D3 - back from Kawaguchiko towards Tokyo

Route: Kawaguchiko - Otsuki
Bicycle: 29 km
Train: 80 km
Total ascent: 206 m
Average speed: 15.2 km/h
Riding time: 1:55
Weather: very sunny and hot, 29C

I had so many plans how to return from Kawaguchi to Tokyo:

• through Doshi michi to Hashimoto
• over Ashigara pass to  ShinMatsuda
• over Nagao pass and Kintaro Hakone line to ShinMatsuda
• ...

But finally none of them were put into action due to the heat. While yesterday the temperature was perfect for climbing up Mt. Fuji today it was definitely too hot to enjoy cycling. I got side tracked early on in my route to Yamanakako by the clearly visible Fuji and the pagoda... so I went first to the pagoda to get an iconic picture.

As an iconic place it gets a lot of tourists. But today at least there was a very clear view of Mt. Fuji. Yet some tourists complained that the place was overrated. Well, I guess if you are by train or by car, it is quite cumbersome to come here, just for one picture, but as a cyclist it is kind of okay. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here... but I was in the area anyway. 

But the better view I had on my roll down towards Otsuki at this rice field reflecting Mt. Fuji: 

Otherwise the ride was eventless. I have done this ride down to Otsuki already a number of times... So far I only managed once to cycle back from Mt. Fuji in a meaningful way (I cycled down to the city of Fuji on the Pacific coast), but else I always took a train or just rolled down to Otsuki. I really want to get over Mikuni pass some day. But today was not the day and I was happy with my decision to just get down to Otsuki and home early. It even allowed me to do some gardening tasks in the afternoon in Tokyo and some other things at home on my day off. 

D2 - Fuji Subaru Line

Route: Up to the 5th station of Mt Fuji
Bicycle: 68 km
Total ascent: 1509 m 
Average speed: 13,6 km/h
Riding time: 5 h 
Weather: Sunny , not too warm, not too cold, around 20C

Living in Japan means going up Mount Fuji. Hiking I tried once 31 years ago and only got from the 5th to either the 6th or the 7th station. But by bicycle today, I managed to get up all the way to the 5th station where the road ends.

I had some trepidations about this long climb, but finally it was easily rideable, just very long and I have to admit a little bit boring.

The gradient is relatively stable, I think the steepest section of 1 km was slightly below 9%. There are pillars every kilometer so you have a good idea where you are and they also tell you the expected average gradient for the next kilometer.

Although there are a lot of cyclist going up, and maybe this weekend even more than normally, because next weekend is the  big hill climb challenge… However, there is no vending machine or water up until to the fourth station at 2020 m of elevation. 

The bottle I bought down still in the village at the convenience store was empty after about 6 km. Actually, it wasn’t empty, but I tried not to empty it until I knew where I could find some water. I found on the map a glamping site and was able to get additional drinks from their vending machine. I also asked a cyclist on the route, if he knew some vending machine up, but it turned out that the machine he remembered didn’t exist anymore. Surprisingly, there was no vending machine at the toll gate, where even as a cyclist you need to pay ¥280 as entrance fee. Which is only a 10th of a car.

After that, the “stations” of Mount Fuji start. When I attempted to hike up Mount Fuji back in 1995 it was a very frustrating experience. I knew we started at the fifth station and the tenth station is on the top so you start hiking, and we hiked at night, and after a while you start seeing some lights in the distance and think “okay, great there comes the sixth station”. And so far so good. Then you continue and relatively swiftly after, you see some more lights so I thought “okay, well that’s going better than I thought that must be the seventh station”. But that is not true. It is simply that the sixth station has a lot of different accommodations. I don’t know if I would have managed to get all the way up if I had known in advance, but it was extremely demotivating to be still at the sixth station even after passing so many huts that I always thought “okay, now this must be the seventh station”. So finally, we spent the night on a bench in front of one of those stations. 

For the cyclist cyber this problem doesn’t exist. There are markers every 100 m how much kilometers are missing to the fifth station and also the 1st to 4th station are generally only one. However, really only at the fourth station there is a place where you can buy food and drinks. I actually don’t know about the food. The place was already closed.

I’m writing a lot about drinks rather than my cycling experience. But I have to admit I’m paranoid of running out of water while cycling. I don’t think I ever actually did run out of water and I always have two bottles which probably together are a little bit over 1 L. When the first bottle gets about half empty, I start with my paranoia where I can find some more water. Normally in Japan, this paranoia isn’t very strong, because there’s vending machines everywhere so there is really no risk to run out of drinks. But when I’m in more remote places or on climbs, but I don’t know yet where the vending machines are my paranoia takes hold of me.

