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Thorough commentary on mountain climbing in Ishigaki
Nosoko dake, charm known as Mape
"Can you climb that cliff?"
"How many minutes do you climb?"
You can overlook the 360-degree view of nature, and Mape is popular with the islanders for its folktales and songs related to the mountains. In recent years, many people have spread the spectacular view from the summit on SNS, and many people have come to visit it, regardless of whether it is outside the island.
On this page, we will focus on Mape from among the many tourist destinations on Ishigaki Island and explain it thoroughly. We hope that you will have a new option of climbing a mountain on Ishigaki Island and that your precious time on Ishigaki Island will be meaningful.
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1. 1Popularly known as "Mape", it is popular with the locals.
2. 360 degree nature spreads from the summit of 282m above sea level
3. 3A large monolith on the summit that Ishigaki City calls attention to
4. There is a short course of about 20 minutes for climbing Mape
5. You can enjoy the nature peculiar to the southern country on the way to the summit
6. You can drive to the short course entrance
7. The target age for climbing the Mape Short Course is 3 to 60 years old.
8. There are many scenic points in the northern part of Ishigaki Island
"Ishigaki Island is full of mountains except for it." "I had an image of the sea, but I didn't know the mountains." Ishigaki Island, in the scenery of the overlapping mountains, Nosoko-dake, which has a unique shape than any other mountain.
It is popularly known as "Mape" and has been loved by the locals for a long time because of the folk tale that is the origin of the name.
When viewed from the village of Nosoko in Ishigaki City, Mape looks particularly sharp because the rocky areas on the summit are exposed and the cliffs are coordinated.
A classic for the islanders, Mape has the most unique shape of any mountain. The mountain is so cute that the guide himself shouts "Mah! Pee!" Every time he sees it.
The image of Ishigaki Island as the sea of coral reefs has become established among many people. From the view from the summit of Mt. Mape, you can see at a glance that Ishigaki Island is surrounded by coral reefs.
Ishigaki Island is located in the center of Ishigaki Island and is dotted with small mountains that surround Mt. Omoto, the highest peak in Okinawa Prefecture.
Since Mt. Omoto blindfolds you, you can enjoy different scenery from north, south, east and west on Ishigaki Island. There is a special view that can only be seen in Mape, which is located in the north of Ishigaki Island.
The view from the summit of Mt. Mape at an altitude of 282m is the Pacific Ocean when looking east and the East China Sea when looking west.
To the north, you can see the elongated terrain of the northern part of Ishigaki Island, which looks like the boundary between the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea.
A 360-degree view of the Omoto Mountains, the highest peak in Okinawa Prefecture, spreads to the south.
There are many islands such as Taketomi Island, Iriomote Island, and Kuroshima Island to the south of Ishigaki Island, and these islands with Ishigaki Island as the northern limit are collectively called the Yaeyama Islands. I will.
Among the many scenic points, the view from the summit of Mt. Mape is the place where you can feel that the earth is the most round in the Yaeyama Islands.
Once upon a time, when a volcano erupted, Mape was derived from magma, which was formed by rapidly cooling and solidifying, and has a long history of millions of years. The summit of Mt. Mape has a 360-degree view because it is a rocky area with few plants that block the view.
You can detour and climb without having to approach the fallen rocks on the summit of Mt. Mape. There are many large rocks near the summit, and the fallen rocks are a part of it, so you can fully enjoy the magnificent view from the summit today.
Click here for how to enjoy mountaineering in the Yaeyama Islands
Looking at the silhouette of Mape that seems to protrude into the heavens, it seems that many people do not think it is a mountain that can be climbed. People say, "Are you climbing that mountain?" "Are rock climbers climbing?"
There are two climbing courses in Mape. There is a course to climb from the foot of the mountain and a short course to climb from the vicinity of the summit. The mountain climbing course is not on the cliff side, but on a gentle slope compared to the cliff.
The course to climb from the foot of the mountain can be reached in about 1 hour one way. The short course can be reached at a slow pace with a one-way climb of about 20 minutes. The two courses meet near the summit, and the same road runs from the confluence to the summit.
Neither of the two courses, a course that climbs from the foot of Mape and a short course that climbs from the vicinity of the summit, are maintained like the mountain trails in Honshu, and climb the beast road in the forest. It is an image.
On the way to the summit, the overhead is covered with vegetation, and especially near the summit, there are narrow roads where the leaves rub against the body. Since tropical plants such as citrus trees called citrus depressa and flowers called easter lilies grow naturally, you can make strange discoveries just by stopping, and you can enjoy the charm of plants along with the natural scent depending on the season.
You can hardly see the scenery from the mountain trail covered with greenery, and you can enjoy the magnificent scenery to the top. Sunbeams are comfortable in the forest, and it is a space of natural sounds. This will be a good production and will deepen your impression of the scenery of the mountaintop.
The road is well maintained so you can drive to the entrance of the Mape Trail Short Course.
The forest road, which is maintained so that cars can run, is covered with trees like the mountain trail, so you can not see the scenery, but it is a comfortable space with sunlight through the trees depending on the time of day and the flow of clouds.
There is a distance from the city center of Ishigaki Island to Mape, so if you enter the Mape Forest Road, you can basically hear no artificial sounds and feel the presence of nature.
Please note that there is no lid on the gutter on the side of the road, and the road width is narrow enough for cars to pass each other, so you need to be careful when driving. Since it is a place where you can see many natural monuments such as flora and fauna, we recommend that you enjoy the encounter with flora and fauna from the car window at a leisurely speed.
It takes about 10 minutes to drive slowly from the foot of Mape to the entrance to the short course. There is a parking space for 7 or 8 cars around the entrance of the short course mountain trail.
Mape has a short course climbing route, so it is an easy place to enjoy. Children in the Yaeyama Islands use their limbs well like a jungle gym and climb with their own feet from around the age of three.
However, there are many people who are training around the age of 60 and are not good at climbing rocks, although flat roads are okay. It depends on the physical strength of the individual, but if you dare to say it, it may be better to think that the target age for climbing the Mape Short Course is 3 to 60 years old.
It is better to think that the mountain trails of the Yaeyama Islands are generally poorly maintained. Since the Mape mountain trail is a steep slope, please consider your own physical strength, especially when the weather is unseasonable.
The northern Hirakubo Peninsula has a long and narrow terrain, as the shape of Ishigaki Island can be compared to "Shamoji" and "Sanshin (traditional musical instrument of Okinawa)". Mape is located in the northern part of Ishigaki Island.
The most constricted part of Ishigaki Island is in the north, about 300m wide. The old people who lived in the village carried boats back and forth on this 300m road to fish. Therefore, the name of the village is called "Funakoshi" in Kanji and "Funakuya" in the dialect.
There are many scenic points on Ishigaki Island in the north, including the magnificent view from the summit of Mt. Mape. The folk tale from which the name Mape was derived and the folk tales associated with this story are very sad, but they depict the love of a beautiful person.
People in the old days sang their lives, and people face each other and are handed down. The history, culture, and timbre that can be unraveled from folk songs make you realize the charm behind the beautiful scenery.
Activities are based on safety and security. You can enjoy climbing Mape by avoiding the risk of injury or accident in advance, such as collecting information, equipment, emergency equipment, insurance, and tour guides.
We hope that having a new option of climbing a mountain on Ishigaki Island will make your time on Ishigaki Island meaningful.
Please see here as well
Thorough explanation of how to enjoy mountain climbing on Ishigaki Island
