Hello and welcome to my LIKETHEHIKE blog.

I’m PJ and I write about the hikes I take, giving you insights, photos, commentary, tips and tools so you can enjoy hiking and embrace the experience.

DAY SIX & DAY SEVEN – KOGUCHI TO UKEGAWA, TAKIO TO TOTSUKAWA

After three days on the trails and a rest day, we were ready for our next adventure. However, the rain gods had other ideas. Overnight the heavens opened and we woke to this.

It was forecast to rain for 24-36 hours solid. And it wasn’t a drizzle here or there, it was rain with regular thunderstorms just to spice it up.

TB and I did a hike maybe three years ago in the Gold Coast hinterland called the Warrie Circuit. It’s a 14km loop – 7km down into the forest floor, past some majestic waterfalls and then 7km back up. Usually it’s a lovely hike. Except if its raining. Then it becomes 8 hours of unpleasant, gluggy, muddy hot mess. The enjoyment of the hike disappeared as the day became an injury prevention exercise…

So, hiking the Koguchi to Ukegawa leg in steady rain on an unknown trail, steep terrain and slippery stones didn’t appeal to either of us.

TIP – KNOW YOUR LIMITS

Everyone has a fair idea of what their body and mind can do on a hike. Pushing beyond those limits can be done when you’re in a safe space and for a short period, however, everyone has a tip point where they feel unsafe or out of control. Knowing when to stop, or not start at all isn’t failing, it’s understanding what you can safely achieve and importantly, what you can enjoy. I prefer to live to fight another day than take unnecessary risks and make life miserable.

Day six turned into a tourist day in Shingu and Kii-Katsuura, ducking the rain and exploring. PS – I was very happy with the waterproof performance of my Kathmandu rain jacket 🙂

Day seven we awoke to pretty much the same conditions as the day before – rain. It was supposed to clear late morning, but that meant we would need to start on the Yakio to Totsugawa leg in the train and after 36 hours worth of rain had fallen on the trail. The terrain map told quite a scary story……

So, rather than tackle the above, we decided to hike the Hongu to Fushiogami-oji trail up and back. Less risky but still meaningful. Life is nothing without compromise.

Kumano Hongu Taisha to Fushiogami-oji and back

As we discovered, tourists take a bus up from Hongu to the shrine at Hosshinmon and then walk back down the mountainside, about 7km. This meant as we walked up, we encountered a number of tourists wandering back down. We got some odd looks, I’m guessing we were the only ones heading up the hill, and the only ones in hiking gear. Good news – the rain had stopped and the skies cleared pretty quickly to a nice day.

We started the hike by climbing the stairs up to the Hongu shrine precinct. I didn’t do a count, but it was a good way to loosen up leg muscles.

The grounds of the shrine precinct remind me of a bustling little village, with something always happening. There are shops, pilgrims, tour groups, a working post box and then the three main shrine areas. TB and I actually got to pray at the shrine, I was terrified I would get the order of “clap and bow” wrong – but it all worked out OK. Whew.

The trail picks up on the street at the ‘back’ of the shrine precinct. It’s easy to find, just walk ‘upstream’ through the tourists! A stone staircase takes you up to the start of the forest, past a lovely little shrine and a small, peaceful cemetery with beautiful traditional headstones.

The rain had stopped, but the trail heading up the mountain was still pretty soggy with the wide steps forming little swimming pools. Not sure how the tourists in sneakers were managing coming down, I’m guessing there were some wet feet!

About 1.5km up the trail, there was a loop deviation up to a viewing area where we decided to have a coffee. It gave us a majestic view of the Oyunohara O-torii, the largest torii shrine gate in the world at 34m tall and 42m wide. We had seen it up close earlier in the week – pretty impressive.

TB and I had a bit of fun on the hike taking lots of photos. We passed a rest pavilion adjacent to the Sangen-jaya Teahouse Remains and crossed a cute bridge to get over the road. So many things to look at – and we got to see them going up and coming back down!

