Some random observations on hiking in Japan:
- It was nice being at the mountain huts, got a chance to meet and chat with more of the locals then you usually do, which was nice.
- The things I read in my Hiking in Japan book about the crazy sleep schedule and the top notch equipment of the Japanese hikers was absolutely true. Of course on a hike with weather conditions like Yakushima I was definitely a little jealous of their custom backpack covers and various gadgets.
- Japanese women seem to really like to hike. I would say that is was about 50/50 men to women on the trail and in the huts. There were several groups of middle aged women by themselves and a few solo women as well, which I feel like you do not see that much of in the states.
- Those middle aged Japanese women are damn tough. Yakushima was a pretty demanding hike, and carrying all that equipment with the size of the average Japanese woman's body is pretty impressive.
- Japanese hikers seem to like to stick to the well established paths, and if there is a shorter or more efficient way to see the main sites they will do it. I assume this is why on Yakushima most everyone does the trip as a one nighter between the road that goes up the south side of the mountains and one of the roads on the north side. This is really what I should have done because you really see all the good stuff and just miss some tedious hours of low altitude stuff.
- Good rain gear was a life saver (thanks again Susan). Also, being meticulous with your waterproofing on a rainy hike is essential, I should have done a better job of it so I did not have to spend 2 days going commando in rain pants.
- Bringing enough calories for a multi day hike is tough, I never ran low on energy due to not having enough food, but it was close. The Cliff bars I brought from the states were key, as well as copious amounts of PB&J.
Showing posts with label Yakushima. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yakushima. Show all posts
Monday, August 13, 2007
Yakushima Traverse - Day 3
Third day, wake up at around 4:30, as that is when the earliest risers, a family of 4, has started up their stove to make breakfast. I was actually a little worried about making the ferry back to Kagoshima on this day at 3:30, so I wanted to be out on the trail by 6 AM. Thus I was not really that pissed off.
So, I packed up and was off by around 5:30, back out into the continuing rain. The only people up were ones I had not made the acquaintance of, so there would be no coffee for me today. This days hike was pretty uneventful. I worked my way down past the area with the giant ceders, which were fairly cool to see and eventually popped out on an area of the trail that was in the middle of an old railroad track. After several days of hard hiking, this was like heaven for my body, and I really flew down the trail.
This was also the time that I started encountering waves of Japanese day trippers who were making their way up to the ceders from the parking lot at the end of the railway trail. 1000 head dips and "Konishiwa"s later and I was off to the next fork int the road that would continue to lead me north. This trail was back to being a little more rustic, but not too bad. It actually was kind of scenic as it had extensive areas of stepping stones that looked like they had been laid in the feudal era. This gave it a nice appearance that made you think that a Samurai could come walking out of the mist at any time.
A little bit further down this trail I once again run into big groups of tourists, and as I find out I have merged onto a 2km nature walk trail that starts at a parking lot up the mountain. I had not idea how far this was from the perimeter road of the island, but like a horse that knows that the barn is not far away, I picked up the pace a little and started flying down the trail.
You can imagine my disappointment then when I cross the parking lot and discover that the trip down to the main road is another 4km, and once again it is on a pretty rustic trail. So I was a little disappointed, but soon the lower elevation made the sun pop out and I could see the ocean again in the distance, so things were not that bad. Also, about 1.5km down the rugged trail I came out on a logging road, which being Japan was beautifully paved. Coasting down this lonely logging road in the mountains of Japan, all I could think about is how unlikely it was that some kid from NH would ever be here.
The next thing you knew I was flying across the waves on the Hydrofoil and back in my comfy bed at the inn in Kagoshima.
So, I packed up and was off by around 5:30, back out into the continuing rain. The only people up were ones I had not made the acquaintance of, so there would be no coffee for me today. This days hike was pretty uneventful. I worked my way down past the area with the giant ceders, which were fairly cool to see and eventually popped out on an area of the trail that was in the middle of an old railroad track. After several days of hard hiking, this was like heaven for my body, and I really flew down the trail.
This was also the time that I started encountering waves of Japanese day trippers who were making their way up to the ceders from the parking lot at the end of the railway trail. 1000 head dips and "Konishiwa"s later and I was off to the next fork int the road that would continue to lead me north. This trail was back to being a little more rustic, but not too bad. It actually was kind of scenic as it had extensive areas of stepping stones that looked like they had been laid in the feudal era. This gave it a nice appearance that made you think that a Samurai could come walking out of the mist at any time.
