Some Solo Exploration Beyond Mt. Atago

Sort of Silly Cycling: Covering the F... Social Ride to the Quaint Mountain Vi...

Some Solo Exploration Beyond Mt. Atago

Note: this article may not appear properly in news readers.

This article contains interactive aspects that are likely removed by most news readers. Please see this particular article directly on Jeffrey's blog for full functionality.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Different From Usual

Kyoto Arashiyama's Togetsukyo bridge from an uncommon vantage point

嵐山の渡月橋

After a wonderful ride with friends beyond Kyoto's Mt. Atago the other
day, I returned the next day for 110km (68mi) of solo exploration in the same general area.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Bird and Bridge

more-traditional view of the Togetsukyo bridge

Early on in the ride I passed through Arashiyama in western Kyoto, with its famous bridge.
We've seen it before on my blog
in rain and in sun
and crowned by a rainbow. Today was fairly bland, but a big bird
was doing a batman pose, so that was something.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

“Me” Time

There's a path along the river southwest of the bridge that leads up to a temple with a great view that I visited some years ago, but apparently never posted about.
Anyway, the path is fine for a road bike for a while, and from the path I got the photo at the top of the page.

Eventually the path ends as far as bikes are concerned:

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 40mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

End of the Path

unless you're really adventurous

It's probably not as bad as this climb, but I didn't have the guts
to try it just now.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Near the End of the Path

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/1.7, ISO 2000 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Gathering Crowds

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (嵐山竹やぶ)

The road through the bamboo forest in Arashiyama is a public road open to cars, but folks treat it like
their living room, wandering about aimlessly with their eyes glued to their camera or phone.

I then made my way up and over Mt. Atago, setting
a PR (personal record) by a wide margin,
which pleases me because I kept my effort low enough to not kill myself.

I missed beating my KOM time (“King of the Mountain”, the fastest time by a male) on
the Nishigaya Dam Descent by three
seconds because I saw a big monkey run across the road ahead of me, and didn't want to chance that there would be others. It's one thing to see wildlife at the side of the road
when slowly grinding uphill, but quite another when plunging downhill at 70kph (45mph).

Then for the first time I did the long fun New Momiji Descent, and
likely got the second-fastest time, but my activity doesn't match the segment for some reason. Sadly, the Strava support staff
member assigned to my query about it is either really lazy or a complete jerk because the cut-n-paste
responses have little to do with my actual question. It must be depressing to have a
job you just don't care about. Sigh.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 72mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

End of a Fun Descent

or start of a less-fun climb

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Flat Valley

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

“Coffee” and “Open for Business”

sadly, neither were true

It was chilly (15℃/59℉) on the descent, so I was happy to find a coffee shop, but no one was around. I walked in and called out, but the place was deserted. Weird.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Path Closed

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/1.7, ISO 250 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Mountainside Fountain

Much nicer than this, and sort of reminded me of
this. I paused to fill up.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Mid-Climb Rest Area

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Nice View

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Intriguing!

unknown road rises sharply to the left

It wasn't unknown, actually, because I had done my homework.
It's a
short 180m at a steep 18%
access road to a water-storage tank...

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 26mm — 1/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

At The Top

Pre-ride research had brought me to this page that includes info
about this little climb. The photos at the time (three years ago) show little vegetation, but now it's
overgrown and encroaching on the road in a photogenically-pleasing manner....

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Heading Back Down

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 43mm — 1/125 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Another Mystery Road

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 70mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Pretty Lane

quite steep, but it ends at a gate right after this

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 50mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Yagi is not Just a Town

it's an Amenity Town

( the only Japanese is the word for “sewer” )

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 27mm — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Amenity-Town Steepness

note that we're way above the house just beyond the car

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 43mm — 1/125 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Amenity-Town View

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Amenity-Town Shrine

Hachimangu (八幡宮)

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 41mm — 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Seen Better Days

according to the faded sign, a former drop-off point for a dry cleaner

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

More Steepness

the photo doesn't capture it well, but

the road drops more than a story's height before the end of the building

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 60mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 320 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Thick

more “photo doesn't capture it well” with this one

the base is about 60cm (2') wide

I moved around to try minor roads I'd never been on.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/2, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Pleasant Little-Used Road

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Secret Spot

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 32mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.2, ISO 250 —
map & image data — nearby photos

More Encroaching Grass

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 27mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Lovely Countryside Scene

with freshly-harvested rice on the other side of the river

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1250 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Bridge of Dubious Reliability

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1/100 sec, f/1.7, ISO 200 —
map & image data — nearby photos

Another Side Climb

left for another time

I discovered a lot of new climbs and fun descents, and make some nice PRs (including one climbing
Kyomi North) without having
killed myself in the process, so that was very nice.

Less nice were the two flats I got at the end. I think the second flat was a tube that was bad to begin with, though it lasted
10 minutes, so I don't know.

All in all it was a great outing. As a bonus, for the first time this year, I was
actually ahead of my arbitrarily-picked 7,000km (4,350mi) goal for the year, which, after four months of unplanned travel,
I didn't think I'd be able to make.