This week I mostly re-visited a lot of places I’ve already been to in the beginning of my time in Japan, like Shibuya and Shinjuku. Additionally, I wrote some applications for when I go back in 2 weeks, so I can start to work as soon as possible. How else am I gonna be able to pay for all that booze. Anyway, besides the usual stuff I also set off to another hike this week. More specifically a triple mountain hike: Mount Nokogiri, Mount Odake and Mount Mitake. The three mountains are north of Mount Takao, where I’ve already been.
Flawless Execution of my Trip to the Start of the Hike
I planned on taking the train in the morning around 8 am, so that I would arrive at the foot of the mountain around 10:30-ish. Of course that plan went down the toilet fast, because I was way too sleepy in the morning to get anything productive done, like getting out of bed and packing everything I need for the hike. So I got out the dorm around 40 minutes later then I had planned, not too shabby I have to say, could have been much worse. Anyway, I take the train to the city center and then change into the train towards the mountain. Now, Google Maps told me not to change at this specific station, but rather stay in the train, because it will get me to Ome, the city at the foot of the mountain range. However, after a few minutes the train starts to drive and announces the next station. And sure enough, it’s the wrong station, in the direction towards Mt. Takao and not Mt. Mitake. Thank you Google. Anyway, I get off the next station, take the next train back and get into the right train there. However, because I wasted so much time correcting my mistake, I also missed my connection in Ome up the mountain to the start of the hiking trail. Mind you, this train is scheduled every hour and I missed it by 10 minutes. Well, at least I had some time to get some food at the convenience store. At last I arrived at the start of the hiking trail around 12:30, only two hours later than I originally had planned. Not bad, I gotta say.
鋸山 - Mt. Nokogiri
The hiking trail started pretty rough. A very steep trail lead up the side of the mountain. The sheer unending number of stairs killed my endurance in like 15 minutes and I was panting so heavily that I didn’t know how to survive the rest of the hike. Luckily, at some point I was done with the stairs and a straight path was in front of me. For like 50 meters, then there were stairs again. And not just any stairs, these were steep to begin with and got even steeper the higher I got.
I sat down for a second at the end of the stairs, stared down the path I had come up. I swear, if the stairways to heaven are like these stairs, I’d rather take the elevator down. The steep hike up ended shortly after these stairs, with a nice first view towards the mountains around me. There was also a big pagoda built here. In fact, all along the hiking trail, up to the very end you could find all sorts of small and big buildings and praying sites. It always astounds me at what places these things were built. It’s fascinating.
After the pagoda there was a hiking trail through a dense forest. More precisely a forest full of cedar trees, as my years of experience as a tree hugger could easily identify. Just kidding, the travel guides I read said those were cedar trees. I couldn’t, even if my life depended on it, identify any tree. I really enjoy walking through these forest pathways. They always feel so calming and peaceful, as if all the problems you have vanish in an instant and you realize that none of them were important in the first place. #DeepThoughts #TheForestDoesntGiveAFuckAboutYouAndYourProblems
Along the way to the summit, there was a dead tree with its branches cut off. The branches made perfect little platforms to put something on it and on one of them there was a little stone tower. There were also some stones laying around there, so I decided to built one on the empty stump. It wasn’t very difficult or anything, but still I’m pretty proud of the little tower I’ve built. It looks pretty cool, especially in the sunlight.
Further down the path there was a little outlook without any trees blocking your way, where you had a pretty nice view of the surrounding mountains. There was a giant rock there sitting at the edge of the path forming a small cliff. I sat down on it and enjoyed the view from there while taking a rest and eating a banana. By far the best banana I have eaten in my life.
After some more hiking and climbing I finally reached the summit of the first mountain. The place had some benches there to sit on and rest and a dense forest on one side and the mountain range on the other side. Unfortunately, the view was blocked by some trees, which made the view less enjoyable. Nonetheless, it was a small idyllic place. I ate the onigiri I bought beforehand at the convenience store and ate it here. It was very quiet here and the only thing you could hear was the wind that rustled through the trees. I took some time to just sit there and meditate in the peace and quiet of nature.
大岳山 - Mount Odake
After eating and meditating, I continued the hike towards the next mountain top: Mt. Odake. The longer I kept hiking, the more snow there was alongside the path and the side of the mountain. I was pretty thrilled to see snow, as there was none in Tokyo. Admittedly, there wasn’t much, but still enough to make me happy. However, with snow comes ice and especially on the narrow paths of the mountain with steep falls to at least one side, it was very dangerous. Slipping there could easily result in me falling 20 or so meters down a steep slope. Of course I planned accordingly and wore my trusty running shoes for this occasion. Yes, the kind with barely any profile. Sometimes, when I’m doing these completely stupid things with barely any planning going into them, I feel like I have a death wish. I slipped several times on the way, but luckily never fell. At least not while at a very narrow and dangerous road. I slipped and fell once, but that was pretty much at the end of the hike. Yeah, I definitely deserved that one.
