笠ヶ岳山荘

A mountain lodge at about 2,810m, just below the summit of Kasagatake (2,898m), one of the notable peaks of the Hida range. Its smooth, upturned-bowl profile — the shape of a sedge hat, which gave it its name — is recognisable at a glance from the Tateyama range to the north and from Ontake to the south. Across the headwaters of the Gamada river it faces the Yari and Hotaka ranges head-on, and a wide Northern Alps panorama opens in front of the lodge. The trailhead is Shinhotaka (1,091m) on the Gifu side; you either take the steep Kasa-shindo straight up, or follow the Koike-shindo past Kagamidaira and along the ridge — either way it is a long day. Gifu Prefecture's route grading rates the Kasa-shindo round trip at fitness 6 / difficulty C, and the Koike-shindo variant at fitness 8 / difficulty B. The season runs from 10 July to 11 October for overnight stays, though dates shift with helicopter supply flights. Booking is compulsory and by telephone only, from 1 June. Sleeping is mainly in shared rooms, and a campsite that needs no reservation lies about ten minutes from the lodge. Water comes from collected rainwater, so even guests pay for it and are asked to use it sparingly.