The Joy Of Cycling Around Mt Fuji!
Having never cycled outside of Europe or N. America before, our trip to Japan was always going to be cycling heavy! With the whole country to explore, our first stop after Tokyo had to be Mt Fuji. Fujisan has long been worshipped as a sacred mountain, and this World Heritage Site has long been a symbol of Japan, so even just visiting was a real treat. The great news is that it’s incredibly easy to cycle around Mt Fuji!
Our hostel Kagelow; hipster hostel come boutique hotel, has decent single speed bikes for rent at 500 JPY for the day (about £3!), and there are other bike hire options to make use of (from roadies to fat bikes). It’s very easy to fly your own bike out, and even easier to transport around on the excellent train network. With a favourable exchange rate, this spring/summer is the perfect time to visit Japan and cycling is a must!
Our initial plan was to cycle half way up the mountain to the 5th Station (around 2400 metres up) but we soon changed our minds when we remembered we would be on single speeds! A jaunt around the much flatter but equally beautiful Lake Kawaguchiko was a much more fitting endeavour.
However, due to some poor map reading, we nearly ended up achieving our primary objective! About an hour into riding up hill, looking for a lake with no lake to be found, we realised we might have gone the wrong way! Single speeds and hill climbs really don’t mix.
Unsurprisingly, it took much less time to roll down the hill, and we were on the shores of the lake in no time. The 20km loop around the Lake is perfect for a gentle or beginner ride; if you want to go a bit further there are four other lakes that can be joined into one big route. The lakes are also set in a valley between Mt Fuji and other hills, so if you want something more strenuous, a great climbing route could easily be created.
For us, today was about taking in the scenery, and enjoying the many cafes and restaurants that line the lake. Whether you want to stop for sushi, ramen, coffee or a beer, it’s all possible on Lake Kawaguchiko!
One of the delights of cycling in Japan (for us anyway) was the inability to use the mapping on our garmin. Since the invention of the onboard computer, the skill (and joy) of being able to successfully navigate with just a paper map and your own instincts has been lost. There is no question that the onboard computer is a great leap forward for cycling, however there is a simple beauty in heading out with just a paper map in your pocket and a general direction in your head. Admittedly, we did ride for an hour in the wrong direction today, but getting lost and discovering otherwise unseen temples was all part of the fun!
The ease of cycling and the beautiful scenery; the perfect roads and incredibly warm hospitality make Japan one of the best places we’ve cycled so far. Whether you come for a few days or a few weeks, make sure you come to Fuji and cycle in the shadow of the sacred mountain.
Check out www.dirtywknd.com for more cycling information. Rides, routes and wknds away can be found on the website for all levels of cyclist to enjoy.
