I had heard about hiking the deepest gorge in Japan from a friend years ago. The catch was that the trail was open to the hiking public only during the month of October. Just so happened that my Machu Picchu trip had been unexpectedly cancelled, so that is how I found myself back in Japan again this year, along with Aida, Chico and Mari.

Tokyo Station

Mari saw us off at the station as we boarded our roughly two hour bullet train ride to the city of Nagano that was host to the 1998 Winter Olympics.

Nagano

We checked in early at our hotel. Passports? No passports? We will mix up your rooms for your lack of foresight. Requested a taxi to pick us up tomorrow at 6am to take us to the dam. The first response was too early and too far. Where’s Uber when you need them. The second call was a somewhat mixed bag as the taxi would take us to the train station and not the dam. Lost in translation.

Nagano

Explored the backstreets of the city where we found vintage tin toys and musical instruments, a restaurant in restoration and the most Japanese thing of them all, Snow White and her multiple dwarves.

Nagano

Chico being slowly sucked into the addictive world of pachinko parlors which was invented in the 1920s. The goal of playing these flashy and noisy vertical pinball machines is to collect as many steel balls as possible, which in turn can be exchanged for prizes. Chico got an assortment of liquid beverages as his payout.

Nagano

We looked for a sushi place for dinner, took a bite out of the big apple and ended up eating steak. Hold the rice.

Nagano

To tip or not to tip. When one doesn’t want to carry a pocketful of change.

Nagano

Day 2 – Wednesday, November 18, 2023.
Miracles #1 and #2 rolled up into one. The taxi showed up a bit before 6am and drove us roughly one hour to the train station which was actually the feeder to the dam. Credit and debit cards didn’t seem to work for payment. Cash is king in Japan.

Ogizawa

We bought our tickets for the electric bus ride and hung out with the crowd as we still had half an hour to wait.

Kurobe Dam

The bus ride through the innards of the dam took about 10 minutes before depositing us in the tunnel. Miracle #3. Don’t follow the crowd to the dam. Just ask somebody.

Kurobe Dam

Thar’s snow in them thar hills. As long as it doesn’t float down our way.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Going down the former Nichiden Trail that was built to investigate the use of the river for hydroelectric power.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Crossing below the tallest dam in Japan that tops out at 610′ that was completed in 1963 and cost the lives of 171 people.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

The trail started out by following the riverbed as we came across one of many waterfalls on the trail.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Bamboo infrastructure in the form of ladders, bridges and walkways on the trail were quite extensive. Hats off to the craftsmanship involved in the construction and fabrication to make it safe for hikers in the form of relatively safe passage.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

The initial exposure was not much on the trail, but that would soon change.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Churning waters below us as we crossed over a bamboo bridge.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Hand rails on the right.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Scrambling our way over a scree field.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Hand rails on the left.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Hanging out.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Chico approaching the core section of the hike, called Suihei Trail or Horizontal. We soon left the river bank as the trail transitioned to a carved path out of the side of the mountain.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Crossing over a multi-tiered waterfall.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

It was hard to capture the sheer scale of the jaw dropping scenery around us. You had to be there.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Sharing a shaka on the trail.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

I think Chico was trying to fend off the mythical Kappa said to inhabit the ponds and rivers of Japan.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Some of the other hikers stopped to refill their water containers from the abundant water sources all around us.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Looking back as others made their way across the narrow trail.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Heading deeper into the gorge.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Making our way over the uneven rocky terrain.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Going up some steep bamboo ladders to gain elevation above the river.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Chico making his way up.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Aida traversing over the thin trail.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Hanging onto the wire guides anchored to the side of the mountain. Some of the anchors had broken free and were dangling from the cables. Wear and tear.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Making our way down to another river crossing and apparent break spot.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

One got wet and the other stayed dry.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Aida pulling herself up the trail.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Why are these hikers wearing helmets? Are they afraid of rock falls or something?

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Hugging the slanted walls as we made our way across.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Chico approaching the Hakuryu Gorge.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Sometimes you have to stop and turn around and look at the cascading river spilling through the gorge.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

The bamboo walkways served as fillers when the path became too narrow or had too large of a gap to safely cross.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Ducking to make the low clearance.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Taking a break in all the wrong places. Follow the locals. Surprisingly, we were the only foreigners on the trail.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

The work that goes into making and maintaining all these guideways constructed out of bamboo and wire was impressive.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

We were a tad early for the fall colors to be popping.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Traversing over a particularly long stretch of bamboo walkway as we approached Juji Gorge.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Splish splash. Time to get a little wet.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Walking over a suspension bridge as the cold blue-green waters of the Kurobe River flowed beneath us.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Going over the narrow trail with vertical drops, as we entered the S-shaped gorge.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Traversing over the rocky trail that is called Shimono-roka or Lower Corridor.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Chico going over a particularly narrow section with a low overhang.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Looking out towards what appeared to be two ventilation shafts from Kurobe Power Station #4 which is located entirely underground to protect it from avalanches common to this area.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Climbing our way down towards the base of the transmission powerline towers.

