#there is a 5th option where I do attempt and die however very unlikely

[urnfleshlight]

I am… at a crossroads right now.

[dekuinthelake]

Happy Birthday Bloodborne

Seeing as it’s the 5th year Bloodborne has graced this mess of a planet with it’s omnipotent light I figured write a little thing about how much the game means to me. I’m going to get fairly personal so if you don’t like that kinda thing feel free to skip.

The first time I beat BB I didn’t think much of it, honestly. I’d had a rather basic playthrough where I didn’t see pretty much any of the optional bosses or do any of the story. I did as Gehrman suggested and just hunted some beasts. I took a break from it for a while and didn’t return to it until my life started getting... Difficult. 

My parents a year prior had gone through a rather turbulent divorce. In the wake of this, my sister and her boyfriend moved in so we could all help my dad pay for his house if only just barely. At the time we all knew even with four of us we didn’t make the type of money to help make payments and the inevitability of him loosing the house was a constant and looming stress. Worse still, my sister only agreed to move in if she was added to the mortgage, meaning she could threaten to sell on a whim, a privilege which she started using to strong arm me and my dad in to behaving a certain way. Her boyfriend was verbally abusive towards everyone, but especially condescending to her. Tension grew between all four of us, but especially between me and the boyfriend. I could ask my sister if she wanted to go out to lunch and catch up and she’d respond, “Let me ask my BF”. His control over her became apparent and the wedges he was intentionally drawing between her and our family was impossible to ignore.

All the while I was working a 4AM shift at a Zoo in the winter and barely getting any daylight or human contact since I had to be in bed so early to wake up for the drive. I cleaned a mile of glass in the dark every day non stop, only to have it be dirtied the moment the park opened. No matter how hard I worked to keep the park as clean as I could, even to the point of putting on dust masks to knock down spider, the higher ups weren’t happy with our companies work. As our contract was rapidly coming to an end, rumors began to circulate that we might not have it renewed if things didn’t improve. Worse still, someone had been stealing from the supply closet. Supposedly only the managers knew the code, and this sparked massive distrust in the Zoo staff towards our department to the point keys were taken away and our lives were made harder by no longer having access to vital shortcuts around the park which made getting from place to place take even longer in the miles long local. 

This futility and rage sparked the most obsessive play through of a game I’ve had to date. Undeniably, these situations were hopeless and lonely, and Bloodborne is a game that understood exactly how I was feeling. The Hunt is, after all, an eternal nightmare. No matter how many beasts, kin, or humans you kill, it’s an unending loop of uncertainty and oppressive danger. The tenuous state of things in Yharnam was uncomfortably familiar. Only in the game, it was far easier to focus on the things I could control.

The weapon I wielded. The stats I chose to upgrade. Which path I wanted to explore. The fluid combat enabled more split second choices every second, helped in large part by a generous stamina bar. More so than Dark Souls, Bloodborne expects you, the player, to take charge. You either commit to an aggressive plan and kill the beasts, or you die. 

When I first started, I played extremely cautiously and likewise did not have a lot of success. On new game +1, however, I began to realize that vital element. Hesitate and you die. Commit entirely and live. The more I played, the more I meditated on the very nature of what this game was communicating to me. 

In my actual life, I hadn’t come out as trans yet and it was something I was viciously debating internally. Earlier that year I tried to commit suicide. I half came out in the hospital, telling the ICU nurses my name was Mike. But even in the psych ward I was terrified to speak to social workers and groups about those feelings... Being that I had 6 hours completely alone and in the dark, it gave me time to listen to a lot of media by trans people. I distinctly remember one video where a trans woman was describing what dysphoria feels like and openly sobbing. I was starting to understand the core of why I hated myself, my body, and my current situation so much. 

But I was afraid. Even after the epiphany that I wanted to come out, I had a lot of doubt on if I could afford HRT, if I could commit to it, and what people would think. I worried starting T and in turn second puberty would bring back my horrible temper that I had going through it the first time. When I say I had rage problem, that’s putting it mildly. I’ve punched people before just for touching me when I was younger, and with the situation between me and my sister’s boyfriend getting more tense by the day I was rightfully concerned it might erupt in to actual physical violence. 

