[Trekking with a kid] Mt. Meshimori, located in Nagano prefecture (Kanto region), was recommended by a local as an ideal mountain to trek with a kid. “It’s a good trail for kids – short with minimal elevation changes. The view from the top is a 360-degree panorama. If the weather is clear, you can see Mt. Fuji.”
It’s easy to see why the mountain is named Meshimori, as its shape resembles a heaped bowl of rice. Our son found the mountain’s shape interesting and kept repeating “Yamamori (heaped)” throughout the trek.
How kid-friendly is Mt. Meshimori?
Route we took: Hirasawa Path > Top of Mt. Meshimori > Top of Mt. Ohmori > Back to Hirasawa Path
Time required: 3 hours 30 min for the round trip, including a break and lunch time.
Kid’s age: 2 years and 6 months
Walking pace of the kid: One-third of an adult’s pace
Distance walked by the kid: Two-thirds of the total trail length
Easiness for kids: ★★★★☆ (There are some high steps)
Mood of the kid on the day: ★★★★☆
Departing from the Hirasawa Path
We started by walking down the Hirasawa Path, where the view of Mt. Yatsugatake was amazing. For the first 20 minutes of our trek, the trail was muddy due to rain from several days ago, so we carried our son in a baby carrier.
He was in an extremely good mood and kept chatting from the back, enjoying the sunlight filtering through the trees.
Our son started walking just before the junction point.
The condition of the trail improved significantly just before the junction of Mt. Meshimori and Mt. Hirasawa, so we let our son begin to walk on his own. The trail remained pleasant thanks to mild sunlight filtering through the trees, making it a comfortable walk for our son.
At the junction, the view suddenly opened up, and we took a short break.
After the junction, the trail is flat with the full view of Mt. Meshimori. Our kid enjoyed the walk, while frequently stopping to observe insect or leaves.
The 360-degree panorama at the top
The final part of the trail was a bit of a challenge. Unlike the previous section, the stairs were very steep. Our son seemed to be inspired by the elementary school children we saw climbing with enthusiasm. He kept moving his little legs steadily, tackling each steep step one by one
The view from the top was breathtaking 360-degree panorama! It was also delightful to see the satisfied expression on our son’s face after completing the climb.
Descending after visiting Mt. Ohmori
After having lunch at the top, we walked our way up to Mt. Ohmori. Between Mt. Meshimori and Mt. Ohmori, there was a beautiful field of blooming flowers.
We enjoyed the view of Mt. Meshimori from the top of Mt. Ohmori and celebrated our son’s great job on the walk that day. Shortly after, he finally got in the mood for an afternoon nap.
We headed down to the Hirasawa Path with him in the baby carrier.
