steep mountain road; dangerous mountain path
Refers to a narrow, precipitous path on a mountainside, often with a sense of danger. The reading そわみち is obsolete.
That steep mountain road is very dangerous on rainy days.
Travelers in the old days crossed the dangerous mountain path to reach the next village.
Standard kanji spelling for 'steep mountain road'.
Variant kanji spelling using 路 (road).
The kanji 岨 means 'steep' or 'precipitous', and 道 means 'road' or 'path'. The reading そば is a native Japanese word for 'steep', combined with みち (road). The variant 岨路 uses 路 (road) instead of 道. The obsolete reading そわみち reflects an older pronunciation.