東京駅から90km歩いて、ついに高尾山へ｜東京to高尾【後編】

This time, in a journey I’m calling “TOKYO TO TAKAO,” I’m walking about 90 km from Tokyo Station to Mt. Takao. In Part 1, I spent two days walking through streets, parks, and riversides to reach Hachioji. And on Day 3, I leave the city of Hachioji behind and finally head for Mt. Takao.

Hi, I’m Sadohara. The final day starts in Hachioji. For a while, I’ll still be walking through the city, but the buildings are gradually thinning out and there’s more greenery. Day 3— time to start walking. I’m leaving Hachioji, heading into Nanakuni Pass, then on to Happodai. After that, I’ll descend to Takaosanguchi, climb Mt. Takao, and then, for now,

that should be the end of the journey. All right, let’s get walking.

Today’s forecast is sunny, then cloudy, with a chance of rain in some areas. But unlike yesterday, I’ll actually be heading into the mountains today, so I’m kind of glad it won’t be quite as hot. Katakura... First, I guess I’m going through Katakura. This area is my best friend’s hometown, so I’m walking while imagining

what it must have been like for him to grow up here. I’ve arrived at Katakura Castle Ruins Park. It’s very close to the station, but once you step inside, the atmosphere changes completely. It almost feels like you’ve come to the mountains.

I’ve reached the area around Hachioji-Minamino. I’m near Aihara now. From here, I’ll head into the hills toward Nanakuni Pass. It’s hot. It’s around 9:30— maybe closer to 10. And from here, I’m entering the Nanakuni trail. Up to this point, I’ve walked almost entirely on pavement, but I’m finally entering a trail. All right, I’m on the trail. The grass is really overgrown. Was wearing shorts a mistake?