Higashitanitsuri Bridge

Crossing over Kurobe River on a suspension bridge.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

We caught up to some hikers at the entrance to the tunnel and asked how long more. One hour was the reply. Half hour was somebody’s else reply. Wishful thinking.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Exiting the tunnel with waterfalls all around us.

Sennindani Dam

Walking on the gravity dam that was built in 1940.

Sennindani Dam

Aida going through the dam building after filling up water from the spigot.

Sennindani Dam

Making our way through a seemingly labyrinth maze of tunnels and train tracks within the dam until we popped out on the other side.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Climbing up a steep hill through the forested area.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Passing through another rock tunnel.

Azohara Onsengoya

Hut sweet hut. Miracle #4. We reached the shelter before dark. Some other hikers were not so lucky.

Azohara Onsengoya

Miracle #5. We had called earlier and were told that the hut was fully booked. It didn’t hurt to ask. Do you have room? Do you have a tent? Do you have room? They finally said the only room left is in the dining area for 9,000 yen ($65) versus paying for camp space 1,200 yen ($8). We took it without hesitation. It was cold outside. We are not cold weather friendly. Declined the dinner but paid for the Coke.

Azohara Onsengoya

Staying warm and waiting for our communal sleeping area to be cleared. There was a free onsen (hot spring) onsite but we were too tired to dip our bodies into the heated mineralized waters.

Azohara Onsengoya

Group photo with Izumi-san and Asami-san, the English speaking seasonal worker. Turns out that Izumi-san, whose name in English means spring, owns the hut which is rebuilt every year due to the heavy snowfall and snowmelt. They also have to inspect, maintain and repair the miles and miles of cable guides, ladders and bridges that help make the trail passable, which is why the trail is only open one month out of the year. They also told us somebody had just fell off the cliff a couple days before us and passed away. On average, this trail claims the lives of five hikers annually.

Azohara Onsengoya

Day 3 – Thursday, October 19, 2023.
Woke up to the sound of the hut workers making breakfast for those that wanted the first meal of the day.

Azohara Onsengoya

Chilly group photo outside of the hut as others attended to their dental hygiene in the background.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Leaving the hut as we passed the tent campsite where some hikers were still snoring the day away.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Testing the structural integrity of the bamboo bridge. Bamboo, a fast-growing grass, has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than steel and concrete.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Chico climbing down the ladder.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Aida crossing over a gap in the trail.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

We ran across an old man doubled up in pain who was attended by his friends as we climbed up the ladder. Hope it was just a bad bento.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Chico giving an impromptu geography class using his shirt. We are not from Maui.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Climbing our way down a long stretch of ladder.

Orio-no-otaki Falls

Chico about to cross over another waterfall on the trail.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Approaching the manmade waterfall.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Going underneath the waterfall through a dank and dark tunnel.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

We paused our hike to consume some calories. I had a free breakfast bento from the hut and a paid Coke. Balanced out.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

No monkeying around, we have a train to catch.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

When a moving object hits an immovable object.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Going in and around the crevices of the mountain.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Chico walking under the rock overhang.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Looking back at the trail that was interrupted by a chute.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Approaching Odaiko Lookout where we enjoyed a bird’s eye view of Keyakidaira Station, our train ticket to leave this beautiful gorge.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

We doubled back to get this money shot.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Entered a pitch black rock tunnel that twisted and turned through the mountain. The only sounds we heard were our voices and our feet sloshing through the flooded floor.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Crossing over one of the bamboo ridges where some sections were loose or rotted. Wear and tear.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Aida coming out of the rock tunnel.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Walking under an overhang. Lucky I don’t play for the NBA.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Climbing down a ladder and traversing over the bamboo walkways. Pretty much the theme for the hike. Your elevation may vary.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Boring through the last rock tunnel on the trail.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Ganbatte! Catching up with another group that we were playing tag with along the trail.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Chico walking the steel plank next to the power lines.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Aida making her way around one of the last bamboo walkways.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

We scrambled down the hill past the transmission towers and walked down a flight of stairs.

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Some local told us five minutes left on the trail. That was five minutes ago! Lost in translation?

Shimono-roka Trail (Kurobe Gorge)

Passing a rockfall barrier on our way down the steep hill. Is that why the other hikers were wearing helmets?

Keyakidaira

30 minutes later and we found ourselves at the bottom of the trail and home to the station operated by the Kurobe Gorge Railway.

Keyakidaira

Group photo with our Japanese “friends” who we also traded dehydrated ice cream sandwiches, Japanese sweets and facebook contact information with them.