And so... I continued to come home from being alone all to spend most of my time alone playing Bloodborne. It was a great game to keep my mind off of things because of how much focus it demands to play. Funny enough, once you get good at it, the beasts are also a great punching bag.

A lot can be said about how Blood Vials aren’t the best method of healing. Having to stop boss attempts because you need to go farm some red Estus isn’t great design. However, running around that first part of Yharnam with the beast claws just shredding through citizens like a wild animal is possibly the most cathartic thing in my life at the time. It made me feel powerful, unstoppable, and like I was in complete control. I knew exactly how to handle the big pats one by one, and eventually I got skilled enough to just run into that big mob by the tree and stop people anyway because of how good the audio queues are at letting you know when you gotta dodge. I spent hours in both this location AND Chalice Dungeons farming for Echoes and consumables to the point that controlling my character in Bloodborne feels as natural as walking. 

I started beating the game faster and faster. I was on +5 difficulty and working on the DLC by myself when things escalated... 

At this point, I knew staying at my dad’s house wouldn’t be possible. The verbal fights between me and my sister were getting more and more prevalent. More than that, I knew it was time to come out and I didn’t feel secure doing that in an environment that was actively hostile. The plan was to save up, move out with two friends... But moving out came far faster than I had anticipated. 

A few days after my birthday, we had a family meeting. I don’t remember what sparked it, but we all sat around and voiced our complaints with each other. When it was my turn to speak, I brought up the fact my sister’s boyfriend had been intentionally isolating her on top of in general just being a jackass to her. He’d make her get things for him, call her stupid when they played games... The works. I don’t remember what he said that sparked it, but I remember the feeling... A really familiar feeling I hadn’t had in years. My pulse thundered in my neck so hard I couldn’t hear anyone over it. I started yelling incoherent shit. My sister stood in front of him because I was aggressively stepping forward. It was that temper I thought I’d knocked coming back. If she hadn’t gotten in the way, I’m absolutely sure I would have pummeled that man. I hadn’t felt that way since I strangled a kid in school to the point he nearly passed out.

 It was then I knew I had to leave. By nature, I’m violent. I hate it. But the decisiveness which I’d slowly been building helped me find the courage to admit this.

I took off in my car and just hauled ass to the highway. I had a bloodborne CD I’d been playing on my way to and from work. It sounds silly, but larping I was just a hunter during those crushing morning shifts was helping me keep going. Sure it was hopeless, but I felt bad ass to keep trying. I needed to have an unbreaking will to deal with this dilemma. Having so recently made a second attempt to kill myself, I had this powerful urge that no matter what I couldn’t end up there again. So, I decided not to beat myself up about it and just accept that I had to move on and away from what little family I had left.   I remember not really thinking words. I listened to Gehrman’s music on repeat with the windows rolled down going 78 miles an hour and just... Screaming. Literally screaming as loud as I could in to the night. Over and over again until it hurt just to breathe. 

Even though I felt betrayed by the people I thought were closest to me there wasn’t anything I could do but endure. 

Eventually I arrived my current roommate’s parent’s place where they were living at the time. I told her and her husband what happened. We went to the store for something. I got a call from my dad saying my sister was threatening to move out and apparently had yelled at him for not keeping me in line despite the fact at one point he’d physically gotten up and started yelling in my face to calm down. That was it. I asked my friend’s parents if I could move in temporarily and... That was that. 

The next day we gathered up all my things. I had to leave my dogs which was possibly the most agonizing part. 

But that night? I beat the orphan of Kos by myself on +5 on my computer monitor plugged in the wall and set on a box. Doing that was this weird extreme elation. It’s like I’d defeated two massively difficult, seemingly impossible tasks in one day. I’m glad I had help with the moving, though. Unlike Kos, that would have been impossible alone haha.

That weekend passed and I went back to work at the Zoo as normal. After I finished my shift, however, every employee in my company was called to a meeting. This was it. We all knew what was coming. We were to be laid off in December, giving us 3 months to find new work or apply to the company that was taking over the contract. 