We arrived at our destination around 1pm, and we had our bento box from our ryokan so it seemed only logical to sit, look at the view and eat.

The teahouse was shut so no ‘forest juice’ to be purchased, but we could still sit and relax. The seating area overlooked a small tea plantation, and it was during lunch that we noticed that the bushes were ‘moving’, as if there was a wind blowing, but it was a still day.

It was then that we saw them. MONKEYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About the size of a golden retriever, and brown in colour. Once you saw one, you started to see them everywhere. There was a troop of about 30 monkeys in the plantation and in the surrounding trees. What a treat!

After a very entertaining lunch break, we retraced our steps back down the mountain to Hongu.

It certainly wasn’t a long hike compared to what we had achieved overall on Kumano Kodo, but it certainly was an enjoyable one. There and back was about 10km and well worth it.

This was our last hike on the Kumano, as we were heading further into the mountains to stay at Koyasan and explore for a couple of days, and then back to Tokyo and Australia.

MY THOUGHTS ON KUMANO KODO

Taking time out from my life to hike in a forest wasn’t a lifelong goal, but as you get older, priorities shift and hiking in Japan became something that TB and I wanted to do together.

With families and jobs, going away for 10 days would be a challenge, and there is never a good time – but we found a slot that worked and went for it. And I’m so pleased we did.

This experience was one in a million. It allowed me to relax and breathe. It allowed me to think just of myself and my needs. It allowed me to smile and laugh. A lot. It allowed me to embrace physical challenges and see what I could really do. It allowed me to dip into a different culture and experience some amazing hospitality.

And finally, after over 30 years it allowed me to travel and holiday with my sister. For the first time.

Pretty special huh… 🙂

I got to walk along paths that are over one thousand years old, through remote villages that housed people six hundred years ago. I got to touch shrines that have been touched by generations and generations of pilgrims. I got to smell the forests, feel the rain and see some amazing things.

I returned home refreshed and energised, looking forward to my next hiking adventure. What better accolade could there be than wanting to do it all again ?!

Thanks Kumano Kodo for an incredible experience.

See you out on the trails.

PJ

Hello and welcome to my LIKETHEHIKE blog.

I’m PJ and I write about the hikes I take, giving you insights, photos, commentary, tips and tools so you can enjoy hiking and embrace the experience.

It’s day two of our hiking adventure on Kumano Kodo, and when we last chatted, we had completed our first epic day on the trails!

DAY TWO – CHIKATSUYU TO HONGU TAISHA GRAND SHRINE

TB and I set off from our wonderful ryokan accommodation in Chikatsuyu at around 7am. It was a chilly morning, maybe around 5 degrees but the sun was shining and all was well with the world. I was slightly stiff in my legs, but not sore and certainly not impeded after a great night’s sleep.

Adjacent to the ryokan we found a green thumbed local who had created a series of topiary bushes – of pandas!! Or perhaps Asiatic black bears…? Very cute.

FIRST LEG – CHIKATSUYU TO KOBIRO-OJI

So, first things first. Here’s the map for our second day hiking. Ignore the day 3 notation, that’s day 3 of our total trip including travel days. And ignore the pink bit, were were scheduled to hike from the green dotted line ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE MAP.

TB and I spent some time the previous evening going over the plans for today, specifically our timings. After the first day we were conscious of the need to be off the trail by 4.30pm at the latest. We decided that 25km through challenging terrain was a bit of a stretch for one day, even with an early start.

Our ryokan hosts were very obliging with bus information, and they said we could take a local bus from the end of the street to Kobiro-Oji, departing around 7.10am. This would trim off about 8km and make the day a workable 18km. Also, if you look closely, the first section from Chikatsuyu to Kobiro was on a paved surface, so not in the forests.

