Mt. Akagi

Kanya, from Indonesia, invited me to go hiking with Ogura-sensei. It was perfect as it was something that I had been meaning to do especially during autumn. We met up at the train station and went off to Gunma where Ogura-sensei was waiting for us. He was an avid mountain hiker but also a very kind soul, he pays for the hiking expenses of students who are interested in going hiking with him out of his own pocket. The same applied to me even though I wasn't even a student. He didn't want to wait for the bus as there was a long line so he opted to go for a taxi which was really expensive but we didn't have to pay anything. We arrived near the trailhead and went near the river and saw a lot of koi fish and ducks swimming about. There was a famous red bridge leading up to the shrine where we offered our prayers before climbing.

The hike itself was very easy, though Kanya seemed to have a harder time. There were a lot of people and sometimes there were lines, a lot of boulders to scale up on but nothing too difficult. We had some snacks along the way, checking out various view points with stunning visas of brown and yellow trees extending all the way as far as the eye can see. We also got to see one of the lakes on top of the other side of the mountain. The trail became easier as we got higher, we even saw a pampas grass field. When we finally go to the summit, we had some more stuff to eat and enjoyed the view before starting the way back down. Downhill always has a bit more added pressure on the knees, my legs were wobbly but we zigzagged all the way back down. Sensei and I wanted to go to another hike up toward the lake but Kanya was already too pooped so we decided to go to the nearby marshlands instead. Definitely a better choice walking around the wooden boardwalk, nice views of the mountain and trees. A bit chilly as the sun started to go down.

We got on a bus going to an onsen which is always the perfect idea after a hike. Getting to soak at the outdoor baths while watching the sunset in the nude, really felt so good. Sensei treated us to dinner before Kanya and I headed back to Tokyo.Read more