Last autumn, by chance, I rode over Takakura Pass, which spans Ibi-cho in Gifu Prefecture and Echizen-cho in Fukui Prefecture. I took the Tarumi Railway north from Ogaki Station in Gifu to its terminal station, Tarumi Station in Neo-Tarumi, Motosu City, Gifu, by taking my bike on the train. (By the way, not far from the station is the Neo Usuzumi-zakura, a solitary cherry tree over 1,500 years old that attracts many tourists in spring.)
From there, I aimed for Takakura Pass, passed through Echizen-cho, and finished in Tsuruga City. I was able to see beautiful autumn leaves along the shores of the Tokuyama Dam, which I passed on the way, but the peak of the season had already passed at the top of the pass. I had hoped to see the mountains in full autumn glory from that summit this year, but a landslide caused by heavy summer rains left the road to Takakura Pass closed.
However, because I had such a strong desire to see "that best-ever view" in a place like that, I changed my destination this year to the neighboring Kanmuriyama Pass, where I expected to find similar scenery. Since this pass heads north from Tokuyama Dam, I set my final destination as Takefu Station in Echizen City. Once I learned that there was a mountain trail leading from the pass to Mount Kanmuri, it became part of my daily routine to check the images uploaded by hikers on YAMAP and keep an eye on the weather forecast.
I decided on Wednesday, November 2nd, two weeks earlier than last year.
(*You can see last year's experience in this article: [Someday, I’ll be there] Takakura Pass Edition.)
From Nagoya to Ogaki, and then by train with bikes on the Tarumi Railway
On the day, I had planned to take the 6:44 AM Special Rapid bound for Ogaki, but I ended up taking a train two slots earlier to reach Ogaki. I transferred to the Tarumi Railway with plenty of time to spare, aiming for the final stop, Tarumi Station.
The single-track train was crowded with commuters and students, so we felt a bit self-conscious with our bike bags for the first part of the ride. However, there were heartwarming moments when students taught us how to use the money changer or were considerate about where we placed our bikes. By the time we were halfway to Tarumi, the car was almost empty, just us. From then on, we arrived at Tarumi Station while leisurely gazing at the scenery from the window. The ride finally began.
Over Masaka Pass to Tokuyama Dam
Departing from Tarumi Station, we headed north on Route 157, turned onto Prefectural Road 270, and climbed Masaka Pass. There is a small tunnel at the summit. Passing through it, you can see the Tokuyama Dam lake.
Last year, when I headed to Takakura Pass, the surrounding trees were already dressed in vivid reds and yellows at this point. However, this year it felt like they were just getting started. My anticipation for the higher altitude of Kanmuriyama Pass only grew. Still, the faintly colored mountains and the sparkling lakeside scenery were beautiful, which was also fantastic.
I was sick of the many tunnels along the lakeside last year, but for some reason, I was able to finish riding through them this year without feeling as much stress.
To the Kanmuriyama Forest Road
When we reached the end of the lakeside, the road ahead became the Kanmuriyama Forest Road, and the climb to Kanmuriyama Pass finally began.
The road narrows to about the width of a single car. Once past the tree-covered path, Mount Kanmuri reveals itself in the distance. This forest road winds around its base. It’s about 10km from the lakeside with an elevation gain of about 600m—looking at the numbers, the summit doesn't seem that far away. Yes, looking at the numbers...
"Don't stop your legs! Keep pedaling!"
"Don't stop your legs! Keep pedaling!"
"That wasn't to encourage the friend I was riding with, let alone myself. But if I hadn't told myself that, I wouldn't have been able to make any progress at all."
However, whenever I turned the pedals a little, my eyes were drawn to the scenery that transformed before me, and I’d stop immediately, shouting, "Wow!"
Repeating this, we arrived at Sainosawa Pass, the junction between Takakura Pass and Kanmuriyama Pass. We were gradually getting closer to the top of the pass, but from here, our pace slowed down even more.
The summit was far further away than I had ever imagined...
We moved along a road that made me want to pile on synonyms for "winding and twisting," but with every turn, the scenery changed completely. Even if you were looking at the same things, they looked like something else. In the distance, the Tokuyama Dam lake we had ridden along came in and out of view.
Gazing at where we were going, then looking back at the road we had come—that was the cycle.
We finally made it to the top. The view from the summit isn't particularly spectacular, so we just savored the sense of accomplishment, ate some trail mix that I wouldn't call a proper lunch, and took a break. Looking at the scenery so far, I hadn't felt like pressing the shutter on my camera, but as we said goodbye to Gifu Prefecture and started descending the Fukui side, scenery completely different from Gifu jumped out at me.
Last year
Long, long downhill
The weather was nice that day, but there were thick clouds floating here and there in the sky. They covered the sun, instantly repainting the colors of the scenery in front of us. That contrast was very impressive.
When climbing on the Gifu side, the lack of guardrails accentuates the beauty of the scenery, but on the descent, that same absence is a factor that slows down your pace. There were moments when I got a fright from being too captivated by the scenery, which meant I stopped more often. As a result, I ended up savoring the scenery of each moment.
The guardrails we did encounter were crushed, which apparently was due to avalanches. Avalanches are amazing...
Once the long, long descent was over, this ride was nearing its end. I pedaled refreshingly with a relaxed mindset along gentle descents and flat roads. I stopped on the way to look at the mountains behind me and felt deeply moved, thinking, "I really climbed over those mountains...", but I was already imagining next year's route.
Thinking about next year's ride
Actually, I had prepared two routes for this day.
One was a route to return by taking a train from Takefu Station in Echizen City. The other was to head to Imazu from here, run through the old Hokuriku Main Line tunnel group that I had visited from Takakura Pass last year, and return by train from Tsuruga Station.
The distance and elevation gain are different, but I had decided to choose which one to take after clearing the pass and getting past that hurdle.
On this day, I felt satisfied with the sense of accomplishment of having crossed the pass and having been able to enjoy the various sceneries, so I decided not to push myself and chose to return from Takefu Station. There were delays with the train, but I arrived at Nagoya Station around 6:30 PM on the Limited Express Shirasagi. This day's ride had ended.
This autumn ride really is addictive.
I’m already thinking about next year, hoping to visit the old Hokuriku Main Line tunnel group like last year and see the ocean.
I've uploaded the route for this trip to Ride With GPS, so please check it out if you're interested!