In the wake of this news, moral plummeted. No one really tried that hard. I was coming in high to work every day and drinking with a coworker during our shift while we tired our best to continue work. That last month I worked there was a weird drug addled haze of extreme emotions mixed with ignoring them in favor of listening to VaatiVidya lore breakdowns of Bloodborne. 

I was going home and spending hours on art inspired by the general vibe of the game and my impossible to digest feelings. I’d lost my job, home, and family. I don’t know if I would have survived without both Bloodborne and my art as an outlet.

In the following months, I had gotten to New Game +7 and started recording myself trying to kill bosses without healing. Even though to this day no one watches these attempts but me, making them was frankly vital to keeping me distracted and focused on something I could control. 

There was a time where I didn’t think Ludwig +1 was beatable but... Here I am two years later happily having 100% Bloodborne and beaten every boss on +7, most of them without even needing to heal. 

The biggest lesson I took away from this game was persistence and decisiveness. The Souls series in general made me realize something huge that to this day has helped me fight my depression back. I’m a stubborn fuck who will grind and grind and grind until I finally achieve victory.

Fight for the progress you want to make. Things seem hopeless a lot, but you have to keep going. With effort, you can change anything you want to in your life.

Two years later, I’ve been doing HRT for 1 year and 3 months. I just had top surgery done. I’m working a job I like that’s got normal daytime hours and pays more than any work I’ve ever had with benefits. I don’t think I would have had the tenacity to stick to these things without realizing a fundamental aspect about my personality thanks to the help of Bloodborne specifically. 

I can endure, learn, grow, adapt. 

Thank you, Fromsoft. I hope this conveys a shred of what this dumb little game means to me. I needed Bloodborne so much when I moved out. I’m so glad it exists.

[rin-recovery]

1 year clean and sober Chair (7/7/21)

I’m Katherine A grateful dual diagnosed Alcoholic. (Pause)

What it was like: I was born into a quiet dysfunctional family. I was placed in foster care when I was 2ish because of this. When we (my older sister and I) were placed back with our mom we moved across the U.S. from Massachusetts to Vancouver Washington because we had family here and I had what I thought was a normal up bringing, on the outside it looked like a normal low-income family, but my mom was very much present and involved in my education unlike most of the other kid’s parents who I hung out with. However, behind closed doors my family was falling apart. My grandpa who I looked at like a father was an alcoholic, would always have a beer in hand while driving to pick us up from school, my dad did not enter my life until after I was 6 or 7 years old and what I thought was normal discipline was not, long story short my childhood left my brain literally broken. As young as 5th grade I wanted to die and could not explain why that was always a thought. The school and one of my friends thought it was because my great grandpa who I was very close with had died that year, but I knew it was not the only reason. Starting at a young age my parents attempted to try and help us make good choices around alcohol. My parents train of thought was if they allowed drinking in the house, we would not go behind their backs and party, and for the most part it worked. So, I started drinking small amounts of alcohol around the age of 8. In middle school I started hanging around the wrong crowd and by high school I was a mess. My drinking progressed from small amounts to large very quickly during that time. My mental health was so bad that I missed a month of school in 10thgrade due to a suicide attempt. I was self-harming, drinking, running away and overdosing on Benadryl and over the counter sleep aid regularly that my mom finally told one of my teachers after he called about me crying and walking out of my 11th grade English class that if I was going to kill myself nothing anyone did for me was going to stop me. 12th grade I barely was able to graduate due to the amount of school I was skipping and if it were not for my English teacher staying after school to help me with my math, I would not have graduated at all. When my best friend died in an ATV accident the summer after we graduated, I lost the will to live and again ended up in the hospital for a week over a suicide attempt and had to drop out of college because I could not get the work done, I lost 2 scholarship because of it and would eventually lose financial aid due to 2 more dropouts due to my mental health. At the age of 20 I got married to someone I thought loved me for me, but I found out in a short period of time how wrong I was about him; however, it was too late to walk away, and no one intervened due to him looking and acting mentally sound and me being bat shit crazy on the outside but behind closed doors it was a different story. My drinking and wanting to die only grew worse because I was hating my life and could never do anything right by my then husband. The only time I was mostly sober was when I was pregnant, but I was still regularly self-harming during that time. I was a closet alcoholic and tried to control it around my 2 boys who I try to keep living for as well. 7 years of marriage full of domestic violence and a lot of other not so great things ended with him walking out the door 3 days after Christmas of 2017 with the threat that if I tried to get a divorce, he would make my life a living hell by taking the boys away and never letting me see them again. My drinking, self-harming and overdosing went off the chart because of the fear of my ex and I was going to the hospital or my current boyfriend was having to come out and find me at bus stops or walking around trying to either get picked up by random people or get to the I5 bridge to jump off of (this all happened after my kids were in bed and asleep and my mom was home) all while trying to get and hold down a job while also trying to take care of my 2 special needs boys during the day time. About 2