A little bit further down this trail I once again run into big groups of tourists, and as I find out I have merged onto a 2km nature walk trail that starts at a parking lot up the mountain. I had not idea how far this was from the perimeter road of the island, but like a horse that knows that the barn is not far away, I picked up the pace a little and started flying down the trail.
You can imagine my disappointment then when I cross the parking lot and discover that the trip down to the main road is another 4km, and once again it is on a pretty rustic trail. So I was a little disappointed, but soon the lower elevation made the sun pop out and I could see the ocean again in the distance, so things were not that bad. Also, about 1.5km down the rugged trail I came out on a logging road, which being Japan was beautifully paved. Coasting down this lonely logging road in the mountains of Japan, all I could think about is how unlikely it was that some kid from NH would ever be here.
The next thing you knew I was flying across the waves on the Hydrofoil and back in my comfy bed at the inn in Kagoshima.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Yakushima Traverse - Day 2
So I woke up after a not so restful sleep, at around 6 AM with is quite late for Japanese hikers. Thankfully my roommates offered my a cup of hot coffee, which was just what I needed to get going.
I ended up going with rain gear (and since all my other cloths were soaking wet, and it was pretty hot, nothing else) and this was the correct decision, since it was either drizzling or raining all day long.
The hike was great however, all on a trail with an impressive amount of stairs and ramps that really made things much more pleasant. First you ascend to around 1600m, where there are a couple little alpine marshes that look like a sort of natural ornate Japanese garden. Then you ascend further to the high ridge of the island, which is a little similar to the high mountains of New England, but incredibly lush, with a carpet of thick plants and grass over everything but the giant boulders that would stick threw. I saw a couple of deer up here and was quite excited as they seemed not to afraid of me, and I got some nice pictures.
I finally did make it to the top of the highest mountain, around 1950m. The wind was pretty strong up there, and it was tantalizingly close to breaking threw the top of the cloud cover, but it was not meant to be. Still got some amazing views along the ridge when the clouds would break for a moment.
Then descended down to the next hut on the other side, seeing several more deer, which I was now getting used to seeing. More exciting, a pack of Monkeys was crossing the trail right before the hut, and I had close encounters with several of them as they crossed in front of and behind me, but alas no good pictures.
I was the first one to the hut (I am a pretty fast hiker in Japan). This one was nicer then the last, with higher ceilings and more light. I was hoping a few more people would show up, so I was not solo, but I figured that it was pretty early, so nothing to worry about.
I did not have anything to worry about because eventually the hut filled with about 30 people, which was just about capacity. Met a few nice people there like a outdoorsy older guy from Chiba who spoke pretty good English, as well as a friendly solo girl who's English was not so good. I ate my second dinner of PB&J, which horrified the Japanese hikers, who carry all the best equipment, and would probably not hike up Mt. Major without a stove. Needless to say, the girl set me up with some Miso soup, which was nice. I few rounds of Whisky and Sho-Cho later and I am in bed by 8:30, true Japanese style.
The only catch was the middle aged women next to me decided to re-arrange her pack next to me from 8:30-9:30, which was pretty annoying, but still got to bed pretty early, knowing that the rustling in this crowded cabin is going to start pretty damn early.
I ended up going with rain gear (and since all my other cloths were soaking wet, and it was pretty hot, nothing else) and this was the correct decision, since it was either drizzling or raining all day long.
The hike was great however, all on a trail with an impressive amount of stairs and ramps that really made things much more pleasant. First you ascend to around 1600m, where there are a couple little alpine marshes that look like a sort of natural ornate Japanese garden. Then you ascend further to the high ridge of the island, which is a little similar to the high mountains of New England, but incredibly lush, with a carpet of thick plants and grass over everything but the giant boulders that would stick threw. I saw a couple of deer up here and was quite excited as they seemed not to afraid of me, and I got some nice pictures.
I finally did make it to the top of the highest mountain, around 1950m. The wind was pretty strong up there, and it was tantalizingly close to breaking threw the top of the cloud cover, but it was not meant to be. Still got some amazing views along the ridge when the clouds would break for a moment.
Then descended down to the next hut on the other side, seeing several more deer, which I was now getting used to seeing. More exciting, a pack of Monkeys was crossing the trail right before the hut, and I had close encounters with several of them as they crossed in front of and behind me, but alas no good pictures.
I was the first one to the hut (I am a pretty fast hiker in Japan). This one was nicer then the last, with higher ceilings and more light. I was hoping a few more people would show up, so I was not solo, but I figured that it was pretty early, so nothing to worry about.
