🇬🇧 English translation follows the Japanese text below.

3月1日、ハウスのみんなで須磨アルプスへハイキングに行ってきました。目指すは名所「馬の背」。神戸の市街地からすぐの低山なのに、そこだけ切り立った岩尾根が続く、“プチ・アルプス”として有名なスポットです。電車でさくっと行けるのもうれしいところ。

3月頭、もう春の気配

登り始めると、道すがら早咲きの桜がもう咲いていました。濃いピンクの花と赤い椿。まだ空気は冷たいけれど、山はもう春の準備を始めていました。

いよいよ「馬の背」へ

そしてこれが馬の背。木がなくなり、むき出しの花崗岩の尾根が続きます。左右がすとんと切れ落ちていて、なかなかのスリル。階段や鎖場もあって、みんなで声をかけあいながら慎重に渡りました。

頂上からは神戸の街と海

登りきったご褒美がこの眺め。神戸の街並みの向こうに大阪湾までぐるりと見渡せます。風が気持ちよくて、みんましばらく無言で見入ってしまいました。

下山したら、須磨海岸へ寄り道

せっかく須磨まで来たので、帰りは須磨海岸へ。3月の海はまだ冷たいけれど、波打ち際で靴を濡らしながらはしゃぐメンバーも。山を歩いた足で砂浜まで楽しめるのが、神戸のいいところです。

山も海も、電車ですぐ

The Headquarters Kobeのある神戸は、山も海も気軽に行ける街。ハウスではこんな外遊びイベントもゆるく開催しています。一緒に出かける仲間がいる暮らしに興味があれば、お部屋と家賃をのぞいてみてください。

---

On March 1st, the whole house headed out to Suma Alps for a hike, with our sights set on the famous “Umanose” (Horse’s Back) ridge. It’s a low mountain right on the edge of Kobe’s city center, yet it has this stretch of dramatic, exposed rock ridge that’s earned it the nickname “mini Alps.” Being just a short train ride away makes it an easy escape.

Early March, but spring was already in the air

As we started climbing, we found early-blooming cherry blossoms already out along the trail — deep pink blooms — along with red camellias. The air was still cool, but the mountain was clearly gearing up for spring.

And finally, Umanose itself

And here it is: Umanose. The trees disappear and give way to a bare granite ridge. It drops off sharply on both sides, which makes for quite a thrill. There were stairs and sections with chains to hold onto, and we made our way across carefully, calling out to each other the whole way.

The reward at the top: Kobe’s city and sea

This view was our reward for the climb. Beyond Kobe’s cityscape, you can see all the way out across Osaka Bay. The breeze felt amazing, and for a while nobody said a word — we just stood there taking it all in.

After the descent, a detour to Suma Beach

Since we’d already made it all the way to Suma, we swung by Suma Beach on the way back. The sea was still chilly in March, but a few of us couldn’t resist getting our shoes wet at the water’s edge anyway. Being able to go from a mountain hike straight to a sandy beach is one of the best things about Kobe.

Mountains and sea, both just a train ride away

Kobe, home to The Headquarters Kobe, is a city where you can easily reach both the mountains and the sea. We love hosting laid-back outdoor outings like this one at the house. If living with people who’ll come along on adventures like this sounds like your thing, come take a look at our rooms and rent.