So, we caught the bus and lived to fight another day 🙂

SECOND LEG – KOBIRO-OJI TO MIKOSHI-TOGE PASS

The bus trip to Kobiro was pretty quick, around 20 minutes. We were sorted – poles out and ready to walk before 8am. We had our lunch on board (chicken sandwiches) and off we went. It was a gentle downhill gradient to start with, which gave leg muscles time to warm up, then it was up the mountain.

We wound our way upward, and rather than going straight up, the trail switched back and forth, and then tracked along the side of the mountain. When we had a view, it was quite lovely, but the hiking vista of the trails was just as pretty.

That’s me at the top of Detour Pass, a little ‘perspired’. Notice that the scarf and other warm clothing is now gone – and pretty soon the jacket came off! It was a cardio morning session, but definitely easier than day one.

The next section was a lovely downward treat for about 3km. We wandered through forests, passed little shrines, crossed old bridges and started to see the famous stone pathways and stairs that make Kumano globally recognised.

We could slow down and really drink in the sights, the sounds – the ambience of the trail.

It’s very difficult to capture in a photo how Kumano impacts you. It makes you feel special way deep down – at the point of who you are, and just as importantly, who you want to be. It gives you the space, time and simplicity to think about things. You feel part of something so much bigger than yourself and to have that mental and emotional space to reflect is very precious.

CAUTION – MANIC vs MINDFUL HIKING

When I start a hike, I do a bit of a self check. How am I feeling physically? Mentally? Emotionally? What do I want to get out of this hike? I can then decide who I want to set myself up mindfully. However, on day one of Kumano, I started manic hiking. It was all about getting to the top, getting to the end, getting to the finish, taking all the photos, not being last. It took about an hour for me to calm down. I reminded myself that it was my hike, my holiday – I set the pace and the rules. It’s important to approach hiking in a mindful way so you get the most out of the experience. There is incredible value in setting a pace that allows you to enjoy the day – just be off the trail by dusk!

Mikoshi-toge Pass is at the crest of the mountain, and is marked by a lovely pavilion with amenities and a covered sitting area to rest if you need to. We had a beautiful spring day, so we stopped in the sunshine for a coffee break.

Where Kumano crosses roads, there are often pavers inlaid to keep you on track.

We had been hiking during the morning within sight of Mrs and Ms Melbourne who we met the previous evening (see Hiking the Kumano #1). Mr Melbourne was a crazy fit hiker, he left Chikatsuyu the same time as we did (he was walking and we were bussing). And he caught up with us here! HIKING LEGEND!

TIP – HOT REFRESHING BEVERAGE ANYONE?

Full and multi day hikes need food and fluid to keep you sustained and hydrated. Water isn’t a lot of fun, even when you add flavour or supplements. Coffee, tea and other beverages can really perk (*boomtish*) up your hike. We found some amazing Thermos options in Tokyo for a ridiculously cheap price, probably 75% less than what they cost in Australia. We had our coffee sachets, so we simply added hot water every morning, and enjoyed a hot drink during the hike. Well worth the investment.

THIRD LEG – MIKOSHI -TOGE PASS TO HOSSHINMON-OJI

Twice in one day – we were hiking downhill again. The descent from Mikoshi to Hosshinmon was another 2-3km which was a blessing as we could slow right down and enjoy what was unfolding around us. Most of the time we followed Otonashi-gawa River downstream. We also wandered through a couple of abandoned villages – one was closed as recently as 1970 by the local council. Historically there were no bridges across the river, so pilgrims traversed the water to purify themselves on the way to the grand temple at Hongu.

From the Akagi-goe Junction to Hosshinmon it was uphill again, but a short sharp one. TB and I were so enjoying our surroundings that we missed the Kumano signpost going up – and found a dead end…..!

Once up the hill we had arrived at Hosshinmon-oji, which is a large Shinto shrine with an equally impressive torii. We had the shrine to ourselves until a couple of hikers made it up the hill behind us. TB and I decided that with only 8km to go, it was the perfect place to have lunch. Sandwiches on a wooden bench looking at a centuries old shrine. Perfect.

