Mount Echigo-Komagatake or Uonuma-Komagatake (越後駒ヶ岳 or 魚沼駒ヶ岳) is a mountain located on the border of Uonuma and Minamiuonuma, Niigata Prefecture,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, with an elevation of It is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan. Mount Echigo-Komagatake, along with Nakanodake and Mount Hakkai, is also one of the three great mountains of Echigo, the old name for this area of Niigata Prefecture.

Geography

Mount Echigo-Komagatake lies in central part of

Echigo Mountains The Echigo Mountains () are a mountain range that straddle Niigata, Fukushima, and Gunma prefectures in Japan. See also * Asahi Mountains ( 朝日山地) * Iide Mountains ( 飯豊山地) * Mikuni Mountains Mikuni may refer to: * Mikuni, Fu ...

, a mountain range over Niigata,

Fukushima may refer to: Japan * Fukushima Prefecture, Japanese prefecture ** Fukushima, Fukushima, capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan ***Fukushima University, national university in Japan *** Fukushima Station (Fukushima) in Fukushima, Fukushim ...

, and

Gunma Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 km2 (2,456 sq mi). Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima ...

. Between late autumn and early spring, large amounts of snow fall in this region because of the

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...

from

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

, with an average of 3 to 4 meters. Avalanches eroded the surface of the mountain and formed steep precipices, especially on the west and north face. Hikers can see snow on the mountain even in late summer. Thanks to the heavy snowfall, this mountain is the source of several rivers such as the Kitanomata River, the Mizunashi River, and the Sanashi River, which all flow into the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

. Such abundant water is used mainly for

paddy fields A paddy field is a flooded field of arable land used for growing semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in southern China, associated with pre-Aust ...

, and

hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other Renewabl ...

. In contrast to the winter season, summers are hot and humid and there are thunderstorms in the afternoon almost every day during the summer. Hikers must pay attention to

hyperthermia Hyperthermia, also known simply as overheating, is a condition in which an individual's body temperature is elevated beyond normal due to failed thermoregulation. The person's body produces or absorbs more heat than it dissipates. When extreme ...

and thunderbolts.

Climbing routes

There are several climbing routes to the mountain's peak. The easiest and most popular route is from Shiori Mountain Pass. (Japanese: 枝折峠) Other routes are the Kushigahana route, the Komanoyu route, and the Echigo Sanzan mountain ridge route. All routes are long and demanding, but special technique isn't needed. It's possible to get back to the starting points except for the last one if climbers start in the early morning. The best climbing season is between June and early October.

Transportation

Some bus routes are available from train stations ( Muikamachi, Urasa or

Koide Koide village is located in Senapati district, Manipur, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most pop ...

) to the starting points. However, they are much less convenient than by car and taxi. At the starting points, several dozens of parking lots are available for free, but during the best season, the parking lots are quickly inundated with a lot of cars.

Facilities

There is only one mountain lodge called Komanokoya (Japanese:駒の小屋) at about 100 meters below the summit. The caretakers stay between late April and the end of October. It costs 2000 Japanese yen to stay there without food, with no reservation. In the snow season, climbers also use the lodge for shelter.

References

External links

{{100 Famous Japanese Mountains Echigo-Komagatake, Mount