Tsukuba-san Day Hike (01Oct2017)

Hiking

We selected Otatsuishi course for the first time although it was the 10th hiking to Tsukuba-san. As elementary school students walk this course as a school event, it should be an easy hike. Our family hike tends to chose easier route these days.

Gama

Tsutsujigaoka is a station of Tsukuba-san ropeway. We came here when we took a ropeway from the peak. At that time, we saw statues of frog called “Gama”. “Gama” at Tsukuba-san is known as “Gama no abura”. It was used as an ointment in Edo period. It still is sold as a noted product at Tsukuba-san although some components were changed from the original one. Street performance to sell “Gama no abura” is an intangible folk-cultural property and we can see its performance at Tsukuba-san shrine.

We decided to stray from the route to look at the statue up close. It was bigger than we expected (see the first photo of this page). Our daughter thought she could play there but it was not such a thing. There was a torii (red gate) and an offertory-box in front of the statue.

From Benkei-no-nanamodori, there are lots of massive rock of unusual shape. Some of the rocks on the route have a name. Below three photos are a few examples.

The course became steeper from Benkei-no-nonamodori but it took only 30 minutes or so to the Nyotai-san peak.

“It was an easy hike, daddy.”
Our daughter told me after the hike.

Route & Time

Hike date: Octover 1, 2017
Members: Family (farther and 10-year-old daughter)
Course time:
7:22 trailhead of Tsutsujigaoka course – 7:58 Benkei-no-nanamodori – 8:29 Nyotaisan peak 8:43 – 9:00 Benkei-no-nanamodori – 9:40 Tsutsujigaoka [2 hours and 18 minutes]

Access using public transportation

Links

Tsukuba Express
Kanto-tetsudo Bus
Tsukuba-san Cable Car & Ropeway

Valuable information
Discount coupon comes with Tsukuba Express train ticket and Tsukuba shuttle bus ticket (and cable car/ropeway tickets) is available at Tsukuba Express stations.

Area Information