Day 21 - Mountains, Nature and Road Closures: Nobeoka to Takachiho Gorge + Hinatamenosato Camping Ground (85/ 1,024km; 1,200 height metres)

I got up around 8.30, packed my bags, checked out and headed to the nearest bakery on my way to Takachiho Gorge, some 50km away from Nobeoka. The journey was pretty smooth and alongside some nice river banks and smaller roads. I really loved the cycle and google for pedestrians did a good job for most of the day. I followed the Ose river as far as I could upstream, past some cute villages, forgotten houses and derelict railway stations. It was an amazing cycle, sunny, just slightly uphill but never too much, not as I had imagined when I thought I’ll be heading into the mountains. Little did it know…

I had lunch at an onsen / former railway station, where I had a hearty bowl of Champon (like ramen, but more vegetables and I replaced the meat with seafood). It was a huge bowl and it took me over 30min to eat it. This was great lunch and oh boy was I gonna need this later. I followed the river a bit further, until there was no more road. Not that the road stopped, a massive landslide buried the road, pavement and everything else beneath it. I decided not to climb over it as I didn’t fancy the news headline “stupid foreigner ignored road signs and slid to his death, with bike and all.” This would be the first of many more detours to come during the day’s ride, but little did I know at this point. The detour via another alternative road was excruciating, it was so steep uphill that at some point I decided to walk but that was even worse as my bike and luggage weigh 35-40kg and are extremely unwieldy when trying to be pushed upwards as all the weight is at the back. It was no use. I had to get back onto the bike, 1st gear and snake lines up to lessen the incline. This was going to be my main strategy for all steep slopes. And there were many of them. 

I eventually got to Takachiho and to the gorge around 12.30, surprising how quick the ride was despite the detour. To get to the gorge, it was another steep mountain down and I knew, I would have to get back up again too. I didn’t care. I got to the gorge and it was a beautiful gorge. Apparently, this was the place where the goddess Amaterasu hid in a cave, plunging the world into darkness and only being lured out by an elaborate ruse. I parked the bike, had some ice cream and a coffee, took some pictures and headed back up. Gosh, what was I thinking going back down there in the first place and not walking down. The uphill was a real struggle and it must have taken me 15min to cycle up, being overtaken by many cars no amused passengers. 

The only other place I visited was Takachiho shrine, surrounded by some ancient and tall trees. By now, it was 2pm and I thought I could make some headway towards my next day’s stop by cycling some more. I picked a nice looking campsite called Hinatamenosato Camping Ground, which stood out from google reviews and pictures. It was “only” 35km away. An easy feat I thought, maybe 2-3h. What I totally overestimated were the height metres. With another 885 height metres up and 650m down, on top of the 400m I had already climbed. 

I picked a route off the main road, aiming to save a couple of kilometres cycling. A stupid idea. The off roads took me up some far away places, past tiny villages, rice fields and past streams and forests. The hills were so steep and so long on this relatively short route that I had to stop frequently just to drench my helmet mesh from the sweat which was running over my sunglasses my neck towel, which was drenched too. I did this procedure like 3-4 times, and each time ending with a small pool of sweat next to me. What was I thinking of continuing, couldn’t I have just stayed in Takachiho and continue tomorrow? 

One steep hill followed another, the hours went by and I already feared that I would only get to the campsite after the sun went down. I raced against time as I wasn’t equipped for dark, patchy mountain roads. I encountered another 2 road closures, which meant more detours. By now, my phone was almost out of battery, seemingly drained by its desire to connect to non-existent internet. It was around 6.30 and the sun was already setting that I was fully out of energy and I still had another 8km to go. This doesn’t sound like anything on a straight road, where I could cycle this in 20-30min. But here in the mountains, this would take me another 1h by which time the sun was completely gone. I also remembered the little energy pouch that the cycle shop owner gave me some days ago, which felt like a small eternity. Now was the Tim to use it, I desperately needed a small boost!

After just one more detour due to road closures, I reached the campsite with the last light of day and already having to switch on both my headlamps to even see the road properly. I was so happy to finally turn into the campsite, just after another tunnel. My hands were already cold as the temperature had plummeted to around 10C. Th campsite was everything it promised to be. There were lovely, empty and locked wooden houses. I could hear a stream in the background and I could see many fire places. Fire, this was the first thing on my mind. Can I get a fire started as I checked the weather forecast, which took 5min to load as the internet was so bad, and it showed that it will be 5C in the night. Not what I packed and planned for but hey. A fire will make this be much better. After two failed attempts at getting a fire started with loose leaves, some sticks and whatever else I could find, I was almost out of lighter fluid and needed a starter. My notebook. I had carried it for 1,000 kilometres and hadn’t even put anything into it once. Now was it’s time to shine. I ripped off some empty pages from the back and with the last remaining lighter fluid and some more dry leaves and small sticks, the fire got going. Phew. This was one of my happiest moments over the last few weeks. The fire made everything better. I checked all the other fire places across the camp for more dry firewood and logs and found some. The evening was saved! 

I had bought some dinner in Takachiho, which weighed me down across the last 35km but again made me very happy to have it. I had some fried rice, cucumbers, and orange and later on, a small luxury, slightly salted popcorn, whilst tending the fire. It was an amazing 3h that I spent eating, looking at the sky and the fire and occasionally shifting things around to keep the heat. I also set-up my tent and remembering what I did in 2009, when i did my central Japan cycle across the Japanese Alps, which was to put the leg end of my sleeping back into my carrier bag, stuffed with some clothes and the bags for my air mattress and sleeping bag. This should keep my legs warm, and 2 jackets, trousers and socks! I headed into bed around 11.30, happy, full and not as cold as I could have been without that fire. The night sky was clear above and it was an amazing feeling being on the campsite by myself, exhausted, tired, but happy!

Note to self: 35km in the mountains are not the same as even 50km on the coast.

Night night!

A cold mountain wind blows down

on the old capital of Yoshino,

and as the autumn night deepens

I can hear the chilly pounding 

of cloth being fulled.