The Tour de France? No, the real tough hill climbing cycle event is the Tour de Utsukushigahara, with its gekisaka (檄坂 – severe slope). The race is only 22km in distance, but ascends 1,270 metres up to Utsukushigara from Asama Onsen (in Matsumoto) – the first few hundred metres of the race ascendup an 18%… Continue reading GEKISAKA hill race – Tour de Utsukushigahara
Tag: Arima Onsen
Arima Onsen
In the last weekend of November, I spent a weekend in Osaka with Akiyo (high school host family sister) and her family. On the Sunday, we headed to Arima Onsen, a hot spring resort in the hills behind Kobe.