Fun fact – Hosshinmon is known as the ‘gate of awakening of the aspiration to enlightenment‘ and is the outermost entrance to Kumano Hongu Taisha’s sacred precincts. I think after two days hiking, this about summed up how TB and I felt walking along a thousand year old pilgrim trail.

FINAL LEG – HOSSHINMON TO HONGU

According to the map, we were only about 8km from our destination, the Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine. And it appeared it was a gentle up and down for the final leg – happy days!

This last leg was different to anything we had walked so far. It was road and trail walking as we wound our way down the mountainside through little hamlets and past houses. We peeked into back gardens and marvelled at the number of what appeared to be concrete fish tanks in yards, along with very well maintained veggie lots, orchards and tea plantations. There were lots of driveway honesty boxes with local produce for sale – it’s the same the world over 🙂

After about 90 minutes we arrived at Fushiogami-oji. Fushiogami translates as ‘kneeling down in prayer’, and as the crest provided the first sighting of Kumano Hongu Taisha, pilgrims often knelt to give thanks. There’s a lovely shrine here, along with a working teahouse which was open when we came through. We stopped for two outrageously priced ‘forest juices’ which tasted suspiciously like cordial, but who were we to argue with the ancient triumvirate who were obviously in charge?!

Now, I’m going to jump a bit in my storytelling here. We actually walked the last section from Fushiogami down to Hongu three times so I’ll save the tale (including our monkey encounter!!) for a later blog.

DESTINATION – HONGU TAISHA GRAND SHRINE

We made it! Our first grand shrine, and what a shrine! TB and I hiked for six hours and depending if you used the paper map, the AppleFitness tracker or Strava, we hiked 18.7km, 19.4km or 25.4km!

It really was a magical day. The weather was perfect, the scenery was varied and the terrain manageable. We had oodles of time to explore Hongu Shrine and really enjoyed arriving early at our destination.

We had the final challenge of getting from Hongu to our next ryokan, which was in Kawayu Onsen, about 4km out of town. However, it is really valuable to have a chat to the lovely staff at the Tourist Information Centre, who not only advised us that our accommodation had a courtesy shuttle, but they actually made the pickup call for us 🙂

ACCOMMODATION

Our accommodation for our second night on the Kumano was at Sansuikan Kawayu Midoriya which was actually a hotel on the banks of the Oto-gawa river.

Again, the hospitality was faultless. We were expected and our luggage was waiting for us, and we couldn’t wait to get unpacked in our traditional tatami room and head to the onsen.

We were lucky to be in a hotel that had both an indoor onsen and outdoor natural hot pools. The outdoor pools were great – thankfully we had yakutas to wear soaking outside – all very modest.

Dinner was an extravagant buffet in a large dining area that I’d say sat around 200 people. It appeared to be very popular with locals and tourists alike, so the place was buzzing. We were able to cook some of our dinner in a hotpot at the table – hugely entertaining to manage liquids, flames and chopsticks….We also participated in the buffet which was incredibly sumptuous. It’s quite amazing what you can pack into a tummy that’s been fuelling a long hike 🙂

TIP – GOTTA LOVE THE FOOD

Don’t skimp on your body fuel. Eating good food helps you to stay warm, move at a good pace and hike safely. When I’m hungry I tend to trip and stumble, not ideal when hiking! Carbs are your friend, especially complex carbs like rice and vegetables. Simple food works best for me. I do carry protein bars etc, but after hiking 20km, I crave clean, unprocessed food. Your body needs good fuel to operate optimally, make sure you give it the best you possibly can.

After dinner we both hit the wall.

We survived two long days back to back, and our itinerary had something different planned for day three – a traditional river cruise from Hongu down to the sea and the second major shrine at Shingu. So, day three wasn’t to be a hiking day, but a rest and recovery day. So far, so good. Stay tuned for days three and four of our hikes, as well as some blogs on ryokans and our other adventures – yay!

Thanks for tagging along, and see you out on the trails.

PJ 🙂