Overall, I would say that the climb was relatively boring. It’s never really challenging, which obviously is nice, but except for the last few kilometers there are also no views. So essentially, it’s a long, long road with a median gradient, riding up through a forest. Plus cars, plus buses. While I was riding up, I wasn’t really enjoying it, between my paranoia for the vending machine and the relatively boring uphill. But maybe now that I know where the vending machine is, I would enjoy the ride a little bit more. The downhill was actually quite okay, while long (30 km), it’s not steep. Thus, once I was back at the foot of the mountain, I already wanted to climb up again.

On one of these stations, I ask some cyclists if they knew where to find a vending machine and their tip with the fourth station was correct. As they were already riding downhill, they even shared some of their water with me. Which was very reassuring.

Enough about water, vending machines, and boring climbs. Now some pictures of the day: 

Before starting the climb proper, I had a good view on the target: 

While climbing generally, you do not actually see Mount Fuji. Which makes sense after all you are on the mountain.

 

The second station was the only one without any amenities at all. At the first and the third there was at least a toilet and at the forth: a toilet, a vending machine and a small bar, which had already closed for the day.

Further up one could see the crater. 

And from the fifth station one had a view over the northern Alps, Tokyo, Hakone, etc., etc. it’s always impressive how high mountains can look so low if you are on a much higher mountain.

Back down from the mountain I passed through the Mount Fuji exhibition area. I wasn’t interested enough to actually dedicate some time to it, but maybe for a rainy day. It’s something to keep in mind. Although I wouldn’t really know why I would be here on a rainy day.

 

Before finishing the day, I wanted to have a last look on Mount Fuji and gave a quick spin around a small part of lake Kawaguchi. Before heading back to my hotel and soaking in the hot onsen. 

D1 - Fuji 4 lakes

Route: Kawaguchiko - Saiko - Motosuko - Shojiko 
Bicycle: 67 km
Train: 100 km
Total ascent: 392 m
Average speed: 18,9 km/h
Riding time: 3:32 h
Weather: very sunny, windy, 25C

My company gives an additional day of vacation during the month of your birthday. I can see in the weather forecast that from mid next week the rainy season seems to start, and it is going to get humid and then probably hot.well, this weekend it is very sunny no rain forecast at all and not yet too hot. So I took my birthday leave day on Monday 1st of June. I also still had some vouchers from furusato nozei for hotels in Kawaguchiko. Surprisingly, it was no problem to find a relatively cheap room at short notice in a hotel with a rotenburo right in Kawaguchiko.

I had originally planned to take the train only to Hashimoto and then to cycle on Doshi Street over the mountains to Yamanakako and then over here to Kawaguchiko. But when I arrived at the station close to my house to take the train and disassemble the bike, it was already relatively warm at 8 am in the morning. So instead, I decided to take the train all the way to Kawaguchiko, which is much higher and presumably a little bit colder.and I think that was a good decision. Not only because of the slightly lower temperatures but also because I could cycle today around four of the lakes around Mount Fuji and have absolutely splendid views of the mountain. While I actually don’t really like Doshi Street as it has its fair share of cars and trucks.

I have been here before around all these lakes, both with very good views of Mount Fuji, as well as on a very rainy summer day with absolutely no view of the mountain. Today initially at Kawaguchiko Mount Fuji was partially behind clouds, but as the day progressed the clouds were swept away by very strong wind and a naked Mount Fuji appeared in the distance over the lakes.

Recently on Netflix, there was a Japanese TV series about an alien  living and working in a simple hotel around Mount Fuji. I always suspected that the hotel was on lake Shoji. And today I passed in front of it. It’s a typical hotel of this area quite outdated, but in a beautiful location.

I had no idea that this television series was so famous, and that people come here to take pictures of the locations where it was filmed. But I was clearly not the only person taking a picture of that hotel.

At the lake in front of the hotel, I had my onigiri and then continued back to Kawaguchi to my hotel.

I didn’t only see this apparently famous film location, but also the much more famous Lawson with Mount Fuji in the back. I had always assumed that that Lawson was somewhere around Gotenba but instead, it’s a few meters from Kawaguchiko station.I did not take a picture, but took a picture of another Lawson much closer to my hotel where I got my dinner and breakfast for tomorrow.

For tomorrow, the plan is to ride up Mount Fuji. Let’s see how that will go. 

