Tuesday 17 December 2013

Mount Wakakusa Nightride

Preparing for a cold night ride at Guell, Nara.
Out on a cold winter night with the Guell crew yesterday for a night ride with a difference. Instead of a cruise round the streets and then heading to a cafe, last night we were mountain climbing! An off road, pitch black climb through the forest up to the summit of Mount Wakasuka...

Flying through Nara Koen, past Todai-ji
The dark and the cold and the knackering climb made it somewhat difficult to get good or even passable photos, theses are the best of a bad bunch...

A rest stop half way up.
After what seemed like hours (it was only about 40 minutes!) we arrived at the top, the views over Nara made all the sweating and gear grinding and walking on the way up well worth the effort...


Nara by night.

Fresh coffee was prepared to warm us all up...



As expected, out of the darkness came the Shika, just as friendly and curious by night as they are during the day...




Then it was time for the descent, again pitch dark and freezing cold whilst speeding down a mountainside, serious fun!

A very brief rest stop at a police station on the way down.
Then back to the brightly lit streets of Nara...


A great, if somewhat tiring night. Arigato to Toshio-san and Susumu-san and the whole Guell crew. Susumu has posted his much better photos from the night up on the Guell blog.