Climbing Kamikochi

Arriving at the bus stop in Hirayu after some excellent travel planning by Alex (three buses and an equal amount of Supermarket visits along the way), the first thing we notice is a public footbath for tired walkers to bathe their feet. They really have thought of everything in this country! We check in to our traditional accommodation with classic Japanese style rooms and of course only futons for beds and giant sack pyjamas.

We decide to stretch our legs and take a short walk to a nearby waterfall. I’m slightly alarmed by the amount of signage warning of bear activity in the area, plus the lack of other tourists we could use as bait and outrun back to safety. Pushing bravely ahead, we pass a tired, rusted ski lift which we assume is still used in winter for the snow sports. Another 10 minutes up the road and we’re at the waterfall. According to Alex it’s one of the “Top 10 waterfalls of Japan” and it’s easy to see why…

Returning to town, we take advantage of one of the hotel’s facilities, the indoor onsen. For those who don’t know, an onsen is essentially a natural hot bath whose heat comes from the nearby volcanoes. Sometimes they are public and are shared between many, others are available for private use. This one is the latter and Alex and I gently lower ourselves into the incredibly hot water. It’s a little on the uncomfortably hot side and we both turn a concerning shade of pink after a short soak!

For dinner we head to one of the very few restaurants in town and are surprised to see the whole operation is ran by one person. There are approximately twelve people sat in his restaurant and he prepares, cooks, cleans, takes payment and serves food and drink to all of us. The menu is relatively simple but we enjoy some tasty ramen and sides and agree we will come back here tomorrow to sample some of the other dishes.

Lakes and Ladders

Today we will attempt to reach the summit of the local volcano Yakedake. It’s not entirely clear from reading various blogs how long this out and back should take but we figure we’ll give it a go anyway. The bus drops us by the beautiful and incredibly clear pond at the foot of the mountains. From here we loop around and cross the water to start the hike proper. As usual there are various signs warning us about bears and most of the locals are dingling bear bells as they hike. We are not convinced a gentle ring of a bell will do anything to deter an angry bear but the sound makes a pleasant backdrop to our ascent.

Japan takes hiking seriously and there are many people wearing impressive kit, some even wear helmets or crampons, in comparison we feel slightly unprepared. After around an hour we reach our first ladder, we’d read about this on a blog so we were not surprised by its presence, but the condition it’s in is quite shocking. Several rungs have split and are now only held together by duct tape, trying to steady myself with the rope nearly ends in disaster as the pole it’s attached to comes out of the ground with the slightest strain. Further ahead there is an entire graveyard of discarded ladders, we wonder how this came to be and if anyone was on them when they fell apart.

Eventually we reach a section of snow that has not yet melted and a nearby shelter. After a bit of confusion and bumping into some other Western hikers, we find ourselves back on the path to reach the volcanic summit. We’ve been going for a few hours at this point and as we reach an opening we realize it’s going to be a difficult and steep hike if we want to reach the top. For once we decide against finishing the hike and instead opt to enjoy the views and have a leisurely lunch. No need to over exert ourselves on every walk.

Returning to the crowds of tourists at the bottom of the mountains, we enjoy a well deserved soft serve ice cream and the stunning landscape around us.

In the evening we revisit the ramen restaurant from last night and explore some new items on the menu.

Back at the hotel, we try the outdoor onsen under the starry night sky. The air is biting cold but the steaming hot water keeps us warm as we attempt to spot constellations and silhouettes of mountains.

There is another football match happening and it’s a must watch, even with an 11pm kick-off Japan time. The FA Cup final. I can recall where I’ve been to watch the progress to the final, Nicaragua for Newport, Philippines for Liverpool and Vietnam for Coventry. Here we are against Man City in the final and I have to keep my cheering quiet to avoid waking Alex and the other hotel guests as we hang on to win 2-1. The celebrations finish around 1.30am, worth staying up for and then some.

The Bare Necessities

Today we will take the bus back to the mountains but walk a simpler, flatter hike alongside the river at a gentle pace. As we set off we spot a sign denoting a recent bear sighting, 4 days ago. As we progress along the path we spot several similar signs with the bear sightings getting closer and closer, even up to one being spotted this very morning! Rest assured dear reader we do not see any bears but we do see many, many snow monkeys! They’re very tame and are hardly bothered by our presence as we observe and take pictures of them all going about their business.

We walk a pleasant out and back with a quick stop for lunch in the sunshine and of course an ice cream reward when we’re back at the start.

With some more of Alex’s excellent travel planning we take a bus and then a train through the mountains to arrive in Matsumoto. From here we are picked up by one of the hosts of the Ryokan accomodation we’re staying in for the night. I had never really heard of a Ryokan before but Alex explained they are the peak of traditional Japanese hospitality. Usually providing futons, onsen baths and in this case, a 14 course Michelin star quality meal, sign me up! They’re on the much pricier end of the scale of course, so it’s only thanks to the generosity of Ben and Emma that we were able to treat ourselves to such an experience, thank you both!

We don’t have long before dinner but I want to try one of the several onsen baths available. This one is for men only and I think I just about get away with following the proper ettiquette… Even if in my haste I have forgot to bring a towel!

I desperately try and cool down from the boiling hot baths before dinner, opening all of the windows in a vain attempt to stop the sweating. Luckily, all we have to wear for dinner is a kimono and some underwear for modesty.

Dinner is an absolute feast, course after course of wonderful food arrives while we’re still eating or cooking the previous dish. Highlights include horse sashimi, unbelievably good Kobe/Wagyu style beef and crispy tempura.

We wobble back to our room and before bed it’s time for another soak. This time in the private onsen that can be reserved. It’s barely bigger than a large bath tub but it’s nice to unwind with Alex and reflect on a couple of amazing days.

Onwards

With a monstrous absolute feast for breakfast (buffet style this time), we’re dropped back at the bus stop and head to our final destination on the main island, Tokyo.

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Adventure – Epic hikes surrounded by stunning scenes. Eating all sorts of wonderful food. Melting in the hot onsen baths.

Excitement – Meeting monkeys along the trail. The Ryokan experience. Beating Man City.

Trauma – Dodgy ladders. Worries about being bear food.