Mount Gassan

Mount Gassan
Mount Gassan
月山
	The summit and Gassan Shrine
Highest point
Elevation	1,984 m (6,509 ft)
Listing	100 Famous Japanese Mountains Three Mountains of Dewa
Coordinates	38°32′56″N 140°01′37″E / 38.54889°N 140.02694°E
Naming
English translation	Moon Mountain
Language of name	Japanese
Geography
	Mount Gassan Yamagata, Tōhoku, Japan
Geology
Mountain type	Stratovolcano
Climbing
Easiest route	Hiking

Mount Gassan (月山, Gassan) is a stratovolcano in the ancient province of Dewa (modern-day Yamagata prefecture) and the highest of the Three Mountains of Dewa. The Gassan Shrine stands at the mountain's summit, 1,984 metres (6,509 ft) above sea level.

The hike from its trailhead to the summit usually requires about 4-5 hours and can be challenging. Visitors should be aware of the weather and not try to hike it on days with wind or heavy rain. The trail is not paved and in some parts requires the use of hands to navigate certain parts of the trail.

Due to heavy winter snowfall, the mountain and shrine are inaccessible for long periods of the year; however, this also means that skiing is possible on the mountain from April to mid-summer.

The mountain is interesting in that it contains elements of both shield volcanoes as well as stratovolcanoes, although it is classified as a stratovolcano.^[2]

Gallery

Relief Map
Viewed from the South
Ridge
Ridge
Viewed from the Peak
Gassan Shrine at the summit

References

^ ^a ^b "Gassan". Japanese Quaternary Volcano Database. Geological Survey of Japan, AIST. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
^ 以前はアスピーテに分類されていたが、現在では成層火山が侵食や爆発によりなだらかになったものであるという説が有力である。詳しくはノート及び火山#地形による分類を参照。