I did not have anything to worry about because eventually the hut filled with about 30 people, which was just about capacity. Met a few nice people there like a outdoorsy older guy from Chiba who spoke pretty good English, as well as a friendly solo girl who's English was not so good. I ate my second dinner of PB&J, which horrified the Japanese hikers, who carry all the best equipment, and would probably not hike up Mt. Major without a stove. Needless to say, the girl set me up with some Miso soup, which was nice. I few rounds of Whisky and Sho-Cho later and I am in bed by 8:30, true Japanese style.
The only catch was the middle aged women next to me decided to re-arrange her pack next to me from 8:30-9:30, which was pretty annoying, but still got to bed pretty early, knowing that the rustling in this crowded cabin is going to start pretty damn early.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Rest of Yakushima Story
Rest assured that my trip accross Yakushima greatly improved over that last post, but I have been unable to spend any quality time in the Manga Kissa the last few days, thus the lack of posts. This will probabaly continue for a little while because I am not out at this big Volcano Aso-san and there is only limited internet out here.
Yakushima Traverse - Day 1
So after a dip in an Onsen and a nice breakfast I headed out on my 3day hike to traverse Yakushima island. Basically this hike wouldcross the island, taking me through rain forests with giant ceders,and up a mountain the size of Mt. Washington, starting and ending at sea level.
Before I left the guesthouse the owner warned about the difficulty ofthe traverse, but because of the limits of his English I did not knowexactly why. Anyway, I figured I would start up the trail, and ifthings got to hairy I could always go back. Also, another layer ofdifficulty is that the only English language info I could find isLonely Planet's Hiking in Japan from 2001, so I knew that someinformation could be out of date. However, the goal for today seemedpretty straightforward, hike to the Yodagama hut at 1250m.
So, I started off on a hot sunny day, looking up at the clouds andknowing that rain would come eventually. But this is one of therainiest places on earth, so what are you going to do? The firstcouple of hours of the hike were uneventful. The trail was a littleless well cleared then what I am used to in NH, but was well markedwith florescent tape markers. The rain also held off until I made thenice waterfall at 450m above sea level.
After the waterfall however, things started to go downhill (despitethe 800m of uphill climbing to go). It started to pour, as I hadexpected. The forest got denser and denser, also as I had expected.
The trail got worse and worse, this was not expected.
This trail was the worst of both worlds. It continued to bewell marked with tape, and even had occasional signs indicating, inJapanese and without distances, that I was going in the right direction. However, the track seemed close to abandoned. I had to circumvent numerous giant ceders that had fallen across the path, noeasy task in a rain forest I assure you. The underbrush had not beencut, meaning I had to brush up against vegetation with every step.The other problem was that with the hard rain and the overgrown trailI could not figure out where I was on the trail based on the descriptions in the book, so I had no idea how far I need to go. The only landmark that I knew I could not miss is the road that ends 1km before the hut.
So I was getting more and more aggravated, and this is when it gets really bad. I reach what turns out to be the largest stream that Ihave to wade across, it was no big deal to get across the stream, butI looked down at my legs, and there were at least 3 leaches on me. Ifound the nearest stick and swiped them off, luckily before the reallygot settled in. For the next 2 hours I was hiking threw more heavyunder brush, now having to swipe off a leach every 5 minutes. Where they were coming from I have no idea.
At this point I am really questioning my decision to come up here,because if there is going to be 3 days of hiking like this, it is justgoing to be miserable. I am seriously considering finding a ride back down the road when I get to it or worst case walking back down. Anyway, at about the lowest point I pop out at the top of the road(about 1000m elevation). There is no drink machine, which is very disappointing, but it is incredibly nice to know where I am for once,and to be out of that jungle.
I decide at this point that since it is only 1km or so to the hut, I will see what the trail is like up there and then decide what to do. Starting on the trail to the hut, it is entirely different, in fact itis one of the best maintained trails I have ever been on. It is stillraining mind you, but the trail is cut very wide and there arecountless wooden stairs and ramps to keep you out of the mud and to make the climbing easier.
In a few minutes I get to the hut and since the trail is improved I decide to spend the night as planned. My spirits are greatly improved by some dry cloths and a place to sit out of the rain on the porch of the hut. The hut is an unmanned cabin that is about a 20 foot square room with sleeping lofts on either side. I did not really want to be solo out in the woods, so it was really nice that a couple from Tokyowere staying there as well, they were also very friendly and spoke English, which was nice.