D1 up To the highest railway of Japan

Route: Kofu - Saku Uminokuchi
Bicycle: 63 km
Train: 127 km
Total ascent: 1422 m
Average speed: 12 km/h
riding time: 5:11 h
Weather: sunny , no clouds, great visibility but getting cooler, 18 C

An other long weekend and off I go. When I organize this weekend, again, I organize two different possibilities. One option staying in Izu Peninsula and the other to come to a place Between Yamanashi and Nagano prefecture Just on the foothills of Yatsugadake, One of the large mountains in the Japanese Alps. When the time grew closer the weather forecast for both parts on Saturday with terrible, so I canceled both and then rebooked only a few days ago for Sunday to Tuesday instead of Saturday to Monday in Nagano prefecture. Yesterday instead, I went with friends from Meetup to a hello Kitty exhibition in Ueno. Which was more fun than what I had expected.

Today I started my right from Kofu station, and from there it was practically uphill for the next 50 to 55 km. Down in the valley, I didn’t really find a good quiet road, but surprisingly up into the mountain. I had a very nice village Road not too small not too big simply perfect. And with nice views both of Fuji and Yatsugadake as well as the Northern Alps.

Fuji was really extremely well visible the entire day. At least from where I was. In a line cycling chat room I’m in a person who went to Hakone, which is much closer to Fuji did not have so much luck. Fuji was covered by clouds from that side.

And turn around, and there are more mountains, in this case, the famous Yatsugadake, which my father climbed many years ago when he came to Japan at relatively regular intervals for tours and then had some hiking trips on his free days.

But the koyo season hasn’t started yet and this picture was taken probably at around a little bit over 1000 m of elevation, but still mostly the trees are green. We will see you tomorrow if in the higher elevations there will be more colorful.

On my way to the highest point of the Japanese railway network, I happen on a very small road through a forest with this very nice stream flowing through.

And here I was at the remarkable place of the highest railway tracks in Japan. I came here two years ago in summer with some people from Meetup that had organized a weekend trip by train and we took a special astronomical observation themed train. Only that on the day we went it was cloudy and no stars visible. Very different from today. Where I could see nice stars from the rotenburo in my simple ryokan. 

Not too far from this point, there is a radio observatory. Which I visited with the last sun rays of the day.

The next train station is also astronomical themed and has the stations in its ceiling. 

Was the sun gone,  it became quickly very cold, but I had all my stuff on the bike so I could dress up warmer which was sufficient to keep me warm enough while riding. 

I had not planned the time and / or route too well For the last 10 km. On paper, it looked good , flat and then downhill to the hotel but in reality it got very quickly very dark and I was on the winding downhill road in pitch darkness with deers coming out of the  wood right and left. But slowly and surely, and without encountering, any bear or other more fear inspiring creatures, I made it to the village of my ryokan, Which also features a conbini where I bought my dinner and breakfast.

O-bon cycling

Day 1

Route: Hashimoto - Miyagase Dam area - Hashimoto
Bicycle: 57 km
Train: 70 km
Total Ascent: 784 m
Average Speed: 16.5 km/h
Riding Time: 3:14 h
Weather: Hot and sunny

Thanks to the very hot ride with ICON in Hungary this year, I discovered a way how to ride also in summer. Not in the total heat... but in somewhat more moderate heat: soak the entire t-shirt in cold water, put it on cold... and repeat every hour or so. 

And well... getting up very, but very early! 

It has been too much time without cycling, so today I got up really early in the morning (around 4:30) took the second train of the day out to Hashimoto and was on the bike already at 6:45 before it is getting way too hot in the plains to cycle. And up I went to Miyagase dam. Stopping by the conbini in front of Ogino pan, which at that early morning hour wasn't open yet. And then further up to the dam. 

I would have wanted to ride up to Yabitsu toge, but unfortunately the road is closed since a few weeks (I kind of knew from people I follow on Strava). So instead I went to explore further some very small roads a bit behind the dam. Roads that lead to absolutely nowhere but are very nicely in the shade and thanks to not leading anywhere have very little traffic. They do get a bit of traffic though as there is a fishing spot which seems to be quite popular. 

I have since been back in this area later in August... but not only wasn't the road to Yabitsu toge yet repaired (they had it closed for quite some time in the winter this year to repair it... just to close it again in early July... probably due to a land slide), nor was the other road cleared yet of the landslide that had come down there back in June/July. Actually when I went again at the end of August, that  road was closed even further down. So while I like the area and these small roads, I'd like the climb to be a bit longer. Let's hope they don't give up on that road and repair the landslide... but not sure... I am not having high hopes, as that small road doesn't lead anywhere... so not sure if the local government really wants to invest money into it. At least the one over Yabitsu toge, I guess will be reopened again, as that one is a proper road. 

