Takao-san

Warning: Gobs of pictures.

I'm still ridiculously far behind on posts, for no good reason.

Earlier this summer the kids and I decided to hike up Mt. Takao, it turned out to be a quick, easy drive from the base, which made me sad that we hadn't gone sooner (and now that I'm thinking about it, I'm even sadder that we haven't gone back again.)

Takaosan is considered to be very sacred and it has a beautiful temple and shrines and statues all over it.

There are 6 different hiking trails that lead to the top, as well as a cable car and chairlift that will take you half-way up. We opted for the chairlift, then trail 2 with the swinging bridge for the hike up.

>

This is about 1/2 way up on the chair lift, look how far we still had to go! I was a little nervous because there is nothing holding you in the seat, which slants slightly forward, and there's nothing to hold on to besides on small pole to your side. But it was really fun and the kids loved it.

>

Look at the view behind us! It was really hard to get this shot because I couldn't turn around, I would have tumbled right out of the lift.

>

>

It got pretty strenuous at times and took about 1.5 hours to reach the top from the half-way drop off at the chair lift. I was very surprised that Ethan hiked all the way up by himself!

The views from the top were pretty good, something you don't usually get during the hot hazy summer, but no Mt. Fuji sighting.

>

Meg at the summit

>

Ethan at the top, still happy and smiling after his first mountain climb!

We chose trail 6 going down because the trail map said you hiked beside a mountain stream all the way down. The map didn't mention that for the first 100 yards or so you're actually hiking in a mountain stream, but it was very shallow and there were lots of stepping stones.

>

We also chose trail 6 because it ran beside Biwataki waterfall. This waterful is very sacred and has a temple/shrine at the bottom. The waterfall is used for takigyo, waterfall meditation. You stand under the pounding water and pray/chant, usually for hours at a time! I've heard that monks even do it in the dead of winter when the water is freezing!

Biwataki

We will definitely be going back, we also plan to hike Mt. Mitake soon.