Komachiyama

The hike will be on Komachiyama (小町山), a relatively close mountain, with a height of 361 m. The starting point is by Komachi no Yakata ( http://tsuchiura-n.or.jp/service1.html ). It is a relatively short hike, about 1.5 to 2 hours total hiking time plus breaks, but the top of the mountain offers a great view of Mt Tsukuba and also has a nice shady picnic area where we can eat lunch [1]. If we are lucky we might even spot some paragliders taking off from near the summit.

As it is quite a short hike, it is quite close, and parking can sometimes be difficult, we would like to go there by bike. The bike ride from Tsukuba Center to Komachi no Yakata is about 12 km. If there are people who wish to travel there by car, that is also fine, and if there is sufficient interest and sufficient drivers we will have a second group travelling to the hike by car.

Meeting time and place:

• For those travelling by bike the meeting time will be 09:00, at the Tsukuba Center parking, next to the bus terminal.
• This is the normal meeting point for TWMC hikes: https://maps.app.goo.gl/G1rCh1rS36yvCE9s6
• If we have a group travelling by car, the meeting time will be 09:45 at the same Tsukuba Center parking.
• You are also free to travel directly to Komachi no Yakata, and meet us there, if you wish.

Everyone should aim to meet at Komachi no Yakata at 10:20 ready to start hiking at about 10:40. There is some contingency to allow for delays; If you arrive early or have some time to spare there are some restaurants/cafes and a souvenir shop at Komachi no Yakata. We will have lunch at the summit by about noon, before returning.

Difficulty: 1 (similar to Hokyo-san)

If you are interested in taking part, please send the organizer the following information:
1) Name:
2) Phone number:
3) Number (and optionally names) of people accompanying you, if any.
3) If you plan to join the cycle ride from Tsukuba Center, or would prefer to take a different transportation option:
4) If you plan to drive and if you would be able to give a lift to others from Tsukuba Center to Komachi no Yakata?

What to bring:

• Hiking boots or good walking shoes.
• Layered and/or waterproof clothes in case of changes in the weather.
• Sunblock and insect repellent will probably be very useful.
• Lunch and drinks.
• Snacks.

Cost: TWMC charges a 300 yen fee for adult participants. Car drivers do not have to pay this fee. Fuel costs should be shared between passengers. Insurance is left to the individual.

The rainy season was over, it's end declared the day before [1]. Despite seemingly not really arriving it had ended with some tropical downpours arising from the passage of Storm Nari during the week leading up to the hike.

On the day of the hike, two groups of TWMC cyclists set out for Komachi-yama - one group from Tsukuba Center, the other from Northern Tsukuba. There were clouds in the sky, though it would be unreasonable to refer to the weather as anything other than sunny.

Both groups made good progress to the meeting place, Komachi no Yakata - the activity and community centre near the base of Komachi-yama, and unexpectedly met up on route. It was not all good fortune however, as one of the participants found a puncture to one of their tyres just short of the destination; they were able to reach the bike parking at Komachi no Yakata despite the puncture, and took the bold decision to take part in the hike, and deal with the puncture on their return.

After a short refreshment break, the group set off from the activity centre and soon joined the hiking trail. Is was turning into a rather hot summer's day (a not uncommon experience these days), but as soon as we ventured beneath the shade of the trees on the trail it immediately felt several degrees cooler. The trail was in good condition with very few muddy spots, in spite of the heavy rain that had fallen but two days earlier. We made good time following the route with ascendingly numbered trail markers on the map.

After reaching the summit we enjoyed the views, including over lake Kasumigaura, and the Tokyo Skyline, including the Sky Tree, thanks to seeing conditions that were rather good for the time of year. We admired the view of Tsukuba-san, which was fantastically framed by the tress at the top - trees that also provided shade for the picnic area where we enjoyed a pleasant picnic lunch. We were also entertained by a very small but surprisingly fast caterpillar that seemed to be getting in a workout going from one end of the picnic table to the other and back.

After lunch we walked to the nearby paraglider launch area. There were no paragliders launching from there at that time, but there were other people around, including one who with a large conch shell, which they used to play an unexpected (to us at least) musical arrangement. After the music, we took a different route for the journey back; proceeding at a leisurely pace, with breaks to admire the flora and interesting rock formations.

Arriving back at Komachi no Yakata, it was time to deal with the puncture, and we were very pleased to discover that Komachi no Yakata is a designated cycle support station of Ibaraki prefecture [2]. Our unfortunate cyclist received excellent support there, but it was determined that the tyre was in poor condition and a quick fix would not suffice. They were able to arrange for a lift (with the bike) back to the centre of Tsukuba. The rest of us embarked on our journey home, initially as one group, before splitting to head to our individual destinations.

[1] End of rainy season 2025 for Kanto-Koshin region from Japan Meteorological Agency: https://www.data.jma.go.jp/cpd/baiu/sokuhou_baiu.html
[2] Cycling support stations for Ibaraki: https://cycling.pref.ibaraki.jp/support/station/