JO Day 3, Mt Nyukasa.
Up before the sun and onto the road I planned to hit CP4 and
CP 5 today. Mt Nyukasa was only a short ride to the base and up an enforced
route to the summit. The checkpoint itself was an observatory at a crossroads
on top of the mountain. The rain continued to bead down and I reached the base
just as the sun started to creep up and light up the forest I found myself in.
Streams of light piercing the thick canopy of trees creating beautiful moments
as I passed through. Another windy climb with the road turning on itself
multiple times. Honestly I don’t remember too much about it more than the usual
serene feeling of riding up a mountain with nothing around you, no sounds but
your own breathing and the whirring of the chain. The rain tapping off my
helmet and the occasional grunt or curse at a wheelslip or steep pinch.
Up to the checkpoint in just over an hour and I found myself
above the rainclouds. No rain up here and I see the mountain tops poking
through the thick white cloud below. Feeling completely alone in the world with
nothing but me, my bike and the road I rolled up to the observatory.
Located at a crossroads there were many ways down the other
side and on to the next checkpoint. I had chosen the way that would have dropped
me right back where I started the day, Chino. It was somewhat lumpy and the
road in atrocious condition at times. I bumped and banged down the hill then
pushed back up another spur and rolled down the other side again many times.
Eventually I came to some road works saying the road was closed, it was all dug
up and excavated. There was no one around so I walked right through across the
gravel and around the earth movers, only about 200m and then on the other side
sweet sweet brand new hotmix. I think I would’ve been the very first person to
ride on that stretch of new road.
The fog was still thick up here and limited visibility to
about 150m. I came across a cyclone wire fence running parallel to the road but
couldn’t see what was inside, only immaculately maintained grass that struck me
as golf course. The fence and the grass went on and on and all I could think
was why would you put a golf course up here when it fogs in and you can’t see?
There was an entrance of sorts further up with little white trucks coming and
going but with no logos or signage I still don’t know what that place was.
After that it was down onto the main roads again following
my purple line on the garmin to get to CP5 Mt Norikura. This is the highest
passable road in Japan at 2600m above sea level. I’ve only been near this
altitude only recently once before in Indonesia at the Ijen volcano at roughly
2700m. Not sure how or if the altitude would affect me my route would take a
slightly different way than just riding from the base. I elected to go up the
back of the mountain on a much quieter road that would spit me out half way up
Norikura. This would avoid some traffic and meant I didn’t have to do the full
climb in one go.
On the way to the turn off to Norikura I passed two men on
classic randonneur bikes. Classic steel frames, downtube shifters and leather
saddle bags. They looked great but were obviously not fast and I passed them
quickly with a quick wave and hello. Later on I stopped at a Miki-No-Eki
(roadside stop with local produce and services) and they both rolled in as well
and said hello and we had a great 10 minute chat about our riding, the bikes
and the roads ahead. This is Narito Hoshino and myself.
It had stopped raining for about 3 hours which was awesome
but all good things… so on with the rain after an icecream and a coke. Back
into the narrow mountain roads that twist and wind, leaf litter creating some
fun slippery moments. I marvel at the civil engineering of the Japanese, they
literally wall up mountains to prevents landslips! Hundreds of metres of
reinforced concrete and steel lining the side of the mountain create a grey
wall to one side and foggy green to the other as the road drops away to the
forest below. I only see two small trucks as I grind up the back of this
mountain watching my elevation creep up a metre at a time. I pass through a caravan
park of sorts with mobile homes parked around the place, derelict cabins with
trees growing through them demonstrate it perhaps isn’t popular. I see a power
line as I’m ascending and hope that at the end of it is a vending machine
filled with hot cans of coffee or cold pocari sweat. There is nothing but a public
toilet, emitting a sigh of resignation I fill my bidons with water and continue
upwards.
Eventually I get to a break in the tree line and it seems to
be a popular tourist spot, at least when the sun is out as its completely
deserted. There is some signage to what looks like a restaurant but I decide to
not make the detour and press to the mid point. By the time I get there I’m
famished and go to the tourist information desk asking where to get food. There’s
a shop 2km down the mountain (not a chance) or a gift shop further up. Up it
is! Getting there I find fresh apples the size of my fist and at 3 for 500 yen
($6.50) they’re a bargain! I haven’t had anything fresh for days and nearly cry
I’m so excited. They are crisp, fresh and delicious and I sit on the gift shop
porch hungrily eating them one after the other.
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| The gift shop with delicious apples. Credit: David Bonnitcha |
Norikura is also a timed road, meaning the gate closes at a
certain time. You’d think I would’ve learned from Kusatsu but I had in my head
that it shut at 5pm and I had plenty of time to get up there and back. I booked
a pension on my phone thinking I’d do the climb then roll down to the pension
for the night. Burning some matches to make sure I get it done in time I push
up only to find a solid yellow gate closed across the road and a warden waving
at me to stop. Shit.
The gate was already closed for the night. Goddamit.
After a brief conversation about when the gate would re-open
I turned back down the hill, passing other accommodation and shelter options
that were not on booking.com and mucked around in the dark finding this
pension. Upon finding it I was in a pretty foul mood, an extra 600m vert to do
in the morning was somewhat upsetting and to top it off they would not answer
the door. I knocked, then I banged, nothing. About ready to have a hissy fit I
walked around the building peering in windows and trying doors, nothing. Back
around at the front door it suddenly opened and a couple walked out. I must’ve
been a sight because their faces were priceless! They called inside in Japanese
and a woman came running to the door “sorry sorry sorry!” I simply said, I have
booking, can I come in?
She set me up with a room which was very spacious, I did my
routine and her son then drove me to the local restaurant for dinner where I
had some seriously good chicken and fried rice. They called my pension and they
drove me back again. I made a plan to get up at stupid oclock, leave my bags
here and be at the gate when it opened then return to the pension and shower,
eat and be on my way again. Seemed like a good idea at the time…
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