I came down the mountain, had an obligatory fried sweet bread at Ogino pan and then down to Hashimoto on the big road (probably not the best decision) and back home where I arrived to a cool shower and air conditioning before 13:00 and then had a good long nap. 

Day 2

Route: Ome - Kosuge - Saruhashi
Bicycle: 56 km
Train: 130 km
Total Ascent: 856 m
Average Speed: 17.6 km/h
Riding Time: 3:12 h
Weather: Hot and sunny

After the success yesterday, I decided to go for mountains again today, this time to the Okutama region, again knowing the roads are nicely in the shadows of the forest. 

Today I got up even earlier than yesterday, as I had a longer train ride and was in the saddle with my soaking wet t-shirt shortly before 7:00 heading up the road to Okutama. I didn't have a precise plan and but thought that if it wasn't too hot on the lake side, I would continue up to Kosuge and then through the long tunnel and down the Otsuki side. I had done that ride with a friend last year, and remembered that the tunnel didn't have a lot of traffic and that the descent on the other side wasn't too steep and on a well maintained, wide road. 

In Kosuge, there is a small shop that sells filled buns, with a surprisingly large variation of tastes. I got myself one and ate it nearly on the top of the mountain in a nice a shady location sitting on some huge sandbags on the road side. 

Before the descent I came by this small shrine on the hillside: 

Surprisingly the descent was quite hot. I had stopped at a toilet on the descent but opted against soaking again the t-shirt (something I had done multiple times on the way up), thinking that a descent shouldn't be so hot with all the wind and not much pedaling involved, but hot air is still hot. Anyway, I made it down to Saruhashi station, where I arrived in good time to pack up the bicycle and head back home for an other long nap in the afternoon. 

Overall very enjoyable and to be repeated. 

Lake Ashi and Fuji from a distance

Route: Shin Matsuda - Ashigara pass - Nagao pass -    Gotemba
Bicycle: 57 km
Train: 170 km
Total ascent: 1397 m
Average speed: 12,6 km/h
Riding Time: 4:32 h
Weather: Sun, clouds and quite warm 

Yesterday in my Strava feed I saw a Strava friend doing a Hakone loop, and decided to copy it. As you can see my copy didn’t become a loop, because I ran out of time but I did compete the two main climbs and avoided the steep descent from Hakone to Odawara. 

Conveniently the starting point is in Matsuda, direct train by Odakyu from home. Initially along a bicycle lane on a river and the up to Ashigara pass on a road that is mainly used by cyclists and motorcyclists, but hardly any cars. 

But steep. Cyclable for me, but with several rest stops along the road. Nearly all other cyclists were faster than me, except a guy on a vintage bike who similar to me struggled the hill up with rest stops as needed. 

On the top however one is greeted by a wonderful view over the valley of Gotemba and Mt Fuji. Today the weather was a bit cloudy so not the same brilliant pictures as I saw in the Strava feed yesterday, but still nice… and a reason to return on a blue skied day. 

On the downhill at a parking lot are these Fuji shaped parasols (and a matching public toilet) behind which a shy Fuji was hiding.

Down and some conbini lunch and then in towards the next climb to Hakone. On the way there I decided to just do the climb but to not cycle down in the Hakone side, because it was getting late (finally I was on top of the pass at about 15:30), from Hakone to a station it is farther and there is a quite steep descent to content with towards Odawara. 

The climb to Nagano pass initially was in a relatively busy road , which however has a cycle / walk path song it, which I used uphill. But midway through it turns away from this major road to a much less used but very well build road up to Nagao pass. That ride up was sooooooo nice. Really nice gradient, good surface, wide road, little traffic and stunning views of Fuji and more stunning views right after the pass of lake Ashi down in Hakone. One can even see the kitschy pirate ships.

The downhill was also nice … and those views! 

Down in Gotemba I took a very crowded train back to Matsuda and then back by Odakyu line home. 

Up and down and up and down around Oku Tama and Hinohara

Route: Okutama - Kosuge - Hinohara - Kitano
Bicycle: 85 km 
Train: 105 km
Total ascent: 1,216 m
Average Speed: 17.3 km/h
Riding time: 4:55 h
Weather: Very sunny and perfect temperature

This was an extremely nice route and definitely one to repeat. I can't wait! 

