Golden Week Takenoko Ride to Akiyama via Wada, Suzugane, and Hinazuru Passes

Extra large takenoko -- MacGyver'ed to the seat tube.

I did not ride that much over Golden Week, using the time to recuperate a bit from doing the full 200, 300, 400, 600 km series of brevets over the preceding month, and with other commitments on top of a normal class schedule at my university.

On Saturday, April 30, I rode the rebuilt Voyage Voyage to Chichibu with Jerome, Peter J, and Peter's friend Daniel. After a 90+ minute soba lunch stop, the three of them headed for Shigasaka Pass and a long loop and evening return. I went a bit further, but then turned around and headed for Honjo Waseda and the shinkansen back to Tokyo. 

It was a very nice day all around, including the solo ride. You can see the photos and ride route on Strava. 167kms in all. I left home 25 minutes late after some last minute bicycle tweaks, and pushed hard to catch the others (including a Strava "PR" and 60/2200 all-time on the oft-traveled 5km stretch of Setagaya Dori west of Sangenjaya), met Jerome first at the end of the Tamagawa path in Fuchu, and Peter and Daniel at Oume. 

As I neared the end of the ride, I even got to race a steam locomotive full of tourists at Nagatoro.

It was easy to keep up with the train on Voyage Voyage along a flat roadway. Eventually, after taking this video, I raced ahead. But of course, I knew that eventually the train would win the race. I thought of the ballad of John Henry, who competed with a steam drill at pounding railroad ties to lay new track, and died with his hammer in his hand. But which version of the song? Johnny Cash? Paul Robeson? Bruce Springsteen? BB King, narrated by Denzel? Harry Belafonte? Mississippi John Hurt? Pete Seeger (folk / labor activist)? Leadbelly (blues)? Billy Strings (bluegrass)? It is an American classic.

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The other 100km+ ride was on Friday, May 6, on the RAMAX. This was a Golden Week ride, but a few minutes after leaving home, I realized that it was no longer Golden Week! Friday was a workday and everyone was back at it. The early roads were full of trucks in town hauling massive pieces of buildings to construction sites ... but empty of vacationers in the countryside! Of course, Monday also had been a workday ... but had been nothing like this. Apparently many companies had taken Monday off, but all were back at work on Friday. Schools also seemed back in session -- not just my university but elementary school students heading on their commutes before 7AM.

A headwind slowed me, and was a few minutes late to meet Peter J at our regular starting point along the Tamagawa just northwest of Komae. We called Jerome. He was still in bed, having ridden several days mid-week, and was not coming along. Peter J said he would head out with me and then, as planned turn around so as not to push an iffy knee too much. We decided to head for Wada Pass via Daigo Rindo.

The last time I went up here, the road was partially washed away in places. Now it has all been restored with nice new asphalt. It is still a rindo, however, with moss, plenty of leaves and some rocks. I like to go up Wada this way (no traffic at all), but prefer other routes down. Peter J climbed with me to 500m elevation, then turned back for the trip home. I pressed on to the top (~740m elevation) and then down to the pass (~700m elevation). I did not climb quickly, but at least I did the entire climb without a foot down. The descent down the west side (Ura Wada) was exhilarating, as usual.  The RAMAX was "fun to ride" going both up and down.

No GW traffic on the rindo climb to Wada!

RAMAX at Wada Pass -- the classic photo spot

Koi Nobori on Ura Wada

I then faced a difficult issue. Where to go next? Kobu Tunnel? Or Tsuru Pass? Or Bijotani? Or head south to Route 76 and Doshi? In the end, I decided to head toward Uenohara and further west from there. Maybe I would go over Sasago Pass? Or I could try one of the climbs south of Sarubashi area that I had never done. Now that I was alone, I was aiming for a most-of-day ride, home before dinner. 

I decided to try Suzugane Pass, a route I had somehow never taken in all these years! I could see on my smartphone that after cresting the pass and descending to the south, I would need to then do the shorter climb to the tunnel at Hinazuru Pass and down through Akiyama in order to return toward Tokyo. This was a lovely route. The only real traffic after leaving Tokyo was on Route 20 between Uenohara and Sarubashi, and that was far lighter than normal. The weather was perfect. 