years ago I was diagnosed with D.I.D. (Dissociative identity disorder) so literally my brain is broken into about 46 known pieces as of right now. Life started making more sense however it fixed nothing. It only explained why I have little to no memory of growing up or anything that was or is overly stressful. My boyfriend was having his own problems with bad med management, so I helped him while pretending/not caring about my own drinking and using. He got better as I kept getting worse. I finally got a job doing peer support which I had been wanting to do for 4 years and was certified to do and started working in a treatment center. Long story short I started to feel like a fraud at work every day. I was telling the ladies how to better their lives and I was losing it every time I was not at work. So, after talking with my counselor, he referred me to a SUD program, and I went. I told my SUD counselor flat out that I would not go to any groups because of the work that I did, I just wanted vivitrol to control the urges that at this point were out of control. No A.A. for me because I did not want to run into people who might know me from work. Well, that did not work out so well. I relapsed July 5th. My SUD counselor told me to go to A.A. so I did. I found the only in person meeting at the time, which was here, and I made an effort to get to as many meetings as time would allow. I let fear stop me from asking anyone to be my sponsor (1 because there were not many women at the meetings I was going to because RBR had just reopened their noon meetings due to the shutdown and 2 I feared that my mental health was too bad for anyone to handle) I was sober because I held onto the message NO MATTER FUCKING WHAT WE DON’T DRINK or USE! My job changed from the treatment center to the crisis center and just being sober was taking a toll. The fighting between my boyfriend and I was at an all-time high and I was slowly getting to the point that either I needed to be dead or I would drink again so on Aug. 17th after a week filled with 2 suicide attempts and my first week working graveyard at the crisis center I went to the 7pm meeting, filled my heart with all the hope it could hold, went home and told my kids that I loved them, tucked them into bed, packed a bag and had my boyfriend take me to the psych hospital. On the drive I text a few women in this room to say where I was going and that when I got out, I would get a sponsor because every message I heard said get a sponsor and work the steps to get better and I really wanted to get better. A week later I got out of the hospital no longer wanting to die or drink. I prayed really hard to a Man that I struggled to talk to or believe in to point out a woman who could handle ALL of me, already kind of knowing the woman He had picked out because she had taken me to her church once and had called me out at a meeting for not having a sponsor yet. So, on Sep. 9th after 62 days clean and sober and 39 meetings I asked Danira to be our sponsor and she said yes. Well first I texted her on the 8th and asked because I had no idea how it worked and Danira also intimidated us, we talked on the 9th and then she said yes. I would love to tell you all that my life got better however that would be a lie. With 46 known alter/personalities and a large majority not wanting recovery this process has been really difficult but also very rewarding. From September to the end of October I was making progress in leaps and bounds but then we got covid and everything stopped in November. I could not get my vivitrol shot and I could not go to an in-person meeting. My brain stopped working, it reverted to survival. I held onto NO MATTER WHAT to try to make day to day work for us to not relapse. We stopped picking up the phone and started staying up late hours not moving so we did not do something stupid. We still were able to do our gratitude daily and were grateful for waking up without a relapse each and every day. I do not remember much from November to January besides, we kept saying WE DON’T DRINK OR USE NO

MATTER WHAT. We finally were able to get back to the meetings regularly and while no we do not talk a lot due to our brain not being able to hold coherent thoughts most of the time, we are still in the meeting. Standing to get our 6th and 9th month coins was one of the happiest moments in our life. Working the steps have been hard but we keep pushing through. Danira has not given up on us yet and we try to push ourselves to make her, my kids and boyfriend proud.

