Leisure Life - Mount Takao 高尾登山記

  高尾山はギネス記録（世界一登山客が多い山）にも登場するほどの人気山です。アクセスしやすいうえに、初心者から中級者レベルまで様々なコースがあります。また、ほぼどの季節でも楽しめるものがあります。特に初心者コースは適度の運動コースにもなるので、各年齢層の人たぢに愛されています。
  １１月１３日久しぶり（１か月？）に登りに行きました。紅葉は色付き始めて、気温も快適でした。天気に恵まれて、いい写真も撮影できました。そのためでしょうか、登山客はいつもよりかなり増え始めました。高王登山口駅から大渋滞でした。
  Mount Takao (高尾山) is one of the most popular moutain in Japan, with annual visitor of about 2.5 millions. The number of visitors increases in recent years because of the widely recognized metabolism syndrome. It has become both a leisure land and health club for more and more people.
  The reasons for its popularity are: easy access (direct train from Shinjuku station at 370 yen and 50 minutes), easy climb (multiple routes of variant difficult and a height of about 500 meters), convenient facilities (cable car, lift, restaurants, toilets, vending machines, animal & botanic garden), religious sites (temple, shrine), rich plantations (more than 1200 species), wide variety of native animals and insets. In one words, a place of all ages and all kinds of interests.
  With the autumn progressing into winter, Mount Takao is preparing for its biggest attractions: Momoji (Autumn Leaf Color).
  As of Nov. 13, the colors of autumn leaf is still at their beginning stage. Nevertheless, being a fine day with little clouds, the mountain is full of visitors, of various ages. There are long queues here and there, in front of toilets, cable car stations, shops and around the summit. It is especially hard to find an empty space to spread a sheet for rest.

The station, the starting point of congestion.

高尾登山口駅からの大渋滞

The summit. Compared to its peak, this is still relatively less crowded.

高王山頂上です。紅葉の最盛期ではないのでまだ割と空いています

The east side of summit, close to visitor center.

頂上の日がしい方面で、ビジターセンターの方です