Norikura

Norikura

Some years ago my wife and I took a bus tour up to Norikura. We went up to Norikura Tatamidaira where we stopped and looked around. Since that trip I had wanted to return there and climb it by bicycle. One thing that prevented me from doing so was wondering how I was going to climb up to Norikura Highlands from Matsumoto. The only way that I could see was by taking Hwy 158 from Matsumoto City which passes through long narrow tunnels. I could imagine the harrowing scene of trying to climb up through one of these tunnels with large tour buses bearing down on me. It was a horrible thought; something I didn’t want to experience.

But in my searching I discovered a service road (rindo) that goes from Hwy 26 over Shirakaba Pass and down into Norikura Highland that did not have any tunnels. So, I decided to ride the train to Yabuhara, a small station that is on an off shoot of the Chuo Line in the Kiso area and start from there. I reserved a room at a small inn in Norikura Highlands and divided the trip into 2 days.

It proved to be a good decision. I rode Hwy 26 up and over a pass and descended down to the Nagawa Hotspring area and then turned left on the service road that was to deliver me to Norikura. The service road is small with very few cars on it climbing up over 1600m to Shirakaba Pass which looks down on the Norikura Highlands area. I did encounter a landslide on the way down but was able to carry my bike around it.

Norikura Highlands is a beautiful large plateau surrounded by mountains at the base of Mt. Norikuradake (3,026 m), which is the 10th highest mountain in Japan and one of its younger volcanoes. The Highlands lie at about 1500 meters. There are several hotels, inns and restaurants serving the tourists.

After a pleasant stay at my ryokan I headed up the mountain on Highway 84, also called the Norikura Skyline Road. It has the distinction of being the highest public road in Japan with elevations exceeding 2,700m (8,858ft). It’s only open from mid-May through October. The rest of the time it lies buried in snow.

Norikura Skyline is really a paradise for bike climbers, only allowing access to tour buses and special taxis, leaving much of the road to us. The road climbs 1400 meters in 25 km. It averages 6.5 % with a maximum 11.8 % grade. I found it to be challenging perhaps because of the altitude. But the views going up the switchbacks are fantastic. I found them invigorating during my many stops on my way up the climb.

I was fortunate to have nice weather. Clouds will often roll in on the higher elevations so it’s a good to check the weather and climb early in the morning. I rode past some snowfields on the slopes that had survived through the summer. At the top there is a hotel with a small lake in front of it called Norikura Tatamidaira. It lies right at the border of Gifu and Nagano Prefectures. The view from up there is wonderful.

You can continue on and descend down into Gifu Prefecture on Hwy 5 or, as I did, turn around and descend down into Matsumoto. It’s a long 65 km downhill glide into Matsumoto City on Hwy 84 and Hwy 158. I passed through the dreaded tunnels but the fact that I was descending made it bearable as I was able to keep up with traffic. They were pretty dark and bumpy in places. On your way to Matsumoto you ride along the Sai River and a couple of lakes formed by dams in the river.

When I think back over the rides I’ve taken in Japan Norikura stands out as the most epic. I would highly recommend it as long as you research the weather and are in shape for climbing. Thank you for taking the time to read my account of this adventure.

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