{"id":2801,"date":"2017-05-20T22:10:53","date_gmt":"2017-05-20T13:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2017-05-20\/2801"},"modified":"2017-05-20T22:10:53","modified_gmt":"2017-05-20T13:10:53","slug":"century-of-wazuka-climbs-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2017-05-20\/2801","title":{"rendered":"Century of Wazuka Climbs, Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n

This post picks up on last month's “<\/span>Century of Wazuka Climbs, Part\n1<\/a>”<\/span>, about what was for me an epic day of beauty and climbing, and some trials and tribulations.\n“<\/span>Part 1”<\/span> ended with a delicious<\/span> lunch,\nso this part picks up from just after.<\/p>\n\n

So, after lunch, I made my<\/span> way south to the deeper, even-less populated mountains of the Wazuka region of\nsouthern Kyoto Prefecture.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLast Sign of Civilization for a While<\/span><\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 29mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSelfie<\/span>\nat the top of a small climb\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDefenders of the Traffic Rules!<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I thought that I had posted these guys before, but it seems that I didn't.<\/span> It's the same<\/span> intersection\nas this photo<\/a> from\n“<\/span>Tea Tour with Manseki and Gorm<\/a>”<\/span> last year.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 60mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLovely, Little-Used Road<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

This mild climb<\/a> was really pleasant, but it seems to be little\nused, as only 30 Strava users have ever ridden it in the direction I went<\/span>\n(300 have used it in the other direction<\/a>, which still seems like a small<\/span> number for\nsuch a lovely<\/span> road).<\/p>\n\n

Perhaps so few folks use this road because a nearby<\/span> alternate route goes near a scenic<\/span> spot<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nJust Lovely<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“<\/span>Road Narrows”<\/span><\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The nice wide road just stops, with a narrow<\/span> road that looks like an afterthought trailing away to the right.\nThis kind of thing is seen every so often, when modern repair work is done to a very<\/span> old, narrow road. The thought,\nI'm assuming, is that if they're going to redo the road for whatever reason, they may as well put in a modern<\/span> two-lane\nroad while they're at it. Over the decades, after enough of the road needs attention of some sort or another, they'll\nhave gotten around to making the full length nice and wide. Until then, it comes in little spurts.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 43mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“<\/span>Bicycles”<\/span><\/span>\n“<\/span>Let's be Careful!!”<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

It's not clear to me whether “<\/span>Bicycles”<\/span> is the subject or a direct<\/span> object\n(that is, it's not clear whether this is admonishing cyclists to take general care, or cautioning\ndrivers to watch out for bicycles). Actually, the way it's written is clearly directed at children,\nso perhaps it's warning children to watch out for bicycles, or maybe a clever<\/span> way to get (Japanese-native) cyclists\nto subconsciously worry that children might be present. I dunno.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSkirting the Top<\/span>\nof a green-tea field\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 29mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRoundish<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Green-tea bushes are always this roundish shape. I don't<\/span> know why, but I suspect<\/span> it's to increase the surface area, and hence\nthe yield. Some years ago I made<\/span> my first visit to a great<\/span>-tea field while working with Lake Biwa Tours<\/a> as they considered a tea<\/span>-themed tour. During that visit, the bushes were\nbeing trimmed...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTrimming<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nCurved Blade<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 29mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLots to Do<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Back to my ride, after a lot of undulation the road finally pitches down down down at roughly 8%, in two thrilling parts\nof three and two kilometers, respectively. The first<\/span> part, the Dosenbo Descent<\/a>,\nbreaks out of the forest and into sweeping vistas of gorgeous tea fields. Unfortunately, the camera on my bike is lower to the road,\nso it doesn't catch the lovely vistas, but for what it's worth, here's the descent:<\/p>\n\n