Mt. Arima

This was one of my most ambitious hikes in Japan especially since I did it solo. I had to wake up very early at around 5AM just to catch the train and bus to the trailhead. I also wasn't able to get good sleep but that wasn't going to stop me from accomplishing the goal I have set for myself. This was a long 17 km route that took almost 9 hours to complete. The journey going took more than 2 hours but I was able to have a good start as I made my way to the trail head which took also took around 40 minutes to reach and I was already feeling it a bit and I wasn't even at the start yet. I had to conserve both my food and water. This indeed was a journey with just myself and nature as there was nary a soul doing this hike. I remember pricking my finger at one of the plants as well, taking it as a rite of passage I ventured onwards. The trail itself was actually closed off strangely enough which made me a bit nervous but I remember one of the guides I read online state that it was okay to push through and so I followed the GPS and was finally able to start hiking. The path was extremely forested and unmaintained at all with thick vegetation growing almost ankle high. It was both exciting and nerve-wracking. The first checkpoint was Mt. Arima and it will be taking me a little more than 2 hours just to reach it. The inclines were steep and really taxing but I pushed forward nevertheless. It would have to settle down sooner or later I thought to myself, but it never did. I passed through a dilapidated house and decided to take a rest by a small waterfall. Continuing forward, up and up through a zig-zagging path that seemed to go on endlessly until I reached a crossroads. From there, I followed it and on and on it went, taking me through paths covered with tall pampas grass that I had to use my arms to shield my face while moving forward. All the while, the inclines never seemed to stop. There were plenty of times I would have gotten lost if not for the app guiding me as the paths were almost invisible to the naked eye due to the overgrowth. The views however were nothing short of outstanding, surrounded by mountains made it all worth it. I did make it to Mt. Arima after a grueling trip up, I made the mistake of wearing thicker socks as well and soon realized I was getting blisters and still at the beginning of the hike to boot. It was going to be a challenge for sure.Læs mere