The only downside of the cabin I was first turned on to by a sign in English and Japanese that read in English "The rats haunt near theYodagama hut. Please keep your foodstuffs in your rucksack". Ghost rats sound pretty scary, so I ask my new Japanese friends for a better translation and they tell me that the word for rat and mouse in Japanese is the same (Nazumi) and the sign just says to keep your food in your bag because of the mice. I am happy because this is a lot less scary.
We all go to bed at around dusk, as Japanese hikers do, and then the noises start. I got only fits of sleep all night long, because some animals, that were a lot bigger then mice, were banging around outside the cabin. Needless to say, I think ghost rats was actually a pretty good description. Anyway, I am glad I was not alone, or I might have headed for the hills.
Before I left the guesthouse the owner warned about the difficulty ofthe traverse, but because of the limits of his English I did not knowexactly why. Anyway, I figured I would start up the trail, and ifthings got to hairy I could always go back. Also, another layer ofdifficulty is that the only English language info I could find isLonely Planet's Hiking in Japan from 2001, so I knew that someinformation could be out of date. However, the goal for today seemedpretty straightforward, hike to the Yodagama hut at 1250m.
So, I started off on a hot sunny day, looking up at the clouds andknowing that rain would come eventually. But this is one of therainiest places on earth, so what are you going to do? The firstcouple of hours of the hike were uneventful. The trail was a littleless well cleared then what I am used to in NH, but was well markedwith florescent tape markers. The rain also held off until I made thenice waterfall at 450m above sea level.
After the waterfall however, things started to go downhill (despitethe 800m of uphill climbing to go). It started to pour, as I hadexpected. The forest got denser and denser, also as I had expected.
The trail got worse and worse, this was not expected.
This trail was the worst of both worlds. It continued to bewell marked with tape, and even had occasional signs indicating, inJapanese and without distances, that I was going in the right direction. However, the track seemed close to abandoned. I had to circumvent numerous giant ceders that had fallen across the path, noeasy task in a rain forest I assure you. The underbrush had not beencut, meaning I had to brush up against vegetation with every step.The other problem was that with the hard rain and the overgrown trailI could not figure out where I was on the trail based on the descriptions in the book, so I had no idea how far I need to go. The only landmark that I knew I could not miss is the road that ends 1km before the hut.
So I was getting more and more aggravated, and this is when it gets really bad. I reach what turns out to be the largest stream that Ihave to wade across, it was no big deal to get across the stream, butI looked down at my legs, and there were at least 3 leaches on me. Ifound the nearest stick and swiped them off, luckily before the reallygot settled in. For the next 2 hours I was hiking threw more heavyunder brush, now having to swipe off a leach every 5 minutes. Where they were coming from I have no idea.
At this point I am really questioning my decision to come up here,because if there is going to be 3 days of hiking like this, it is justgoing to be miserable. I am seriously considering finding a ride back down the road when I get to it or worst case walking back down. Anyway, at about the lowest point I pop out at the top of the road(about 1000m elevation). There is no drink machine, which is very disappointing, but it is incredibly nice to know where I am for once,and to be out of that jungle.
I decide at this point that since it is only 1km or so to the hut, I will see what the trail is like up there and then decide what to do. Starting on the trail to the hut, it is entirely different, in fact itis one of the best maintained trails I have ever been on. It is stillraining mind you, but the trail is cut very wide and there arecountless wooden stairs and ramps to keep you out of the mud and to make the climbing easier.
In a few minutes I get to the hut and since the trail is improved I decide to spend the night as planned. My spirits are greatly improved by some dry cloths and a place to sit out of the rain on the porch of the hut. The hut is an unmanned cabin that is about a 20 foot square room with sleeping lofts on either side. I did not really want to be solo out in the woods, so it was really nice that a couple from Tokyowere staying there as well, they were also very friendly and spoke English, which was nice.
The only downside of the cabin I was first turned on to by a sign in English and Japanese that read in English "The rats haunt near theYodagama hut. Please keep your foodstuffs in your rucksack". Ghost rats sound pretty scary, so I ask my new Japanese friends for a better translation and they tell me that the word for rat and mouse in Japanese is the same (Nazumi) and the sign just says to keep your food in your bag because of the mice. I am happy because this is a lot less scary.
We all go to bed at around dusk, as Japanese hikers do, and then the noises start. I got only fits of sleep all night long, because some animals, that were a lot bigger then mice, were banging around outside the cabin. Needless to say, I think ghost rats was actually a pretty good description. Anyway, I am glad I was not alone, or I might have headed for the hills.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Onsen Adventures
I just got back from Yakushima, a small island south of Japan.
