The Hills Are Alive With Kundan's Sanpo

"Sanpo"- to stroll or walk.

Finally, I have moved from wandering around the streets of Chichibu to hiking along the trails in the surrounding hills. Chichibu being in a valley, this gives me quite a few choices. I have begun getting out of the house by 7 AM a couple times a week to be have the hills to myself. Even on a weekend when the trains are chock-a-block with designer casual outdoor clothed hikers, I will be ahead of most all of the others. It is only ten or fifteen minutes on my bike to the beginning of a trail.

One Saturday, I crossed the river and saw a man with a daypack heading up a small road. I followed him and then stashed my bike. When I looked around he had disappeared into the entrance of a trail. Following him I discovered a sign at the point where the trail disappeared into the trees. Now, I often encounter signs on trails and have no idea what they are saying. It doesn't even bother me when I find myself twenty minutes later at a dead end up some valley.

However, the sign that you see in the photo has, yes, the silhouette of a bear. Hmmm, it would have been a bit more reasurring if I could have understood what it said below. I suspected that they were tips on what to do if you come across a bear or maybe how to avoid a bear. Well, I figured that the guy in front of me would distract the bear and I travelled on. A few more signs and fifteen minutes later, the trail ended at a road. I survived. Yes, I was listening for any rustling and I was concerned about the strong smell of the banana in my daypack.

Kaoru translated the sign for me:

Bear sighting, take care!

How not to encounter a bear:

1) Don't go into the forest.

2) Let the bear know you are here. When you get into the forest, use a radio or bell.

3) Don't walk alone in the forest.

4) In the early morning,evening,and when the weather is bad, the risk increases.

5) Don't leave edible garbage.

Hmmm,




As I said, there are quite a few choices for me when it comes to trails. One day, I took off riding, went up a road at random and found myself in a valley that ended part way along a trail that starts in the city centre and finishing some ways later at a couple temples. Chichibu has thirty- four temples and assorted shrines. The trail I had come upon leads to temples 26, 27 and 30. My first time, I took a wrong turning and found myself twenty minutes later up a dead end in a small valley. It was lovely. I sat down, had my snack and played my shakuhachi.

A few days later, I rode my bike back up the little valley and set out again. Almost immediately, I was going very steeply up hill for almost half a kilometre. There were a few stops to let my heart and breathing slow down. Once I reached the ridge, it was ups and downs along winding a narrow trail with large rock jutting out and large roots to watch for.


Here is the approach to a small temple.

Just beyond the temple,
a small shrine with an inscribed stone.

In the centre of Chichibu is the main temple. In its outer courtyard is an inscribed stone. The inscription is a poem written by Kaoru's father. I have noticed similar large and small inscribed stones in public parks on trails and at shrines. I like this; having public poetry. There should be more of it.

Check out Temple 26.

I took a long break there.

I thought it would be a short stroll to Temple 27. It was more rugged trail and along the way, my foot slipped on a large stone I was crossing. It turned out at the ankle and though it didn't feel injured, I was concerned.

As Temple 27 was at street level, I decided to walk back along the streets to my bike. I had been walking along mountain paths for over two hours. I needed the flat for a while. It took me half an hour to find the little road up the valley and I was loosing energy. However, as I moved up the valley and the houses became fewer and the trees more, the energy magically returned.

Another Stroll-

Looked out the window Sunday morning. Overcast. Cabin fever was strong. 'No dark clouds. It won't rain.' I put my shak, camera and some snacks in my daypack. Full bottle of water. Slipped on my walking shoes. Tilley hat on my head and I was ready to go. I headed out on my bike and took a main road up the valley paralleling the railroad tracks. Forty- five minutes later, I saw the sign for Minoyama Park. 'Yama' means mountain. The mountain didn't look that tall and the name sounded nice, so, I parked my bike and started walking up the road. Shortly after the 1.5 kms marker, I saw a sign pointing at a trail that led off heading up the hill. That was what I was looking for. The trail went up and up. It was a one-step-at-a-time half a person narrow eroded track that was constantly up hill. No gentle slopes or switch back, just up and up and up.


Forty-five minutes later, I saw a tori up ahead. A flat spot! I started changing gears and by the time I reached the tori, I was in stop and relax mode.




Then, I saw the steps!
I stopped for a rest anyway. There was shelter with benches but when I sat down and pulled out my snack, I was swarmed with mozzies. I ate with one hand as I swatted with the other.




After my 'rest', I went up the steps and then followed another easier trail for fifteen minutes to the top of the mountain. At that point, I came across a wide paved path. A look around and then I followed that path along the ridge of the mountain top to find the park. There were picnic spots, viewing platforms, toilets and maybe thirty people. Many of whom had their cars parked in the lot.

Many of the people were wearing their hiking gear with day pack, hiking poles and all. I hadn't seen or heard anyone else on the trail. I was hoping they hadn't driven up to walk around dressed like that. They were breaking out their lunches. I just had a little snack with me. I took some photos. You golfers; how would you like to play on that course?










This photo of Chichibu is only part of the city. Gives you and idea how big it really is. The haze in the photos is because of the high humidity. In fact, the humidity got so high that it started to sprinkle. This was a sign for me to head back down. I didn't want to be caught on the trail when it got muddy. So... not really having stopped, I went back along the nice wide paved path to the beginning of the trail that I had come up. My whole being balked. I couldn't go down that trail. I continued on the nicely paved pathway.

This sign photo was taken soon after.

Yes, I think that's what it means.

The paved path came to an end but there were people in their latest hiking gear just coming up off a trail that continued down hill. I passed them and found myself on this very gently sloping trail. At times, it was even flat. At times, it was covered with a soft layer of leaves. A few switch backs. I easily wandered on down to the road. I discovered that this easy trail had it origin only twenty metres beyond the beginning of the previous trail that I had struggled with on my way uphill. Good old, Kundan, not one for research.

Back at my bicycle, it was still lightly sprinkling. I hopped on and started pedaling. I knew that I still had forty-five minutes before I got home but the pedals turned easily enough and I made good progress. Most of the way, there was a wide path with a barrier between myself and the heavy traffic on the main road. At times, that would disappear and I would turn off onto a side road. Very pleasant these side roads. Farm houses and fields. A few rice paddies. The rain was warm, the air temperature in the mid twenties. My Tilley keeping my head dry. I was quite comfortable. Cruising along. Calmly pedaling when I saw this-

I was so excited. An original old style japanese farm house. This is very rare these days. You almost have to go to a museum village to see one any more. I took three snaps in the rain. The roof is in such good condition. See how one of the walls has some of the mud fallen off revealing the wattle beneath. This made my day. I was so chuffed.

Next side road revealed the temple below. I ducked out of the rain in the gateways. Very new and beautiful.

The plan was to keep pedaling all the way home. I figured that if I stopped for a rest I would never get going again. I almost made. I started to pass a sushi restaurant. It pulled me in. They even had an english menu for me. After a light repast, I was on my way and home in ten minutes. Five hours after I left.

I was so happy with my day out. Whow!

But, my god, was I buggered. Took my body two days to recover.