NO MATTER WHAT looks like when my youngest is losing it by screaming in our face or hurting me physically we do not get the damn bottle because it will not fix anything (despite what some think in our head). My kids have already been through so much of me being selfish with my drinking and rampage problems. They need their mom to get out of self and learn to be a better parent for them. NO MATTER WHAT looks like when I cannot sleep, or I am suffering from high physical pain I don’t get weed or pills to numb it all because it is a short fix that will make all the hard work, we put in all for nothing. We do not have another relapse or recovery in us, if we went out, we would never come back and that is not an option just ask Danira, I tried once it ended with her at my front door with backup. NO MATTER WHAT looks like when two of my sponsee sisters and sponsor shows up at my house after a night of crisis that I follow my sponsor’s directions to go back to the hospital to stay safe and come back to my baseline even when I do not want to because she will not gamble with our lives or my boys’ lives. Side note: because of God leading me to Danira and Danira never giving up on us and because I was able to mostly follow her direction to go back into the psych hospital again, not that I was given much of a choice in the matter, we now have a counselor that knows what they are talking about and is able to help us move forward in our recovery in both the mental and addiction aspects. NO MATTER WHAT is a statement I only knew in a bad way. I would say NO MATTER WHAT I was going to be dead by the time I was 16, 18, 20, 25,30 years old now I say NO MATTER WHAT we are going to keep going and keep fighting this fight because I have 2 little boys that need me. NO MATTER WHAT my ex does to me NO MATTER WHAT anyone does to me we do not need to drink or use to fix it despite what the others might think in the head.

So, to the newcomer I want to leave you with this message NO MATTER WHAT it takes it is a one day, one moment at a time program and it is spiritual progress not perfection, it is a “we” program not an “I” program and these men and women will stand with you to fight this disease as long as you let them in.

WE DON’T DRINK OR USE NO MATTER FUCKING WHAT!!

Thank you.

[mybrainmeat]

A beginner's guide to Hiking the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Route

If you are planning to hike the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage, you’re in for some fantastic historical sights, stunning views, and close-up encounters with various wildlife. 

I had the fortune to join a friend for the full 72km Nakahechi Route from Takajiri-oji right through to Kumano Nachi Taisha just as the Pandemic lockdowns were lifting across Japan in June 2020. 

At this time there were very few people to encounter on the trail or at the shrines and towns. The recent lockdown also meant a lot of usual stops for shopping and accommodation had limited options due to the tourism industry being so severely affected. 

The 1000-year-old path is not without its challenges, so a little bit of preparation goes a long way;

When to travel

Most years, spring and Autumn are the preferred times to travel the route to avoid the heat. We chose to begin the pilgrimage on the first day of June 2020 - the day that the government officially lifted the lockdown in Japan. June is early Summer in Japan and temperatures start creeping into the 30-degree region. June is also the beginning of the rainy season (known locally as Tsuyu meaning “Plum Rain”), and the combination of hot weather and heavy rain makes it a less popular period for attempting the Kumano Kodo. Fortunately, we enjoyed a week of perfect weather with just a single overcast day.

Fitness

For reference, my hiking partner and I are both in our mid 30’s and of average fitness. Our winter seasons are spent working desk jobs and enjoying too much beer in ski towns, so summer is a period where we try to shed some of the bad habits and get more active. Neither of us had ever experienced anything longer than an overnight hike before this. Nevertheless, I would describe the Kumano Kodo as being a very beginner-friendly multi-day hike experience. There are so many populated areas along the way that it’s quite unlikely you will succumb to the elements and have your bones picked clean by the local fauna.

Packing Guide for four nights/five days

We both carried 60L hiking packs as we were also carrying camping equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, sleeping roll, cooking equipment etc. These added up to 15kg of weight with water included which made some of the steep passes quite a challenge in our poorly conditioned state. 

For other beginners who would like to do the Nakahechi Route for themselves, below is an outline of what we packed and where we purchased our items locally. Note that the below is not necessarily the best advice; it is merely what two inexperienced and budget-savvy guys chose. 