Looking back at Uenohara from Route 20

At Suzugane Pass

Maglev track descends valley, Hazy Fuji in the background

Looking back downhill and downstream, toward Tsuru

Once in Akiyama, I stopped at Tsuruya, better known to expat cyclists as "the manju place in Akiyama."  I ordered a Miso Manju. 150 yen ($1.15). It was , served with vegetables and green tea. I could digest fully while riding as the descent continued for at least the next 8-10kms.  There were flatter sections and -10% ramps--reminding me how hard this little valley is to climb up in the other direction especially on a hot day. I passed one tunnel entrance on my left that led back to Uenohara. ... I don't remember ever having taken that either. But I kept going down the valley. At the bottom, instead of climbing up the South rim of the valley to meet Route 76, as I have always done in the past, I continued on a road that would loop around to the North, eventually meeting the route I would have taken if I had gone through the tunnel ... in time to go through another tunnel and onto a descent to Uenohara. 

Tsuruya, The Manju Shop

Always lovely flowers here, and little/no traffic.

Vegetable and tea make the manju go down, make the manju go down

GW traffic on Route 35 in Akiyama

We used to call this spot "The Vending Machines" in Akiyama.
Now it is just another "Happy Drink Shop".

 

Beautiful Akiyama

Along the way, I came across an unmanned roadside vegetable stand. The only offering was takenoko -- bamboo shoots. 3 huge shoots, priced at 300 or 400 yen. Takenoko is my wife's favorite Spring delicacy ... so I wanted to take one home and see if I could learn to cook it. But I had not brought a rucksack, and the huge shoots were too big for my jersey pockets or my underseat bag.

One of the shoots, the thinnest of the three, looked as if it might fit inverted into my bottle cage. I deposited 300 yen in the coin box, and put the takenoko in the bottle cage, moving the empty water bottle to my rear jersey pocket. The inverted takenoko fit the bottle cage, but I realized it was so top heavy and large that it would flop around and fall out. But wait, I had some zip ties, for exactly this purpose -- to secure items to the bicycle! Two daisy-chained zip ties worked to secure the stalk, and I could ride, with only a modest rub of the takenoko against the inside of each leg.

By the time I approached Uenohara, I realized that I would seriously chafe my legs if I went too much further, ... so I decided to get a snack and hop the train. My timing was not great ... after I rinkoed the RAMAX and got to the ticket gate, I could see the next train was not for 35 minutes. I bought and drank a cold beer. Only 125 kms for the day, but real climbing up Wada (with its long 13-15% grades), Suzugane, and a shorter climb to Hinazuru Tunnel meant that I did get a decent workout. You can see the statistics and route here on Strava.

I bought the middle one.

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Bike and Takenoko, leaning.

Thank you!

The lower 2/3 of the takenoko was wrapped in plastic, but it was quite a sight for the other passengers at the back of the local Chuo Line train. The first few minutes of the journey, it kept falling over on the floor of the train. Eventually, one man who had boarded with me at Uenohara reached in his briefcase and handed me a large paper shopping bag. I could fit almost the entire stalk into the bag, and thanked him. One of the hikers across the aisle handed me a smaller plastic bag that I could use to cover the top of the stalk that still protruded from the bag. I thanked her also. Everyone in the back of the last train car felt better about me and my takenoko. The "wa" had been restored.

The next day, I got some "nuka" (ground up rice bran) at our local supermarket, and boiled the takenoko with nuka in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes to remove the "aku" bitterness. I could then slice the edible parts of the plant into pieces for grilling in a skillet. Grilling was the easy part, with some olive oil. They were served with salt to taste. The slices tasted pretty good, and my wife seemed happy with the saga.

Boiled and ready to grill

Grilled with olive oil and salted

15th Fuji HC -- 2018

Tokyo Cranks Finishers at 5th Stage lodge

The Mt. Fuji Hill Climb is a "fun ride" mass event up the Subaru Line, nearly 10,000 riders starting around 1000 meters elevation at Fuji Hokuroku Park and going to the Fifth Stage, somewhat over 2300 meters elevation. The timed part of the course is 24 kms, the actual is another km or more from the park entrance to the Subaru Line entrance.

In 2008, Positivista Juliane ("the Gazelle") Prechtl was the 4th place woman finisher, and Tom Wielrenner, only weeks after his 285km breakaway/solo Tokyo-Itoigawa performance, also clocked a great time ... not sure exactly how great, but great.

In 2009, we also had an excellent team, led by James Knott and sponsored by his company. That year, I had my personal best time of 1:34:07, a few weeks before the start of Transalp.

In 2010, our corporate sponsor was gone, and more than one Positivista was planning a departure from Japan. I was recovering from an injury. By 2011, we had other priorities -- Transalp, Étape du Tour, and PBP that summer for me. And the Fuji HC really only is worth it as a weekend out of town with a group of  friends up at the mountain.

