is served by the Ōito Line and is 16.2 kilometers from the terminus of the line at Matsumoto Station. S ...

on the Ōito Line in Azumino. Another popular route starts in the remote mountainous highland valley of

Kamikōchi is a remote mountainous highland valley within the Hida Mountains range, in the western region of Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It has been preserved in its natural state within Chūbu-Sangaku National Park. It is designated as one of Japan's Na ...

. From the Kamikōchi Bus Terminal, it is an approximate 2-hour leisurely flat walk beside the Azusa River to the Tokusawa (徳沢) area, . From there, the trail rises steeply along the Nagakabe Ridge to , and then to the summit of Mount Chō. In all, this trail takes approximately 6–7 hours from the Kamikōchi Bus Terminal .　Additionally, it is possible to continue beside the Azusa River for another hour to Yokoo (横尾), , and climb from there for approximately 4 hours. Yokoo is also the junction for hiking routes to Mount Yari and

Karasawa Cirque is one of major glacial cirques in Japan, located in the Kamikochi region of Azumi, Matsumoto City, in Nagano prefecture. The entire cirque and surrounding mountains are all within Chūbu-Sangaku National Park, which was designated a national par ...

. A third route is an up-down 4-km ridgeline traverse to or from the summit of Mount Jōnen. This route takes 4–6 hours, depending on speed and skill, and passes over Mount Choyari, . A popular extended hike starts at the Mitsumata Trailhead, climbs Mount Chō, traverses to Mount Jōnen, and then descends Mount Maejōnen, , to finish at the Mitsumata Trailhead. This route takes over 15 hours.

Gallery

References

{{Reflist Mountains of Nagano Prefecture Hida Mountains

Climbing

History

Climbing Routes

Gallery

See also

References