10-15kg camping setup (per person)

We purchased most of our camping gear from either Hard Off or Second Street. They both stock second hand and budget retail gear and are chain stores available in most large towns throughout Japan.

60L Backpack - 5,500 yen from Hard Off

I went for a large backpack because we were packing camping gear. Most people stay at guest houses each evening and only need a day pack for water, snacks, etc.

One person tent - 1,370 yen from 2nd Street

This tent was reeeeeeaallly cheap. I’m glad it didn’t rain.

Sleeping Bag - 1,500 yen from 2nd Street

Cheapest of the cheap sleeping bags. Not good for cold weather. Great for keeping the boogeyman away from your toes.

Sleeping Roll - 9,000 yen from Alpen Outdoor

I splashed out because I wanted a sleeping roll which packs down really small. Also hoped extra cost meant extra comfort, but it was still quite terrible to wake upon in the middle of the night.

Rain Cover for Backpack - 1,000 yen from Hard Off

Just in case it rained. A cheaper option is to put a bin liner in your Backpack.

Gas Stove & Gas & Lighter - 5,000 yen from Alpen Outdoor

Simple but effective. A little bulky compared to models in the 10,000 yen range and it uses larger gas canisters but got plenty of cooks and cups of coffee out of it.

Pots & Cup - 900 yen from 2nd Street

These were incredibly cheap, and we instantly burned the hell out of everything we tried to cook. Great for boiling water. Will carbonise anything else. A decent Teflon camping pot set will be on my Xmas list. 

Umbrella - 1,000 yen from Uniqlo

A simple alternative for keeping dry if you don’t want to purchase waterproof pants and jacket, which tend to get pricey when they are both waterproof and breathable.

Clothing 

We stopped at Uniqlo for super cheap, light clothing. Nothing special, no fancy brands or special weaves. It was all comfortable for our needs.

3 x Tee shirts - 1,000 yen each from Uniqlo

2 x shorts - 1,000 yen each from Uniqlo

1 x Gym pants - 1,500 yen from Uniqlo

Great for changing into after washing up each day and keeping bugs away from the ankles.

1 x light hoodie - 2,000 yen from Uniqlo

1 x light windbreaker - a Nike running Jacket I already owned

I never used this, but it packed down tiny so no problem.

5 x socks - 2,000 yen total from Uniqlo

These were cheap, cotton, ankle socks. I know cotton is basically the devil; however, I applied antiperspirant cream to my feet each morning to prevent my shoes from turning into the Bog of Eternal Stench and had no problems.

5 x undies 

Personal preference. We ended up swimming on a couple of afternoons, so I found it easier to just rock life “commando” for a day or two rather than suffer wearing or carrying damp undies for hours. 

1 x Shoes - Salomon AlphaCross 8,000 yen from Amazon

Hiking boots may be a better option due to the unstable terrain - my hiking companion almost rolled his ankle into the next century a couple of times. That said, these trail runners were comfortable and dry, and the traction was excellent everywhere except for the sections with wet, mossy rocks. Might as well have been wearing banana peels on my feet during those parts of the path.

1 x Jandals - already owned

For letting the piggy wiggies breath after a long day in the shoes.

1 x set of thermals - already owned

Totally unnecessary in June. Don’t be like me.

Sun hat and Sunnies - already owned

For looking cool at the club. A wide brim hat would be a better choice for the trail.

Food and water

You should encounter drink vending machines and food shops at least once each day, so it’s not necessary to go overboard with supplies - especially if you’ve booked accommodations which provide dinner, breakfast, or a packed lunch. 

As we specifically planned to camp on a couple of evenings, and we had a brand new gas stove to try out, we brought extra food to cook up so we could feel like self-sufficient mountain men.

We packed: 

Rice which we mixed with grains and seasoning and refrigerated for rice balls on the trail. Warning: google how to prepare rice for eating later, so you don’t DIE.

Instant ramen and canned tuna, which we cooked up for dinner both nights that we camped.

