500px Photo ID: 43496704 - Pilgrimage to Dewa Sanzan, the three sacred mountains, start from Mount Haguro symbolizing the birth, continous with Mount Gassan symbolizing the death. Then ends with Mount Yudono (rebirth).

Eric in Japan / 500px

Gas-san

Top choice in Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)


Accessible from July to September, Gas-san (1984m) is the highest of Dewa Sanzan's sacred mountains. From Hachigōme (八合目; eighth station) the route passes through an alpine plateau to Kyūgōme (九合目; ninth station) in 1¾ hours, then grinds uphill for another 1¼ hours to the top.

From here the pilgrimage route presses on towards the steep descent to Yudono-san. This takes another three hours or so, and you'll have to carefully descend rusty ladders chained to the cliffs and pick your way down through a slippery stream bed at the end of the trail.


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