Here’s the only photo taken on my hiking trip that never was – taken at the bus stop outside Kofu Station at 4am. It was pouring, so Hayashi-san and I went back to the business hotel with a few beers to commiserate.
Category: Hiking
Hiking up mountains
Kofu, 4am
Hayashi-san and I got up at 3.30am to catch our bus to the mountains. As he looked out the window, he said that it’s raining a bit. This was immediately met with a huge thunder clap. This did not bode well.
Yamanobori preparations
Here’s the state of my living room floor at the moment – I’m getting my hiking gear out for my first overnight Japanese hiking outing.
Takamadoyama
I used to come up here to the summit of Takamadoyama as a high school student. I remembered how to find the track, and headed uphill. It’s quite hot in the summer humidity, but the view over Nara is worth it.
Tsukuba-san with Dim
My friend Dim & I had a good day yesterday up in Tsukuba, a town about an hour north-east of Tokyo. We intended to climb Tsukuba-san, the smallest and easiest to climb of Japan’s “Hyaku-mei-san” (100 famous mountains), but also probably the most famous other than Fuji-san. Tsukuba-san is around 800 metres high, and has… Continue reading Tsukuba-san with Dim
To no Take
With my new gear in tow, I got out of Tokyo for the first time this trip, and headed out early on Sunday morning on the Odakyu Line to a town called Shibusawa (Kanazawa Prefecture), about 75 mins south west of Shinjuku. From there, it’s a short bus ride to Okura, where some hiking trails… Continue reading To no Take
Jinbocho outdoor shops & Marine Day
I’ve only been in Tokyo for 3 weeks, and am already busily planning how to spend my holidays. Monday is Marine Day (Umi no hi), a public holiday, and I’m planning to go nowhere near the sea. Instead, I’m planning to spend tomorrow up in the Tanzawa mountain range, south east of Tokyo.
Tackling the Tanglefoot Track
Today Shewey and I walked the Tanglefoot Track, which is a bushwalking track that runs along Mt Tanglefoot, near Toolangi and Healesville. The forest here is largely mountain ash, with beautiful myrtle beech and tree fern rainforest pockets in the gullies. The route we took was a 16km loop, starting at the Wirrawilla rainforest walk,… Continue reading Tackling the Tanglefoot Track
The Mustering Flat High Beam Society
Mustering Flat is an alpine plain in the Baw Baw National Park, an easy walk in from the St Gwinear car park north of Erica. It’s one of our favourite places to get away for a bushwalk. There’s a good campsite in the snow gums on the side of the plain, and we took a… Continue reading The Mustering Flat High Beam Society
Waihohonu to Whakapapa – Day 4 on the Tongariro Northern Circuit
The Waihohonu Traverse is the name of the stretch of track between Waihohonu Hut and Whakapapa Village. Yes, I know, Whakapapa sounds a bit rude, but it has a big chateau, so it’s really okay to say it out loud.