Rule #1 of the Hyakumeizan Revenge club: never attempt revenge on a peak you had perfect weather the first time around. Rule #2: same as rule #1. So what were Kanako and I doing here, standing at Makinoto-toge in the middle of a blizzard on Christmas day? After a grueling 3-1/2 bus journey from Kumamoto, [...]
Archive for December, 2011
Kyushu Chapter 6 – A second look at Mt. Kuju
Posted in Kyushu hikes, tagged hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Kyushu, Mt. Kuju on December 29, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Kyushu Chapter 5 – Mt. Sobo
Posted in Kyushu hikes, tagged hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Kyushu, Mt. Sobo on December 18, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Excitement filled the air as the ferry pulled into Beppu port. Blue skies, calm winds, and the final unscaled Hyakumeizan in Kyushu lie just over the hills in the southern part of Oita Prefecture. Kanako and I jumped on a train bound for Taketa station, where a taxi happily drove us to Kamihara, a collection [...]
Mt. Ikoma take 2 – adventures in solitude
Posted in Kansai hikes, tagged hiking, Japan, Kansai, Mt. Ikoma on December 13, 2011 | 5 Comments »
Essays to mark. Deadlines to meet. All of that is irrelevant when the itch appears. A 20-minute train ride is all it takes. Alighting at Ikoma station, I followed the road paralleling the cable car tracks as it snaked up towards Hozanji temple. Despite the wonderful Sunday weather, traffic was surprisingly light, thanks in part [...]
Shiokawa to Sawarajima traverse – The Finale
Posted in Minami Alps hikes, tagged Akaishi, hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Minami Alps on December 11, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Heavy rain thrashed outside the cozy hut most of the night, while the wind picked up several knots with each passing gust. The storm forecast was right on the money, but unfortunately we were a literal no-man’s land, sandwiched between two of Japan’s higher peaks. Breakfast turned into an impromptu strategic meeting of the minds: [...]
Shiokawa to Sawarajima traverse – Day 2
Posted in Minami Alps hikes, tagged hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Minami Alps, Mt. Akaishi, Mt. Arakawa, Mt. Warusawa on December 7, 2011 | 1 Comment »
I woke before dawn, boiling water for oatmeal in the early morning mist that enveloped the vestibule of Takayama hut. I needed every calorie at my disposal for the mammoth climb that lie ahead. Shortly after leaving the warm confines of my accommodation, I found a stream flowing past the trail, gushing clean, crystal-clear mountain [...]
Mt. Omine Chapter 1 – the half-traverse
Posted in Kansai hikes, tagged hiking, Hyakumeizan, Japan, Mt. Omine, Omine on December 6, 2011 | 7 Comments »
Early November. An opportunity presents itself to explore the highest peaks of the Kansai area and time is precious. After delaying our departure by one day due to inclement weather, John and I head up the paved forest road to the gate marking the entrance to the sacred mountains of Omine, a place which to [...]
