Mt. Takao

Two weeks ago, I went on an excursion to Mt. Takao, a small mountain about an hour and a half away.  

Because I am completely out of shape, my intention was to take the cable car or the chair lift up the mountain and walk back down. So I followed the crowd, and the crowd led me astray. I ended up on the longest and steepest of the trail options.

By the time I figured out that the crowd had veered off before reaching the chair lift, I was part way up the mountain. And then I looked around and saw the toddlers and grandmas and grandpas also climbing the mountain, and it became a matter of pride to keep going.  







It was a beautiful hike. I imagine that it is hugely popular when the leaves turn color. I took A LOT of pictures on the way up the mountain, which had absolutely no correlation with taking breaks. 

Between all of the little gods posted along the path and the stream of people, it looked a lot like a pilgrimage. Apparently, Mt. Takao is a sacred mountain and has been a center of mountain worship for more than 1,000 years.  Near the top of the mountain is a Buddhist temple complex where a lot of the hikers stand in lines to ring various bells and pray.

After going up to the top and getting a hazy glimpse of the very top of Mt. Fuji, I hiked back to a restaurant just outside the gate of the temple and had some noodles.

I took the chair lift back down, partly to save time and partly because I wasn’t sure I had time to walk back. It was really nice to have the opportunity to get out of the city and to see that I don't have to go too far to see nature.