Little Hira Wetplant Hike

What?
Little Hira (リトル比良) is an area part of the Hira Mountain range. With a range of 500 to 700m, it doesn’t have any high peaks, but if you’re looking for a getaway in nature - be it camping, climbing, hiking or just looking at some waterfalls - Little Hira might just be the thing. The Yobai Falls (楊梅の滝) are its most famous asset.
Where?
I started today’s loop hike from Ohmi-Takashima Station (近江高島駅) on the JR Kosei Line (湖西線). The end point would be next door Kita-Komatsu Station (北小松駅). Both stations are located in Shiga prefecture (滋賀県).
URL
Travel Japan (JP)

Today’s hike was not intended as a hunt for a peak such as last time at Mount Ishizuchi. This time I just wanted a versatile hike, and for that I headed back to the Hira mountain range, where I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Arriving well prepared is something I learned in these very mountains. But being well prepared is not the same as reading the signs correctly.
I duly checked the weather and was happy that clouds and rain would be leaving the area the day before my hike. In a sense I read this as: “nice, but beware, the track might be muddy and slippery.” I should have read this as: “all vegetation will be dripping wet and you will get soaked 15 minutes in.”

From the start of the hike until the highest point (Torikoshimine 鳥越峰, 702m), ferns were there to accompany me. It’s a nice reference to Jurassic park, certainly, but I didn’t expect them to be covering the path for most of the time. At any given point there were ankle high, sometimes waist high and on one occasion neck high.
It’s really not that bad and the track wasn’t too technical or difficult, but hiking for the remaining 4 and a half hours with soaked trousers, socks and boots? Well, it certainly gives the hike an extra dimension.

But no need to complain; I got what I was looking for. In the first hour I crossed Jurassic Park, saw many religious icons like I was back in Shikoku, I had some great views over Lake Biwa and walked on a sandstone slope.
After that, a long ridge hike was on the menu, with many ups and downs, big rocks that needed to be rounded or bouldered, and again the occasional view on the surroundings. It was a great first part of this hike, and it surprised me a little bit I hadn’t met anyone else yet. I didn’t mind; I sat myself down at Iwa-ajariyama (岩阿沙利山) to enjoy an early lunch on a protruding rock with a spectacular view.

After 20 minutes of sunbathing, I continued the hike which now led me away from the ridge and into the pristine forest. No more ferns, instead other drenched vegetation. But again no complaints. The way from Iwa-ajariyama to Kanputoge (寒風峠) is what people mean by forest bathing. Pure bliss, a great break from the hurried society, an occasional encounter with a scared monkey or deer.

Ferns, ferns, ferns.

And some sandstone.

Completely drenched in less than 30 minutes.

Interesting debris lying around.

During this stretch of the hike the path sometimes was difficult to discern, but eventually it never was far away. It was here where I met the first small group fellow hikers, and they remain the only ones until I approached the end.

The end was to be Kita-Komatsu Station with a treat in between in the shape of s waterfall. The stretch between Kanputoge and the falls was picturesque, following a small river which energetically transported excess water from yesterday’s rain. At some points it was difficult walking though, as many trees had fallen and blocked the path. As such I was extremely surprised that I suddenly encountered wild campers and hikers who did not follow the tracks. I was in the vicinity of the Yobai falls, but surely, this couldn’t be the reason, could it?
Turned out it could. At the falls there was a couple picnicking, another couple who brought their small kids, a guy dressed most casually - he might as well have worn flip flops - and a team of climbers vertically ascending the waterfall with ropes. I didn’t know this waterfall was so popular, but I understand why. It’s very close to an accessible camping ground with well-maintained playground, making it accessible while still “out there”. Additionally, and most importantly - it’s a very pretty waterfall.

Further on, I finally left the forest, but before passing the packed camping grounds and heading to the station, I ascended the river in the other side to make a short walk to a smaller waterfall. The Medaki Falls (雌滝) was nice, but shouldn’t be compared to its higher sibling up above.

Anyway, I had a great time with this loop-hike, and it goes to show: hunting peaks is nice and all, but it’s important to sometimes just enjoy the hike.