Eggs and spam which we cooked and promptly burned for breakfast the morning after our first camp

Bananas, trail mix, CalorieMates, and Protein Jelly drinks as snacks

Instant Coffee and Teabags

Around 2-3 litres of water

Special mentions

Wipes in case of emergency poopage

Bluetooth speaker for fighting off the Daru Spirits during the steep sections (special mention to Prodigy’s Fat of the Land album for getting us to the top of Echizen Toge Pass on day four).

We forgot Insect Repellant and received some gnarly bites on the legs

Itinerary 

(5 days, approx 80km / 4160m total elevation gain)

Our Itinerary was modified mid-travel because the Info Desk in Hongu advised that all accommodations and shops were likely closed at Koguchi. This village is where people typically rest overnight before tackling the demanding Echizen Toge Pass on the Ogumotori-goe section which is the most gruelling climb of the Nakahechi Route. As such, we incorporated the climb into the end of our 4th day rather than the beginning of our 5th.

Day One

Takajiri-oji Trailhead > Chikatsuyu-oji - approx 13.5km

After being dropped off at the Trailhead by bus, we nosed about and took a few photos at the entrance before starting the ascent. It didn’t take a great deal of time to start building a sweat as the steps slowly took us up to the 400m mark, and I could feel a bit of self doubt (henceforth known as Daru Spirits) setting in as my lack of fitness made itself clear. Fortunately, there were a couple of interesting shrines on the way up which offered a chance to take off the packs and have a few sips of water.

Only a short while into this first climb we encountered our first slithery friend as we startled a nearby snake beside the track who in turn startled a few of my hairs into turning grey.

Once on the ridge line the pace was quite easy right through until Takahara 4km further. Here we enjoyed idyllic scenes of stepped rice paddies dropping down into the valley while a nearby water wheel lazily turned under a weak stream.

Another relatively tough climb directly out of Takahara - mostly due to the heat - and we were back under the forest canopy.

In between enjoying the shrines and the forest views along the trail there were also plenty of interesting creatures spotted including more slitheries, and some red crabs which were definitely completely lost. 

We camped at the Iris Park Campground which added a couple of extra km of walking as it is located over the hill from the main village. It was a great spot next to a river with plenty of amenities including cabins, sento bath facilities, power outlets, covered bbq areas, and - inexplicably - some sort of menagerie.

Day Two

Chikatsuyu-oji > Hongu - approx 25km

After a surprisingly shit sleep in our $15 tents, we cooked up some spam and eggs for breakfast to fuel the finely tuned machines that are our bodies then hit the trail again. 

Today was to be a big 25km trek to Hongu where the first major shrine “Kumano Hongu Taisha” is located, and it was another hot one pushing 30 degrees with 85% humidity.

An hour or two out of Chikatsuyu there was an impressive shrine with stunning Cedar trees lining the stairway and a rest stop displaying a traditional grass “raincoat”. 

TIP: Don’t try this thing on with short sleeves or you’ll rash up like a baby’s ass in summer.

The trail followed the road for some time making it an easy journey - except for the moment we didn’t notice a recently-squished snake on the road until we almost trod on it and squealed in sheer terror. 

The easy times were short lived though, as we entered the Detour Pass and started climbing, Daru Spirits started flying at us from every angle; between the steep staircases and sections exposed to the blazing sun, the Daru almost got the better of us. Fortunately, after a hard fought battle we reached the peak and promptly collapsed in the shade knowing that the worst was behind us for now.

Our feet were definitely feeling tender after this lengthy hike which involved clearing three passes in total, each with steep elevation. After the Detour Pass near Jagata-jizo, there was an excellent spot to relax on the stoney shore of a small stream, have a bite and cool the feet off in the chilly water.

As we were descending the final pass of the day, we had set a brisk pace through the trees and I accidentally stepped on a snake which was having a nap on the path. Needless to say it was none too happy about having its slumber rudely interrupted and it made a bee-line for my companion close behind who gave a yell and looked about ready to throw himself off the path to avoid the slithery vengeance. We proceeded a little more cautiously afterwards, but between all the sticks that look a lot like snakes, and all the snakes that look a lot like sticks it was a jumpy last few kilometers.   

