A Walk Around Shodoshima
Day 2, Afternoon
Friday December 25th

Faced with a choice about which route to take I opt for what is probably the more difficult option -walk up the mountain and take the ropeway down. I am not a masochist, but I am walking a pilgrimage, and it has been my experience that the more effort that is involved in the journey then the more satisfying are the rewards.

The trail up to SekimondoThe road is steep and windy and heads up a narrow gorge. It's a concrete road with corrugations to help vehicles in icy weather I guess. On the way up the sides of the steep valley form into spires and jagged peaks. It's steep all the way until I reach Sekimondo, temple number 18 on the pilgrimage.

It is very impressive, with a cave temple, natural stone arch, and multiple building perched up the valley. The trail carries on up to the top of Kankakei Gorge, after first passing through the opening in the cliff that makes the natural stone bridge, the sekimon.
It is just as steep as the first half of the trail and I begin to doubt the wisdom of my choice. I stagger out at the parking lot of the upper station of the ropeway and my legs are about done in. It is lunchtime and already I must have climbed about a thousand meters in total. After a hot coffee from a vending machine I have a look from some of the viewpoints, and the views are great, but I need to press on as the day is disappearing fast.

Inotani Pond at the lower end of Kankakei GorgeI share the ropeway do...