(鷲尾山) Mt. Washio Hike

The one in Kochi, which I initially titled "(烏帽子山) Mt. Eboshi " after the highest peak, but changed to Mt. Washio because that's the main peak for the mountain range.

Budget: JPY830 (~USD7) from Kochi Station

• JPY530. Kochi Station to Minami Newtown Sanchome
• JPY300. Haramibashi to Kochi Station. 

Hike Date / Difficulty (Elevation: 359m / 1,178ft)

• February 20, 2022
• Difficulty: 2 out of 5
• Route below is around 7.8kilometers, with an elevation change of ▲700m/ ▽739m (3h52m), excluding the 2+ kms from bus stops to trailheads
• Map Link . I'm too lazy to update the map below, if you end up using this post and want an update, leave a comment. 

When to Go
Throughout the year I suppose.

Special Notes

• Weather forecast:  Japanese. 
• Trailheads. 
• Mt. Kashio trailhead (柏尾山登山口). Google maps pin. This is a trail, but definitely NOT recommended. There are minimal signs, and soooo many trails despite the map only showing one. 
• Bus, Kochi Station to Minami Newtown Sanchome (南ニュータウン三丁目). Bus schedule. Take bus W2. 
• Mt. Utsuno trailhead (宇津野山登山口). Google maps pin.
• Mountain huts. 
• Paid. None.
• Free.  None.
• Camping. None. 

Itinerary

• 09:10am. Bus, Kochi to Minami Newtown Sanchome. 
• 09:33am. ETA: Minami Newtown Sanchome. Start walking to trailhead.
• 10:00am. Start hike. 
• 02:00pm. ETA: Mt. Utsuno trailhead, end of hike. Walk to the closest bus stop. 

Actual Log

• 09:10am. Bus, Kochi to Minami Newtown Sanchome. 
• 09:33am. ETA: Minami Newtown Sanchome. Start walking to trailhead.
• 10:00am. Start hike. 
• 02:00pm. ETA: Mt. Utsuno trailhead, end of hike. Walk to the closest bus stop. 

This is my bus!

Looking back at the bus stop. 

Walking to the trailhead.

Still walking. 

Passing through a nice tunnel. 

Taking a right turn right after the tunnel. 

Passing a shrine. Kept left. 

NO SIGNS to the trailhead. But it's to the right here. I was sooo confused. 

It looks like a trail...?

Found a trail sign! IT IS the trail!

Uhm.... is it a trail?

It is a trail! (the theme of this hike)

Not really that clear but still somewhat a trail. 

One of the sketchy ones. Yes, that's a trail. 

I took a right here. Cue me getting lost. I think I shouldn't take a right here, because I got lost and had to go off trail finding my trail back. 

This is a trail. Or not. Again, I was lost. 

Found my way back! But from here, I can barely find the trail. From this point, maybe at 1 o'clock behind it?

I made it to the ridge. After here, the trails are much clearer. 

First summit! See the marker? 

What about now?

Arriving at my first TV tower. 

The trail requires backtracking. I came from the road to the right of this pic, and I had to go to the left. 

At the fork. Continued on. 

Took the left here. 

Arrived at the second tower. I initially took right, got lost, and had to backtrack. The trail is to the left. 

Arrived at the shrine. 

Some toilets near the shrine. 

Almost at the summit!

View from the summit marker. 

Mt. Eboshi's summit marker. 

Birds being fed right in front of Mt. Eboshi's marker. 

A nice break spot in between the trail. 

Kept left here. 

Going up Mt. Washio!

Mt. Washio summit. 

It is a big flat spot in the summit. 

Following the trail to 宇津野. After this, there will be a fork. Left will have red ribbons, right will be going up. Correct trail is to the right. I took the left one and had to go offtrail again to find the correct trail. 

Arrived at  宇津野山

There was supposed to be a fork right after 宇津野, but I couldn't find it. This is the closest I can find, but the right one does NOT look like a trail, so I kept left. 

Close up of the trail to the right. 

A couple of minutes in, I arrived at the fork. I can't see it in the map, and and at this point, I've been lost so many times. I took the trail to the left showing 深谷バス停

Got lost again here because the path was blocked. I had to backtrack, and walk past this construction. IGNORE the ropes fencing off the area. This is Feb 2022. 

Almost done!

Whew back to civilization! From here on I used google maps, and simply walked an hour back to Kochi station area. 

My chosen lunch spot!

I had some fried egg, some chashu (sliced pork), and not pictured, but I had karaage. Most people get ramen + rice, but that's too much for me. Even this was too much. 

A small portion of the Sunday's market. I just took a pic and went back to my hotel. Done for the day!