Rocking it on Mount Rokko
Another Golden week has been and gone quick as lightening and this year I decided to take the plunge, be adventurous and went on my first ever solo hiking trip!! My main decision to go hiking was due to my craving for some nature after moving to the big city. I was also seeking some solitude away from the busy busy crowds, and on top of that my hiking boots were screaming to be used again after months untouched! For a number of reasons I decided to venture to Kobe for my trip; there are quite a few mountains there, I'd never been there before and it's only a short train ride away from Osaka.. Perfect!!
This would not be my first time hiking as I had already been on a few hikes back in Wakayama and also climbed the famous Mount Fuji last Summer, but this would be my first time doing it all alone! After a little digging around I decided on the Rokko mountain range, famous for the spectacular views of Kobe and aimed to make it to the Mount Rokko peak which is 931 metres, a nice height for solo hiking. Sorted! I also thought this would be a good choice as the Rokko mountain range is well known not only for its hiking trails but also its tourist spots (complete with a cable car) so if something was to go wrong help could easily be found! Once that was decided I gathered my hiking essentials, caught the train to Kobe and set off on my little quest.
At a certain point I reached the first observation point and was met by a surge of people who briefly burst my bubble of quiet solitude and serenity, but that didn't bother me too much as I was also met by the first of many fantastic views of Kobe!
After passing the mass of tourists I went back to the trails and in search of
the peak. The rest of the way up was fairly easy to follow (I basically just followed other hikers lol not very "solo" of me) and was at more of a steady slope compared to the super steep earlier trails. I finally made it to the peak and after all the trials and tribulations the views from the top and the sense of achievement were all very much worth it!
The route downwards was not too bad. Theoretically it should have been easier, but due to getting lost earlier on the way up and the super hot weather I was really tired so though I did hike down for the majority I did cave and got the cable car for the last third of the mountain!! Once I reached level ground again (all jelly legged and sunburnt mind you) I grabbed some food, and then ended up sleeping for pretty much of my journey back to Osaka! So my thoughts on my first solo hiking trip...all in all a success!
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The route on the way up was mostly full of twisted trees, tall trees, rubble filled routes and the sweet sounds of nature! Thanks to my shockingly poor orientation skills (yep DofE was clearly wasted on me) I did end up getting lost on numerous occasions leading me to either consult the reliable (not) google maps, attempt to read any Japanese maps that I came across or go on a hunt for signs of other fellow hikers! Despite this setback though it was so nice to be surrounded by tranquillity and I did eventually find my way!
At a certain point I reached the first observation point and was met by a surge of people who briefly burst my bubble of quiet solitude and serenity, but that didn't bother me too much as I was also met by the first of many fantastic views of Kobe! 
After passing the mass of tourists I went back to the trails and in search of the peak. The rest of the way up was fairly easy to follow (I basically just followed other hikers lol not very "solo" of me) and was at more of a steady slope compared to the super steep earlier trails. I finally made it to the peak and after all the trials and tribulations the views from the top and the sense of achievement were all very much worth it!
The route downwards was not too bad. Theoretically it should have been easier, but due to getting lost earlier on the way up and the super hot weather I was really tired so though I did hike down for the majority I did cave and got the cable car for the last third of the mountain!! Once I reached level ground again (all jelly legged and sunburnt mind you) I grabbed some food, and then ended up sleeping for pretty much of my journey back to Osaka! So my thoughts on my first solo hiking trip...all in all a success!
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