19/03/2023 / Last updated : 19/03/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Climbing Mt. Kamegamori at UFO line　瓶ヶ森

Oct. 31st. 2022, Michi no eki Konoka is excellent for an overnight stay. It has a restaurant that closes at 8pm as does the onsen. The onsen is very good, but I have no experience of the restaurant. I suspect river fish high on the menu as this is a fishing spot. UFO Line It is also close to the entrance to the UFO line, just before the Kanpuzan tunnel on R.194. We have driven this road before but only in thick fog, so we are here for the views. D. has checked the weather forecast and planned to be here on this day. She and the meteorological office are […]

30/08/2020 / Last updated : 01/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Befu gorge べふ峡

October 2019, Yasu michi no eki Yasu michi no eki is a little noisy, due to the piped music, until around 9 pm and the local youth use it as a gathering spot, but it calms down after 10. It is then quiet enough until the farmers start delivering produce around 6. Behind the michi no eki building is a beach with playgrounds for kids. There are also restaurants, so for shachuhaku it has up and downsides. In summer it must be far too busy. We start our day with a walk along the beach on a wooden boardwalk and realize this must be quite a popular place for families […]

18/08/2020 / Last updated : 01/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Yusuhara – Architectural wonders in the mountains – and Yasui Gorge 梼原、安居渓谷

October 2019, Yusuhara michi no eki Yusuhara michi no eki , against expectations, transpires to be a good shachuhaku spot. The upper part of the onsen car park, just below the hotel, is quiet and dark and not really so far from the toilet. A good night, with a very beautiful, starry sky. The stars are one of the pluses of getting up in the night. No, there aren’t any others. Update. October 22nd. 2022 This Michi no eki no longer exists as a shachuhaku spot. The 24-hour toilets have been demolished and one is referred to the public toilets about 200 metres up the hill. Yusuhara Town In the […]

06/08/2020 / Last updated : 01/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Uchiko and Shikoku Karst 内子、四国カルスト

October 2019, Tenku no sato Sansan and Uchiko Fresh Park Karari michi no eki Tenku no sato Sansan michi no eki is a good place to stay. It is not the first time for us to stay here so it holds up on a second visit. This, despite the torrential rain all night that remains solid in the morning. There is extremely heavy, low cloud all around. Absolutely no chance of climbing Mt. Ishizuchi today, though the weather is forecast to clear by the afternoon. We set off for Uchiko, a town with a preserved historical district. On arrival, we park at Uchiko Fresh Park Karari michi no eki. This […]

08/09/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Tsurugisan – Climbing Mount Tsurugi　剣山

November 7th. 2018 Tsurugisan 剣山 A clear, pink dawn as we set off for Tsurugisan (Mt.Tsurugi). We drive about 40 kilometres along R.438. and arrive at the chair lift station, ‘Minokoshi’, before 10 am. under a blue, blue sky in warm sunshine. The chair lift ticket is 1860-yen return, but it whisks you up from 1,420 metres to 1,750 metres in 15 mins. The summit is 1,955 metres. There are 4 courses to the top from the chair lift station ‘Nishijima’. We avoid the Ridge course – it being the shortest and most popular – and take the Yuhodo course. This is longer about 2km and, as we later discover, […]

02/09/2019 / Last updated : 05/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Nakatsu Gorge – Niyodo Blue　中津渓谷

November 2018, Bios Ogata michi-no-eki It is a national holiday and Bios Ogata is busy very early. We go for a short walk and watch the surfers, far away as the beach is very wide. There is also a flotilla of fishing boats arrayed with banners moving slowly, line astern. Suddenly the lead craft breaks away, very fast, and turns around to head back towards the port. All the rest of the boats follow suit, turning in opposite directions alternately and heading back the way they had come towards the port. Clearly some kind of festival but too far away to figure out what it was all about. Leaving the […]

02/09/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Climbing Mt. Ishizuchi　石鎚山

November 1st. 2018, Tenku no sato San san michi-no-eki. Tenku no sato San san is a good michi-no-eki to spend the night. It is quiet, and the toilet is ok. There is a village loud speaker announcement at 6.30 am but we were up early anyway to set off for Ishizuchisan. We pick up onigiri for lunch at the Lawson across the road and follow Route 12 to the Ishizuchi skyline. Tsuchigoya　土小屋 There are a few climbing routes to Mt.Ishizuchi. One of route (Omotesando) requires a Ropeway and Lift to reach the starting point at 1280m. Tsuchigoya route’s starting point is at 1492m and probably an hour shorter walk than […]

31/08/2019 / Last updated : 02/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Omogo Gorge and Iwaya-ji 面河渓、岩屋寺

October 2018, Imabari Yunoura Onsen michi no eki Imabari Yunoura onsen michi no eki is noisy, being on the main road, but I sleep well regardless. In the morning, I discover it doesn’t have an onsen, but it does have a Fog Machine. This is a dome of large, rough stones that intermittently puffs out steam. To invoke the spirit of an onsen, perhaps? Omogo Gorge 面河渓 Today our plan is to visit Iwaya-ji, a Henro Trail temple (no.45), but first we drive to Omogo-kei or Omogo Gorge. The gorge is very fine and it is an access point for climbing mountains. Consequently, it provides a walk as well as […]