This year I am not taking Golden Week as vacation, but the following week, because my colleague wanted to take GW. However that still means I have a long weekend at the beginning of the week as the Monday is a public holiday anyway. Today on the Sunday I went to the Okutama region. 

I had cycled parts of this ride already. Obviously up to Okutama lake and also to Kosuge and over to Uenohara, but this time I connected it over to Hinohara before descending again into the plains and taking the train back home. I nearly like everything about this route:

• Nice small street from Okutama station up to Okutama lake
• Road along a big lake
• A bit more challanges up the hill around Kosuge and then a slightly ondulating descend with not much traffic towards Uenohara, but without making it down to Uenohara which can be clogged with traffic
• View of Fuji in the distance
• And then up again through a quiet tunnel but on a well build road 
• And finally down hill on the bigger of the two Hinohara roads, which has a nice decent

This route really has it all! 

This statue is in front of the visitor center at the dam. 

As it was GW houses and villages were decorated with flying carps for the boys:

It seems however that I didn't take any picture of the views of Mt. Fuji... but hey... another reason to go back again. 

Full bloom around Fuji

Day 1

Route: Hashimoto - Doshi - Yamanakako
Bicycle: 72 km
Train: 35 km
Total ascent: 1496 m
Average speed: 13,6 km/h
Riding time: 5:19 h
Weather: sunny and nicely warm during the day but cold once the sun had set

Originally I had planned to go with a group of cyclists from Osaka to Mt Fuji last weekend, but the weather forecast showed rain for most of the weekend, so the ride was cancelled… and finally it was a nice and sunny weekend where instead I went house hunting and enjoying time with friend on our bikes in Tokyo. 

I have now ridden already several times from Hashimoto to Yamanakako through Doshi village. A long but never too steep ride on a road with traffic but tolerable amounts.

 Today the flowers were out in force.

Mostly cherry blossoms as to be expected but also some peach flowers, recognizable with their full flowers in strong dark pink: 

I had decided to have lunch at the road side station but shortly before arriving there I saw a small restaurant with a lot of motorbikes parked outside. So , thinking that this must be very tasty I went there as well. And yes, tasty it was. It was a lot of small tapas like dishes plus a full dish of meat and rice. I will definitely be back.

Over the mountain and then a short way down to Yamanakako and a picture of the lake , swans and Fuji in the distance before heading to an onsen at the other side of the lake. 

 First time in this onsen and one with a really nice and unobstructed view of Mt. Fuji while soaking in one of the two rotenburos: 

After a good bath and a simple dinner at the onsen I road to my hotel for the night. A hotel from the bubble years, never renovated, but in a convenient location on the lake shore and with a good price. In the end it’s about sleeping. Nothing else. 

Day 2

Route: Yamanakako - Kawaguchiko - Otsuki
Bicycle: 72 km
Train: 80 km
Total ascent: 503 m
Average speed: 15 km/h
Riding time: 4:48 h
Weather: blue skies, sunny and not too warm

While at Yamanakako yesterday the cherry blossoms hadn’t even opened yet, in Kawaguchiko they were in their prime full bloom. I always knew that Yamanakako is higher, but never thought of it to be that much higher that it would make so much of a difference to the cherry flowers. 

The day started in a cool morning at Yamanakako with a clear blue sky and a Fuji still partially covered in snow.

From there I made my way over to the Kawaguchiko area and Chureito pagoda sure that I’d be able to get a famous photo with Fuji in the background, the pagoda in the forefront and sakura in full bloom. Well, I only managed to arrange 2 days f these things in any one picture. Either Fuji and sakura or sakura and pagoda. But all three were elusive due to a decision (by the local government?) to burn on this blue skied, full bloom Sunday with thousands of local and foreign tourists, the grass on the hills of Mt. Fuji. I don’t understand why these grasses need to be burned, but to burn them on a weekend with brilliant weather and full bloom seemed to be a specially stupid decision. 

Fuji with sakura alone however is already quite nice.

And I had waited for about an hour in this line observing how the sky little by little got clouded by the smoke. 

The pagoda towering over the sakura trees. 

From here I made it through a very small mountain road over to Kawaguchiko , taking more pictures and finally to a shrine on the foothills of Mt Fuji. Everywhere sakura in full bloom and many people around enjoying them. 

To return I went downhill all the way to Otsuki, put my bike in its back and back to Tokyo by train. 

Although the smoke was a shame it was a great weekend enjoying hanami around Mt Fuji.