Mount Minami Katsuragi


Mount Minami Katsuragi is the tallest mountain in the Izumi Mountains within the Kongō Range, straddling the border between Osaka and Wakayama Prefectures in Japan. Its peak elevation is.

Location and naming

Mount Minami Katsuragi is a remote mountain located on the prefectural border between Kawachinagano, Osaka and Hashimoto, Wakayama, Japan. With a peak elevation of, it is the highest peak in the Izumi Mountains, a group of mountains part of the larger Kongō Range. It is one of the mountains listed as one of the Osaka 50 Mountains, and is the highest peak in Wakayama Prefecture.

Environs

There are not a lot of extreme mountain climbers ascending this peak, so Mount Minami Katsuragi is generally quiet, with few climbers. The sides of the mountain are covered in Japanese cedar and Sasa veitchii, or bamboo grass.

Access and amenities

The summit has a number of benches and chairs from which to view the scenery, including stands of Japanese cedar which surround the overlook.
There are a number of trails leading up the mountain. The most common routes are listed below:
  • The first starts northwest of the mountain at Takihata Dam, follows the Diamond Trail east to the Mount Iwawaki trailhead, follows the Sengoku Valley Forest Road to the Forest Trail Fork. This leads to the Nozoki Flats, from where you can go up to the summit.
  • Starting to the east at Kimi Pass, go west on the Diamond Trail to the Mount Minami Katsuragi Fork, which will take you up to the top.
  • Within Iwawaki Forest is Iwawaki Temple. The trail from there leads you toward Mount Iwawaki. About 10 minutes before reaching Mount Iwawaki, turn off at East Summit and follow the Mount Minami Katsuragi Fork to the summit.
  • Beginning the hike at Zaō Pass, follow the signs on the trail until you reach the summit. This route is much longer than most others as it zigzags a lot while going up the mountain. This route is also the most rugged, steep, strenuous, and dangerous.