Kumanokodo Pilgrimage Route, Kii Mountain Range
Trip Start
Jul 26, 2008
1
4
12
Trip End
Aug 03, 2008
Owase,
Japan
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The starting point was Owase, which was located in Mie prefecture, but close to Wakayama. Fortunately, I got a discount ticket for JR Line, Aozora Free Ticket. I took a express train for Toba at Nagoya, and so I changed trains at Taki. When I got to Taki, I had to take a limited express with extra charge of one thousand yen. I didn't like it, but if I hadn't taken it, I would have waited for 2 hours. It had happened all the time in any countrysides. Anyway, I arrived in Owase at half past twelve and started hiking.
After a twenty minute walk in Owase, I reached Owase Shrine, which had two large Japanese cinnamons in the precinct. Because I hadn't seen large trees like that these days, I was so glad to see them, although I couldn't hug, that I took many pictures. The starting point of Kumanokodo was close to the shrine.
Japanese Cinnamon
I expected the route was both uphill and downhill, but the first half was all uphill and the second was all downhill. Since I started hiking at Owase City, the route began beyond the cemetary.The first landmark was Fudonotaki Shrine and Waterfall. The waterfall was very small, but enough to make me relax. After a short break, I took a 15 minute walk and reached a viewpoint in the middle of the uphill. I got a beautiful view of the Owase city area from up there. There was a young couple amazed by the view. By the way, I expected to see a lot of people on the route at first, because it was a sunny Sunday, but I passed by a few young couples and fit seniors. That may have been because Kii Mountain Range was a large area and the number of visiters on each route may be small. Anyway, the route was beautiful and worth a hike for fit people.
The course I took was comparatively short and easy, but it was enough for me to be exhausted at the end of the route. In original plan, I intended to try Yakiyama Route, which was the hardest route of all. If I had taken it, I might have died on the way like old pilgrims. Anyway, when I reached to the Magose mountain pass, I was soaked in sweat. I took off my shirts, because nobody was there, viewing the whole Owase city again. They said there was a teahouse on the pass, but nothing but an epitaph at the present. There was another hiking course for Mt. Tengura. According to a brochure, one way was supposed to take half an hour to reach the top. However I doubt it in my case, because I was pretty tired. So I skipped it and resumed the original course.
The downhill route from there was easy, but it was more beautiful with moss-covered cobblestones and ferns. If I had started the hike at the other end of the route, I could have been satisfied before the pass and returned from up there. In thirty minutes, I finished the pilgrimage route and there was a rest stop situated within a walking distance. It was a modern facility for hikers without historical meaning. I saw a lot of people there, but I was not sure if they were pilgrimage route hikers. I took a 30 minute break and continued walking to Aiga train station. On the opposite side of the rest stop, I found a garden and museum of Seeding Gonbei, which was less important for me. After a while, I got a beautiful view of Kii Mountain Range and Choshi River. The water of the river was transparent and some campers enjoyed splashing around.
