Rain again today – torrential rain, fog, and the dregs of cyclonic winds off to the east! Added to that, a VERY steep, and seemingly never ending hill to climb, and then of course to descend. The bonus was that we started on a good breakfast . We had cereal, toast, eggs – as well as the usual options of salad and miso soup etc. This was a real boost for us.
The day started OK weather wise, in a lightish drizzle, with the forest protecting us. I used my umbrella for the first part of the climb, knowing that I would be just as wet if I put on my raincoat, however, when the heavens opened I decided it would be judicious to use both umbrella and raincoat for protection.
Everyone knew that this was going to be a tough day. People were up early and ready to go – with a line-up of their bags to be sent off left at the front door. The climb had a very long, steep gradient, mostly, as it turned out, up a continual staircase. As usual I was miles behind Neil, and being passed by everyone. This doesn’t worry me, I just keep going as steadily as I can, and eventually get there.
This was another day with a detour around a landslide. Sometimes the detours are a bonus as they often follow a forest road and because these are for vehicles the gradient is much less steep, which this one was. The downside of this is that it does add extra distance on the day. At the end of the detour I caught up with Neil briefly at a rest stop, a lovely shelter, before he set off on the descent again. I had lunch and followed him down the hill, pushing it where I could, but being very careful on the stones. There was yet another smaller pass to negotiate and it was here that I had to stop, dismantle the umbrella, and rescue my pack cover as it was in danger of being blown away due to the ferocious winds that had risen!
At what I thought was the bottom of the descent I was faced with another 1½ kms of stone steps to negotiate – “not happy Jan”. Out in the open it was quite light (just before 4pm), but descending those steps I was in the half dark, with very poor light due to the heavy clouds and dense canopy above me. It was one of those descents that seemed to be never ending, and it wasn’t till I had one short flight of steps to negotiate that I knew I was in the town. I could hear the roar of the waterfall, for which Nachisan is famous, but that was the only indication that I might be near my destination. This 1½ kms took just over an hour to complete and so I just missed the open shops to enquire where the hotel was. One man directed me, but I couldn’t understand him. I wandered up and down steps, the length of roads, and still no joy! Eventually I went down one final flight of steps, by now with only the benefit of the few street lights around as it was totally dark, and found the hotel. I arrived at the door, like a drowned rat, just as Neil was sitting with the man at the front desk, trying to describe what I was wearing to the police!!
A shower, and a brief wallow in the onsen, before a late dinner (6.30!!), was great for restoring my humour. Outside the gale blew, rattling the windows, and rather than the typical tropical rain falling straight down it was being pelted on the window. Dinner was a lot of fish – raw tuna amongst it.
The problem with the day’s activities is that a number of times I slipped, jarring my knee. This will probably mean that I won’t be able to walk some of the next leg that we are planning, but that is a few days away so will wait and see.
and it starts! Up!
Everyone knew that this was going to be a tough day. People were up early and ready to go – with a line-up of their bags to be sent off left at the front door. The climb had a very long, steep gradient, mostly, as it turned out, up a continual staircase. As usual I was miles behind Neil, and being passed by everyone. This doesn’t worry me, I just keep going as steadily as I can, and eventually get there.
up, up, up
The fog, and still climbing
This was another day with a detour around a landslide. Sometimes the detours are a bonus as they often follow a forest road and because these are for vehicles the gradient is much less steep, which this one was. The downside of this is that it does add extra distance on the day. At the end of the detour I caught up with Neil briefly at a rest stop, a lovely shelter, before he set off on the descent again. I had lunch and followed him down the hill, pushing it where I could, but being very careful on the stones. There was yet another smaller pass to negotiate and it was here that I had to stop, dismantle the umbrella, and rescue my pack cover as it was in danger of being blown away due to the ferocious winds that had risen!
At what I thought was the bottom of the descent I was faced with another 1½ kms of stone steps to negotiate – “not happy Jan”. Out in the open it was quite light (just before 4pm), but descending those steps I was in the half dark, with very poor light due to the heavy clouds and dense canopy above me. It was one of those descents that seemed to be never ending, and it wasn’t till I had one short flight of steps to negotiate that I knew I was in the town. I could hear the roar of the waterfall, for which Nachisan is famous, but that was the only indication that I might be near my destination. This 1½ kms took just over an hour to complete and so I just missed the open shops to enquire where the hotel was. One man directed me, but I couldn’t understand him. I wandered up and down steps, the length of roads, and still no joy! Eventually I went down one final flight of steps, by now with only the benefit of the few street lights around as it was totally dark, and found the hotel. I arrived at the door, like a drowned rat, just as Neil was sitting with the man at the front desk, trying to describe what I was wearing to the police!!
The last flight of steps into Nacjsan, out of the dark forest at last.
A shower, and a brief wallow in the onsen, before a late dinner (6.30!!), was great for restoring my humour. Outside the gale blew, rattling the windows, and rather than the typical tropical rain falling straight down it was being pelted on the window. Dinner was a lot of fish – raw tuna amongst it.
The problem with the day’s activities is that a number of times I slipped, jarring my knee. This will probably mean that I won’t be able to walk some of the next leg that we are planning, but that is a few days away so will wait and see.
Nachisan. The three tiered Pagoda, wich Nachi Falls behind.
No comments:
Post a Comment