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The konbini are very useful. Probably half of my food when walking the Shikoku circuit came from them. Less on the Nakahechi and Kohechi Kumano Kodo only because they are more rural routes with fewer facilities. When passing through towns I...
Day 12 - 10.8km. I started the Kumano Kodo with rain and I ended the Kumano Kodo with rain. LOL.
Mainly walking along quiet local roads. Nothing spectacular but at the same time, safe and relatively hazard free. I got excited once I crossed the...
Day 11 - Odomari to Atawa - 23.7km.
Apart from a small Matsumoto-toge at the start, the rest of the day was totally flat. I took one of the alternate routes starting from the entrance of the Onigajo national monument and climbed towards...
You're very welcome.
Accommodation costs for me varies from 7000yen at the lowest and 18000yen at the fanciest. All my booked accommodation include dinner and breakfast.
I think you can expect a fresh cup coffee to be around 300yen based on...
Day 10 - another tripletoge day. 20km says my watch.
2 big hills to climb, almost 400m high and 1 just about 200m high. Lots of ancient stone steps , some of which dated back to the Kamakura era. I can start smelling the salt.water as the trail...
I have seen a few locals on day hikers with a bell attached to their backpacks. Slightly further away from your ear compared to a staff.
I also see locals without the bell, so I'm not 100% sure what the true situation is like. The bear was last...
Day 9 - arguably the toughest 21km with the 700m tall Yakiyama peak to contend with. Lots of steps up and down, mostly on ancient stone paths covered in moss.
This is the first time I'm seeing bear warning signs, but the locals don't seem too...
Day 8 - "rest day". Mainly because I'll be out and about with only a daypack. No better time to attempt Mt Binshiyama than today. A 3 hour return trip from Magose-toge pass with lots of steps, but definitely worth it.
I also managed to visit the...
Day 7 - Aiga to Owase. Short but intense 9km up Magose-toge pass. It was a rather enjoyable walk on the stone path leading up to the pass. However, bwcause it rained very heavily the night before, there's quite a substantial amount of water...
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