{"id":2263,"date":"2013-05-29T12:29:40","date_gmt":"2013-05-29T03:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2013-05-29\/2263"},"modified":"2013-05-29T12:29:40","modified_gmt":"2013-05-29T03:29:40","slug":"my-mt-hiei-climb-challenge-2013-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2013-05-29\/2263","title":{"rendered":"My Mt. Hiei Climb Challenge 2013, Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n

This is the third and final post about my climb of Kyoto's Mt. Hiei (\u6bd4\u53e1\u5c71)<\/span> the other day (Part 1<\/a> ·\nPart 2<\/a>). At the end<\/span> of Part 2 I'd had a rest<\/span> at a lovely<\/span> lookout point near the top.\nBefore heading up the last bit to complete the trip, I ventured<\/span> into the hillside of azaleas (\u3064\u3064\u3058\u30f6\u4e18)...<\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 125 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMany Shades<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 280 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 160 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Disappointment with photography normally comes to me when I get<\/span> home to\nlook at my shots, but in this case I felt<\/span> disappointed the moment I brought<\/span>\nthe camera up to my eye. The hillside<\/span> was engulfing with exceedingly vibrant color\nspanning a wide<\/span> range of the spectrum, but it became meh<\/i> in the viewfinder.\nLess harsh lighting would have been nice, but otherwise, I'm at a<\/span> loss to explain it.\nThese results are blah.\n<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLittle Monument Area<\/span>\nat the end of a short sub-trail\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLooking Back<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDisappointing<\/span>\nhaving been there in person and seen the potential, this is just pathetic\n<\/div>\n\n

So, I bailed on the azaleas and decided to venture further up, quickly coming across this (seemingly old) marker...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nToward Kyoto<\/span>\n2½ ri<\/i>\n<\/div>\n\n

I'd never actually seen the old unit-of-distance “ri<\/i>” (\u91cc, at\nWikipedia<\/a>) used in the wild, so I was<\/span> tickled with myself that I could<\/span>\nread it. 2½ ri<\/i> is about 10km, and that distance winding along\nthe paths will put you pretty much in the center of the Kyoto Imperial\nPalace (most recently on my blog as the site for the start of the Aoi Matsuri festival<\/a>,\nand for its peach\nblossoms<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n

The unit-of-distance “ri<\/i>” has actually gotten a mention<\/span> on my\nblog as well, a year<\/span> ago in a post<\/span> about an English-language guidebook\nto Japan published in 1900<\/a>, which mentions that foreigners were not\nallowed to approach Kyoto closer than 10 ri<\/i> (about 25 miles).<\/p>\n\n

10 minutes later I was closer to the top, at an area reachable by car via a scenic<\/span> tollway,\nwith a “Museum Garden” of some sort, and ample bus parking. Like with the abandoned ski run mentioned\nearlier in Part 1, the fringes of the area had seen better days...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nScenic Platform?<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBig Antennas<\/span>\nvisibile from all over Kyoto\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBus Stop<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Many would consider this big parking area to be the top of the mountain\nbecause it's the highest you can go by car, and there are no signs pointing\nto “the very<\/i> top”, but as you can see in the shot above, there is an\narea of somewhat higher land beyond, so I wondered<\/span> that way.<\/p>\n\n

I took a closed access road that at first seemed to go up, then\nturned to a path<\/span> at a couple<\/span> of large rusting refrigerators someone had\nkindly dumped in the woods ( \ud83d\ude41 ),<\/span> and less than five minutes from the bus\nstop I came<\/span> to what appeared to be the highest point of land for\nmiles...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>50 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nThis is It<\/span>\nin all its underwhelming glory\n<\/div>\n\n

It felt like I was in the brush in a small<\/span> park in the city; it\ncertainly didn't feel like I was<\/span> at the top of one of the highest mountains\noverlooking Kyoto. There was no view beyond the thick woods, and there wasn't even the Japanese\nGeological Survey elevation marker that I would<\/span> have expected, nor anything else\nto indicate that this was indeed the summit.<\/p>\n\n

Not being signed or promoted, few folks bothered to venture here past the parking lot, but I did<\/span> see one other person,\njust below the summit, eating lunch...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>50 sec, f<\/span>\/4.5, ISO 280 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nEnjoying the... er...<\/span>\nenjoying lunch\n<\/div>\n\n

Right near the “summit” is a small<\/span> area of TV antennas developed 15 years ago...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTV Antennas<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I thought that if Anthony was with me, he'd immediately seize on the flat area and want to play soccer. It'd be fun<\/span> until the ball dropped over the edge, after which point it would be well and truly gone.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 60mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nVast Nothingness to the North<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Japan's population is about half (40%) that of the United States, but it has less than 4% of the land area, and most<\/i> of that land is\nuninhabitable mountains. Where there is actually population in Japan, the density is pretty high.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/11, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGo Left<\/span>\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/11, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nKyoto<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

If it were no so very hazy, you could see the bulk of Kyoto City at\nright, and the Osaka\nskyline<\/a> in the distance above it.<\/p>\n\n

Zooming in to Kyoto, you can see where I started<\/span> my trip...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 125 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nUrban Sprawl<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Kyoto Tower (seen here<\/a> and here<\/a>)\nis in the exact center of the frame. You may have<\/span> to click through to the larger version, but half way from Kyoto Tower toward the bottom of the\nframe is the big orange gate of the Heian Shrine, seen in the first photo<\/a> of the\nfirst part of this series, where I started<\/span> the day's hike 5½ hours earlier.<\/p>\n\n

Looking another direction gives a nice<\/span> view of the city of Otsu...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/11, ISO 720 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOtsu, Shiga Prefecture<\/span>\nAnthony's friend Gen lives there\n<\/div>\n\n

Back at the parking lot...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/11, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWe Both Had<\/span>\nthe same idea\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 140 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“Garden Museum”<\/span>\nnext to the bus stop\n<\/div>\n\n

Considering the developing blister on one foot (due to having completely inappropriate shoes), I decided<\/span> to avail myself\nof the bus, of which there are several per day....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHeading Home<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

This was even easier than last time I did<\/span> this hike, where I returned<\/span> home\nvia mountain train, normal train, and taxi<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

50 minutes later I was dropped off a short<\/span> stroll from home...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nThank You Mr. Bus<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 28mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1600 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHome<\/span>\n7 hours 7 minutes after starting\n<\/div>\n\n

So, overall, it went much better than last year's hike, which resulted in the aptly tittled\n“The Agony Where Bravado Yields, In Spectacular<\/span> Fashion, To Painful<\/span> Reality<\/a>”.<\/p>\n\n

Generally getting in better shape, and bringing enough water helped a\nlot.<\/span> If St\u00e9phane<\/span> Barbery (who invited me for the initial hike last year) had been along this time,\nhe would have earned the well-deserved right to say “I told<\/span> you so.”)<\/p>\n\n

As for my knees, I don't know what exactly helped, but here's what I\nthink<\/span> might have contributed:<\/p>\n\n