Keyakidaira

Miracle #6. It’s recommended to get here before 11am as later trains may be saturated with day tourists, we still managed to get tickets to the 1pm train. Taking the open air rail cars to Unazuki Station where we passed numerous sights on the way out such as the Shin-Yanagawara Power Station built to resemble a European castle, Atobiki Bridge that we crossed over, aqueducts and other bridges, and of course the pristine beauty of the gorge itself. What we didn’t see was simian mammals crossing the Monkey Bridge. Somebody saw the inside of their eyelids.

Kurobe-Unazukionsen Station

We unknowingly took the reserved bullet train bound for Omiya. Luckily the conductor gave us a break and put us in unoccupied seats. He admonished us to make reservations next time. Yes sir.

Shinjuku

After fighting the rush hour crowd, we found a restaurant that served steak for our post hike meal. I’m discerning a common pattern in our eating habits.

GPS Tracks

Many thanks to Dana and Shari Hada for all the useful information and timely tips. Our amazing adventure through the deepest gorge in Japan covered 21.03 miles through unforgettable sights and sounds with good friends.

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Chico Cantu, Mari Saito, and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.

My tradition of doing a solo hike after climbing the icon of Japan continued with a hike plucked out of social media, as this was billed as a challenging and technical hike.

Matsuida Eki

I got off the rural train station of Matsuida in the prefecture of Gunma, which I was told ranks up there with heat in an already overheated country and with no taxis waiting for me, decided to walk where the temperature was parked in the 100’s and the humidity level was equally as high.

Matsuida

Walking on the rural roads in the blistering heat with little to no shade had me wishing for a taxi or somebody to give me a ride. No such luck.

Myogi Shrine

Arrived at the base of the temple grounds with all the shops still shuttered and nobody else in sight.

Myogi Shrine

Stepping foot in the shrine that was established in 527.

Myogi Shrine

165 steps to the top? Who’s counting.

Myogi Shrine

The running water is used for ritual cleaning of the hands and mouth before entering the shrine.

Myogi Shrine

Climbing to the main shrine as I passed stumps of 400 year old cedar trees that used to line the stairs until the roots started to dislodge the stairs and it was cut down as a result.

Myogi Shrine

Red and green demons flank the shrine’s entrance.

Myogi Shrine

Gazing upon the impressive black lacquered gates of the main shrine. It is said that the same artisans who crafted the Nikko Shrine are the same ones that did this one as well.

Myogi Trail

Left the shrine grounds and started on the trail.

Myogi Trail

Following the smiley face emojis, must be the easy part of the trail.

Myogi Trail

Passing the trickling Daikoku Falls.

Myogi Trail

Enjoying one of the few shaded spots on the trail. Boy, was it extremely hot. Atsui!

Myogi Trail

Follow the arrow. Better than pink tags I guess.

Myogi Trail

Climbing up and down the metal stairs that was incongruously put in the mountains.

Myogi Trail

Walking on the Kanto Intersection Path. Not quite sure what that means.

Myogi Trail

I knew the word on the left meant bad, so that means go left.

Myogi Trail

Testing out the first of many chains attached to the rocks. Still a lot stronger than the printer cables and webbing found back home. I think the map said this was the “advanced” part of the loop.

Myogi Trail

Passing a dry waterfall. Not sure which one it was.

Somadake

Selfie on top of the tree shrouded 3,621′ peak that is the highest on Mount Myogi.

Myogi Trail

Walking over to the next high point which I believe could have been Mount Hakuun or Tengu Rock.

Myogi Trail

Going up the near vertical rock section. I actually needed the chains as there were hardly any footholds or handholds.

Myogi Trail

Passing through a makeshift shrine in the mountains with coins of different denominations scattered around.

Myogi Trail

Scrambling down a narrow section of the ridge line with the weather battered craggy peaks ahead of me.

Myogi Trail

Passing through a split in the rocks.

Myogi Trail

Following the chains as it lead me throughout the rocky formations.

Myogi Trail

Belay down! Oh wait, I don’t have a belay device. Climb on down.

Myogi Trail

Looking up at my steep descent that I had just come down from. These chains came in quite handy.

Myogi Trail

Another shrine in the mountains.

Myogi Trail

Standing underneath the giant character “dai” meaning great or large that sits in the middle of Mount Hakuun.

Myogi Trail

Going down the “intermediate” trail as I started to lose elevation.

Myogi Trail

Following the arrows as it looped me around and back down to the temple grounds.

Myogi Shrine

The temple complex underwent significant development during the Edo period from 1603-1868.

All pau

I was dripping with sweat when I got down to the bottom of the temple grounds. A purchase of my favorite carbonated beverage got the shop owners to call me a taxi which resulted in catching the hourly train back just in the nick of time.

GPS Tracks

My hot as hell hike covered 6.62 miles through some challenging terrain, blistering heat and not another soul to keep me company. Post hike meal at Standing Sushi.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.