Once we arrived in Hongu we picked up a celebratory beer - had a kanpai to celebrate surviving our snake encounter - and booked a dorm at the Kumano Backpackers. The owner offered excellent local advice about where to find river swimming spots, camping, and refilling drink bottles on the road ahead. 

Day Three

Rest Day - approx 7km

We stayed a second night at Kumano Backpackers and used our free time to properly explore the Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, the impressive Otorii, and we also caught the bus to check out the nearby Yunomine Onsen town.

We learned on this day that our intended destination of Koguchi for the following evening was likely closed - which meant we may not be able to top up on clean water, fresh food, or book accommodation. This meant we were looking at a much bigger day of walking and would need to clear the Echizen-toge pass the same day to reach the next stop - Jizo-jaya Teahouse - which hopefully had operational vending machines for fresh drinks and a good camping spot.

We spent the evening preparing our rice for additional trail snacks, purchased an extra 2L water and looked forward to carrying the heaviest load of the whole trip up the largest mountain.

Day Four

Ukegawa Trailhead > Jizo-Jaya Teahouse Remains - approx 19km

Well rested, we caught an early bus to the Ukegawa trailhead, which saved us an hour or so of walking along the highway. From here it was an easy 12.5km to Koguchi where we stopped for a lunch break.

Upon arriving, it turned out the local shop was, in fact, open and the incredibly kind lady working there gave us a hearty Ganbatte! after topping up our water bottles with fresh, icey water and offering a snack for the road ahead.

Under the Koguchi bridge was a spectacular swimming hole with a plethora of fingerlings ready to nibble on any weary feet dipped into the water. We stopped here for two hours to enjoy a refreshing swim and a brief nap before downing a CalorieMate, Banana, Rice Ball, and an Energy Jelly (for good measure). 

Soon enough, it was time to saddle up again and tackle the 800m Echizen Toge Pass. 

This was a long hike up, and many times we saw the sky appear in the trees ahead and felt we must be near the top, only for the track to turn once again and present us with another indeterminable number of stairs. We found ourselves making steady progress by focussing on counting down the official markers every 500m, and picking an easy line up the stairs which avoided making large strides. Since the steps were often haphazardly sized stones it was a good mental distraction to pick a path a few meters ahead as you climbed to avoid strenuous steps.

As we neared the top, we took a water break, connected the bluetooth speaker and queued up The Prodigy to get us pumped for the final few hundred meters. 

And then we were there - and we felt great! A quick water break, a photo-op, and then down the other side of the pass.

That evening we camped at Jizo-Jaya Teahouse - a fantastic rest stop with power and an indoor seating area for travellers. The shelter was located a short 1600m walk after completing the Pass.

As well as offering more drink vending machines, the rest house area had a tranquil stream perfect for washing off the day’s sweat and grime.

Day Five

Jizo-Jaya Teahouse Remains > Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine - approx 8km

We made an early start to complete the final unchallenging 8km of the Nakahechi Route. The descent into the valley where the second Major Shrine is located offers a rewarding view.

After exploring the temple grounds for an hour or two and collecting some souvenir junk, we descended the Daimon Zaka and caught the bus to Nachi Station, then a short train ride to Shingu to visit the third shrine - Kumano Hayatama Taisha. 

At Shingu we booked a traditional style hotel room, took off the packs for good and called it a week.

Final Thoughts

Bring a copy of the official Kumano Travel guide with you, The information inside is amazing.

Be sure to stop and read the information signs at the various points of interest during the pilgrimage. No photos of the Jizo and Oji shrines are included in this post because I felt they were best enjoyed in person as a rewarding place to rest during the journey. 

Sleeping in a tent on a thin matt is pretty uncomfortable - book a guesthouse well in advance if you want the traditional experience.

Bring a notebook so you can stamp the pages at each shrine along the way.

Every toilet I encountered along the way was in great condition and extremely clean. If you can hold it in until you reach proper facilities you’ll thank yourself.

Stay hydrated and don’t push yourself too hard on the steep sections.

Don’t rush on the downhill side - it’s easy to injure yourself on the uneven paths.

Phone service can be limited especially in the last couple of valleys.

Beware of the Daru!