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Hello all,
Recently we discovered a hike in our lonely planet guide, listed as "the most exciting hike in Kansai", so naturally, John and I decided to set out for it. Everything about it was spectacular. There were 8 waterfalls, all surrounded by lush green and beautiful forest, the terrain was interesting and challenging, and there were even ancient carvings in some of the rocks.
The actual hike really was one of the most beautiful and challenging that we have come across, and we managed to encounter some nice wildlife too - though the snake and giant hornet (we're talking border-line bird sized!!!) were not so high on my list, the monkeys at the top were a delight.
Interestingly, we reached the largest waterfall, and shortly after noticed that there were no other people on the trail. Well, there was likely a combination reason for this - firstly, the yellow dust from China rolled in (which meant not only was there no views, but you could feel the sand in your lungs and eyes... not the most pleasant conditions for hiking!) Secondly, when we arrived at the top of the mountain, we realized that not only were
we extremely short on time, but there was a lot of construction at the top, and a distinct lack of trail signs.
So, we enjoyed the would-be views of the lake with our imaginations ;0) and set off for what looked like the only option down... of course after 20 minutes of straight down - we were less than sure of our decision, so we hiked back up to confirm the path we had chosen. At the top, again, we decided with the falling light and the fact that neither of us were prepared for night hiking, that there was only one thing left to do - run! We ran solid down for about an hour as the trail’s visibility blended into dusk and all we could do is hope our eyes and feet could keep up with our momentum!
Luckily - we eventually made it - dripping from our non-stop barrelling down the mountain, and a few scrapes from missed foot-placement... we actually had to take some time, despite the looming thunderclouds that had rolled in, to sit and rest so that we were semi-presentable to walk through town and find the nearest train line.
Yep
- yet again, we managed to come out in an unknown town (we managed to end up on a trail that was not on our map...)- not quite where we were aimed, but with welcomed civilization and a train in the end! Well, if we don't have map reading skills, at least we have luck!
Now we are into the final countdown - two weeks left in Japan, so loads of packing, planning, visiting, and sorting... and soon onto the next adventure...
Trish xxx
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Marie-Eve
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You are crazy, as usual! Sounds like a lot of fun! Enjoy the end of your stay in Japan, man I can't believe you only got 2 weeks left, awsome!