In the next post I will start describing my long hike, but before then a few words about my first two trips to the Onsen, or hot spring bath.
The guesthouse I stayed at the first night in Yakushima was near many well known Onsens. So, I knew that I was going to have to try one out at some point, but I have to admit I was a little nervous the first time because it seems like a time where the rules of etiquette would be easily broken. For those who do now know, the basic idea of the Onsen is this:
1) Go in the men's side (they are usually broken up into two sections).
2) Get naked in the little changing room.
3) Go into the main Onsen room with only your little Onsen towel (about the size of a small hand towel, I got mine for 200 yen at the Onsen).
4) Soap up and wash off sitting on a little stool with the buckets and showers provided.
5) Go into the Onsen.
6) Get out, go to the locker room, dry off and put your cloths back on.
So, I did as instructed and did not ruffle any feathers (as far as I know). The Onsen near the hotel was quite hot, but pretty enjoyable, once you get over the strangeness as a westerner of being around a bunch of naked Japanese guys. I also did deduce the etiquette for the little towel, which I had kind of wondered how it would work. Basically, you keep it covering everything up front whenever you are just walking around, but it seems that you usually leave it aside when showering or in the Onsen itself.
So the next day I wake up at 6:30, because all of my roommates have as well, and someone tells me to get up and come with them to this famous Onsen. I was up anyway so I figured why not. Anyway, 8 of us head out there, and I find out that the reason we are going so early is that this is down by the ocean, and you have to go at low tide. We get there and it is really cool, basically there is a concrete ramp down to a pad with several baths that are nestled in the rocks, just a few feet from the crashing waves.
However, I know was going to have to feel out the etiquette once again, because this was just one outdoor onsen, and we were a mixed sex bunch of people. So, I did the usual and just waited to see what everyone else did. The result is less exciting then you would hope, and kind of sexist actually.
So for the guys, you basically do what you normally do, except you bring the little towel in the bath with you and stay more vigilant then usual about keeping everything up front under wraps. The girls basically bring a big beach towel and wear it like a dress, keeping it on at all times. I say it is a little sexist, because basically the guys don't change anything at all, but the girls have to totally change the onsen routine. I am guessing however that they probably prefer it that way.
In the next post I will start describing my long hike, but before then a few words about my first two trips to the Onsen, or hot spring bath.
The guesthouse I stayed at the first night in Yakushima was near many well known Onsens. So, I knew that I was going to have to try one out at some point, but I have to admit I was a little nervous the first time because it seems like a time where the rules of etiquette would be easily broken. For those who do now know, the basic idea of the Onsen is this:
1) Go in the men's side (they are usually broken up into two sections).
2) Get naked in the little changing room.
3) Go into the main Onsen room with only your little Onsen towel (about the size of a small hand towel, I got mine for 200 yen at the Onsen).
4) Soap up and wash off sitting on a little stool with the buckets and showers provided.
5) Go into the Onsen.
6) Get out, go to the locker room, dry off and put your cloths back on.
So, I did as instructed and did not ruffle any feathers (as far as I know). The Onsen near the hotel was quite hot, but pretty enjoyable, once you get over the strangeness as a westerner of being around a bunch of naked Japanese guys. I also did deduce the etiquette for the little towel, which I had kind of wondered how it would work. Basically, you keep it covering everything up front whenever you are just walking around, but it seems that you usually leave it aside when showering or in the Onsen itself.
So the next day I wake up at 6:30, because all of my roommates have as well, and someone tells me to get up and come with them to this famous Onsen. I was up anyway so I figured why not. Anyway, 8 of us head out there, and I find out that the reason we are going so early is that this is down by the ocean, and you have to go at low tide. We get there and it is really cool, basically there is a concrete ramp down to a pad with several baths that are nestled in the rocks, just a few feet from the crashing waves.
However, I know was going to have to feel out the etiquette once again, because this was just one outdoor onsen, and we were a mixed sex bunch of people. So, I did the usual and just waited to see what everyone else did. The result is less exciting then you would hope, and kind of sexist actually.
So for the guys, you basically do what you normally do, except you bring the little towel in the bath with you and stay more vigilant then usual about keeping everything up front under wraps. The girls basically bring a big beach towel and wear it like a dress, keeping it on at all times. I say it is a little sexist, because basically the guys don't change anything at all, but the girls have to totally change the onsen routine. I am guessing however that they probably prefer it that way.
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