Mt.Tekari-dake

It is a mountain with an elevation of 2,591 m, locating on a main ridgeline of the South Japan Alps. The summit locates around To’yama-gawa-Iroudo-sawa and the source of the Sumata river. The entire mountain is covered by Pinus Pumila, co-habiting with conifer trees and deciduous trees. It is said that Mt. Tekari-dake is the southern limit of Pinus Pumila. A trail near by the summit is a wooden trail if you approach from the Iroudo area. However after Mt. Tekari-dake, the forest is so deep that it is hard to find the route. There are some footsteps, showing that hikers search for the right path. If you climb Mt. Kuro-nagi or Mt. Ikeguchi-dake, caution must be employed. Mt. Tekari-dake sits in the deepest part of in the South Japan Alps. The gentle shape of the mountain covered by black trees is plain, however, it can be said that this mountain still is authentic South Japan Alps. Due to its romantic name and an image of the “distant mountain”, hikers like this mountain. The mountain sits at the southern most point in Japan among those mountains higher than 2,500 m. It is also the most southern area for Ptarmigan habitation. Because the summit is the only area just above the tree line, this mountain is also the most southern point in Japan for Pinus Pumila and alpine plants.