"I Swear This Is the Last Climb" - The Tsuru Alps Edition

What?
The Tsuru Alps (都留アルプス) are a small chain of hills and ridgelines located around the city of Tsuru (都留). As with many of the minor Alps, despite the grand name, their highest point is a modest 713 meter. The trail runs from Tsurushi Station (都留市駅) to Higashi-Katsura Station (東桂駅) - or the other way around - and what it lacks in altitude it makes up with variety: many ups, downs, views over the surrounding valley, glimpes of Mount Fuji (富士山), forest trails and fields of Oriental Paper bushes.
Where?
Both Tsurushi Station as Higashi-Katsura Station are located along the Fujikyuko train line (富士急行線) in Yamanashi Prefecture (山梨県). Trains run regularly and take a little less than 2 hours to reach Kofu Station (甲府駅) in the capital of the prefecture.
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Ridgeline Images

Weather conditions were even better than yesterday. My hiking companion, however, was in less optimal shape; he started the day with sore muscles and a blister on his heel. I can imagine that he suffered along the way, but just like yesterday, he persevered. And once again, I thoroughly enjoyed our hike in the Tsuru Alps.

While I had feared overcrowding in the Shosenkyo Gorge, I didn’t expect to meet many people here. Yet whether it was the perfect weather, the blooming Oriental Paper plants, or a combination of both, we were almost never alone until well past the halfway point. Still, the day was too beautiful not to share.

The Tsuru Alps felt much like the smaller ranges in the Kansai area. Many ups and downs, with regular short but steep sections. In that sense, the hike may well have been more tiring than yesterday’s, and I owe my friend an apology as he might have preferred a gentler, more constant incline.

Starting from Tsuru Station, we were immediately treated to a view of Mount Fuji, showing its snow-capped peak. Fuji revealed itself a few more times along the way, alongside views over Tsuru City and the surrounding valley. The path quickly turned into a rollercoaster-like ridge hike, continuing until just past halfway, when it gave way to a quieter forest trail. By then, the blooming Oriental Paper plants had become a highlight for many hikers, and perhaps their destination, as from that point on, we hardly saw anyone.
We didn’t follow those who left the trail, instead continuing the forest walk toward Higashi-Katsura Station. We took our time, enjoying the forest bathing. It was still winter, but touches of green were beginning to appear, and a warm sun filtered gently through the trees. Here and there our attention shifted to a view of the nearby valley, a strange abandoned treehouse, a huge pylon carrying high voltage lines, or some excrements of unknown origin.

A snowy cap.

No nature, but always a nice shot.

The overcapped aquaduct.

Just strolling.

And all along, the path kept rolling. I must have told my friend at least four times, “I think this is the last incline,” and each time I truly believed it. It was only when I finally stopped saying it that the end of the hike came into view.
As a final treat, we passed a small waterfall near an overcapped aqueduct that ran alongside the trail. Soon after, we reached the station, returned to the hotel, enjoyed a refreshing soak in the outdoor bath, and headed out into the night.