The Precipice: Kumano Kodo Adventure

Day 9 - 5/4

This day marked our last full vacation day, and our last day of hiking. The manager of our hotel was kind enough to take us into town and drop us off at our new day's starting point, which saved us the cost of the bus ride. We offered her money for gas, but she refused in typical Japanese fashion and said it was a part of the hotel's service.

We hiked about 16km, stopping briefly for lunch, which consisted of pasta, tuna, and beef jerky. We ended up climbing two shorter mountains, but we were certainly tired and worn out by the time our hike reached an end. Our packs regained their heaviness during the hike and our legs, their soreness. We were very happy to find a bus stop 2km from our next hotel; unfortunately the highway was a little dangerous to walk along and the next bus didn't arrive for another hour and a half. We decided to call the hotel to ask if they could pick us up and within only a few minutes, a van pulled up with the hotel's name posted on its side and we were greeted by a kind, elderly gentleman.

We were at our hotel within two minutes and were eager to take off our sweaty socks and jump in the shower. We had a delicious Japanese dinner in the hotel dining room and went to bed shortly thereafter.

We all agreed that we were grateful that we got one more hike in before returning to Yokohama. Though the hike was strenuous for all of us, the weather was perfect, we saw a few gorgeous landscapes, and we were able to make one last campers' meal with the portable gas-fire stove. Today was the perfect way to end our adventurous expedition.

The trip was a physically demanding journey, and I'm not sure I've ever done anything quite like it. The cuisine and hotels levied much of the emotional discomfort as we dined and slept as royals most nights. I really felt like I was able to experience a lot of Japanese culture on this trip and see some of the most spectacular misty mountain views that I may ever see. Japan is a simply beautiful country with so many surprises that are worth the time to explore! I am incredibly grateful for having been able to embark on such a journey. The two guys I went with made for great company, as well, which makes any journey worth its while. An journey alone is never enjoyed as much as an adventure shared.

I've already considered my next hiking adventure since this trip; I plan to hike Fuji from 'Sea-to-Summit' in July! The hike will start at the beach early in the morning, with the goal of reaching the summit by sunrise. This will give me 24 hours to travel 47km and ascend 3.8km. I'm very excited for this next challenge and can't wait to tell you all how it goes!

I hope you enjoyed reading my 9-day journal of our trip! And thanks for reading this far!