There was also some rock climbing parts on this hiking trail. Nothing too difficult, just up some very easy climbable rock walls. After some more sliding on ice and climbing rocks, I finally reached the summit of Mt. Odake. On the way to the summit, the view to the sides was partially blocked by trees and you couldn’t really see a whole lot. However, from the summit you had a clear view of the entire mountain range that was there. It was absolutely incredible. The view was breathtaking and I stood there for at least 5 minutes just staring in awe. I sat down here, ate lunch, which consisted of two sandwiches and just enjoyed the view. In the far distance there was a mountain, which stood out a lot because of its height compared to the other mountains. My guess is that it was Mt Fuji, which would make this the first time in my six months in Japan, that I have seen Mt. Fuji. And to see it at such an incredible place was definitely worth the wait.
御岳山 - Mount Mitake
The last part of the hike was to Mt. Mitake and then towards the train station to get home. On the way down there was a little village with a few houses. All completely empty and no one was there. It was kind of unsettling to go through there. The quietness in the village was heavy and I expected someone to pop out of nowhere at any point. Needless to say I got the fuck out of there as quick as possible. I swear if it would have been a little bit darker there, I probably would have turned around and hiked the way back from where I came from.
Further down the road I got to a river that was flowing down the mountain. I walked alongside this river for quite some time. There were a few little houses with resting spots for hikers. There were wooden stumps for chairs, benches and big tables in there. Just after the houses there was a post with the map of the surroundings and the pathways. And there was also a little wall, with a lot of stone towers built on it. It looked pretty cool.
Behind this there was the famous Rock Garden. Alongside the river there were a lot of stones laid down and arranged into a pathway. It looked pretty nice, but at this point the sun was already going down and it all looked a little bleak here. Nevertheless, the Rock Garden started with a waterfall. It was so cold that the sides of the waterfall were frozen and there were a lot of icicles hanging down from the rocks next to the waterfall. It looked pretty nice, but I think this part of the hike would be especially nice to do in the spring or summer.
I was nearing the end of the hike and came upon a sign. The road her forked into two paths. The first went directly to Mt. Mitake and the train station. The other went to a second waterfall and then from there to Mt. Mitake. It was a detour of only 1 km, so I obviously took the waterfall path. And goddamn that decision is gonna be a contestant in the top shittiest decisions made in 2020. The way down to the waterfall was very steep. There were a lot of stairs, which at some points were so steep I’d rather call them ladders. The entire 1 km was steep downhill to the bottom of the mountain. And then there it was, the waterfall.
I mean, it looks pretty cool, I guess. I wasn’t very impressed, which could very well be because I was already tired as fuck and wanted to go home. I took some pictures and then went towards the sign pointing to Mt. Mitake. It said 1 km. I thought to myself: ‘Yeah, only 1 km, that’s going to be an easy one.’ Yeah, it was 1 km of stairs going uphill. To top it all off, it was getting dark and I, stupid as I am, didn’t have a flashlight with me. I could still see, but I had to hurry up and get to the station before it got too dark. Those stairs killed me. I was dying halfway through, but I could not take a break, because it was getting darker. Fuck my life. That goddamn waterfall was definitely not worth this much effort. In the end I made it and reached the top. Don’t be me and chase a shitty waterfall at dusk during a hike in the forest. Don’t do it.
At the top there was a little town. Unfortunately, it was already dark and the shops were already all closed. I also didn’t bother to go to the Mitake shrine, because I just wanted to get to the station, go home and take a hot shower, while laying on the ground and letting the hot water wash away the pain in my entire body. My phones battery also died here, so I couldn’t take any more pictures. So I just went straight to the station and went home.
It’s been two days since the hike and my legs still feel like they’ve been crushed. Still, this hike was absolutely worth it. The view was fantastic and seeing the snow covered paths made me kinda happy.
I have one more hike planned for my last week in Japan, which will be from Mt. Takao all the way to Mt. Jinba. I’m looking forward to doing that hike. Other then that, I will go a little more sightseeing in Tokyo itself, buy some souvenirs for my friends back home, handle all the bureaucracy for moving out of Japan in the local city hall and cancel my mobile phone plan and my bank account here. I also have to pack all my things, which I am not looking forward to do. I just hope I don’t have to throw away too much stuff. Well, you’re gonna find that out next week.
Thank you for reading and see you next week :)
Ash