鉢盛山荘

An unstaffed emergency shelter at about 2,410m, roughly 100m short of the summit of Hachimoriyama (2,447m), which rises to the south-west of the Matsumoto basin. The summit is the meeting point of Asahi village, Matsumoto city and Kiso village, and on a clear day the view takes in Ontake, Norikura and the Hotaka range. Approaching from Asahi village means passing a locked gate on the Nomatazawa forest road, which crosses private forest: climbers apply to the Asahi Village Tourism Association, as a rule at least a week ahead, for a permit and the key. From the new trailhead beyond the gate it is about 4km and around three hours to the top, or about four hours counting from the gate itself; near 2,400m the route passes a high-altitude wetland, rare in Japan, with unusual plants growing in it. Descending on any side other than the Asahi route is easy to get wrong, and there is no toilet anywhere on the forest road or the trail. The hut exists for emergencies, and the village asks that it not be used otherwise.