So I was happy this year to join the Tokyo Cranks' annual Fuji HC team and try it again after 9 years hiatus. We had 14 members in total. Seven of us (and Yamada-san, a friend of Yuki and Naoko, was just along for the Saturday ride) met along the Tamagawa at Komae a few minutes after 7AM on Saturday. I had planned the route -- over Otarumi Pass, then through Akiyama along Yamanashi Route 35 over Hinazuru Pass to Tsuru, and up the hill to Kawaguchiko.

Along the Asagaway on the way to Takao, with Naoko, Yuki, Lena, Nils and Yamada-san,
waiting for Glenn and Tim as they fix Glenn's flat.

Even with the early start it was a very hot trip. We made good time to Takao, over Otarumi, then onto Route 76 and finally made the turn off to take Routes 518 then 35 through a series of up, down and up sections. It was HOT and HUMID. I overheated and in one of the towns pulled over and asked a lady at a small shop if I could use her outdoor faucet/hose to cool down. She said "no water from that one, wait a minute", and brought out another hose connected to a faucet from her garage. Salvation. She gave me an ice pack that I slid into my rear center jersey pocket.

The shop on the left - life saving water stop.

Akiyama sky and green

We are climbing now.

Glenn at the manju shop

Route 35 is popular with cyclists, and almost no cars.

Then more climbing. The thermometer on my bicycle computer said 36 degrees celsius when in the direct sun. Finally we reached the famous manju shop, and rested in the shade while enjoying miso manju. The old folks in the back brought us green tea, then umeboshi. We took a longer rest than expected. And it was closer to the top of the climb than I had remembered. Through the tunnel we went, then a fast and fun descent to Tsuru.

Our group split. Nils, Lena and I decided we had done our pre-hill climb workout, and took the train up the valley. Everyone else rode (except for Yamada-san, who headed back to Tokyo).

Our Fujikyu train - Thomas the Tank engine version!

At the registration and start village, Glenn hams it up for the camera

Nice relaxed mood.

We had a great dinner, thanks to John K. and Rolf for shopping, and to Jon T., Nils and others from bringing wine. And to everyone, as we all did some of the prep and cooking. Lena "fired" me for cutting my potato slices too thick ... but they worked out just fine.

Slicing zucchini, as instructed.

Tim, Lena and I prep. Tim is Australian, so he manned the barbeque.
Lena is moving back to Chicago this week with husband and 3 daughters. The Fuji HC was on her
"Japan bucket list". I guess it reminded me a bit of the 2009 event,
and how many of those expats I rode with left within the following year or two.

Kampai! Bottoms up!
Maybe Ian and Andreas were faster because they did not drink alcohol? Maybe not

Great rental houses, close to Kawaguchiko station and
ideal for train watching. The trains did not run during the wee hours.

Anyway, after the ride out to Yamanashi, the hill climb itself was almost an anticlimax. Almost.

We awoke early, but decided to skip the speeches, and miss the 6AM luggage drop off deadline. It was slightly wet - a bit of mist - but the mist lifted and we rode to the start in dry, if very cloudy, conditions. Most of us left the house after 7AM. I was supposed to go with the 15th (of 20) waves, and I got to the start area as the 11th wave headed out. Perfect.

There goes wave 12, or is it 13.

Ready and set.

The climb was a bit more painful than I remembered. I knew the first 5kms was steeper than average, so I took it easy so as to have something left in the tank for later. Everything went OK, if slower than I would have liked. I had planned to eat a bit and maybe even pull off for 30 seconds after reaching 1500 meters ... but had no need. Instead, I made it to over 1900 meters elevation, then took a quick break for bathroom, energy bar and cardio rest, maybe two minutes total. I felt much stronger the next few kms and passed many riders I had been with before the break, so I think it was worth it. I remembered the long, 2-3 km, flat stretch near the finish, and I was able to go at decent speed (30kph? more?) through most of that. But my memory had blacked out the agony of the relatively steep last kilometer to follow. I kept looking for the finish markers in the mist. They took a long time to appear, but there was Ian, with his smart phone, and then I was over the recording pad.

My time was 2:02. Just over my target of 2 hours. Not good, but not so bad for my current weight and condition. I should try again next year, and train (and diet) to get back to 1:45.

Almost at the top.

Nils ... right behind me!

The Cranks gathered on the second floor of the main lodge, enjoyed some food (ramen, etc.) and waited until every member had finished and the lines of riders waiting in the cold to descend had shortened. I bought a T shirt and lined my chest with newsprint for warmth on the descent. My thin rain shell just was not going to be warm enough, without full finger gloves or a cap to cover my ears.

Triathletes Naoko and Yuki were much faster climbers than most Cranks.
Both Ian and Andreas were in the 1:17 range, too.

The descent was long, and slow (controlled by staff riders and a pace car.). But it only got touch and go when, over 1/2 way down, it started to rain. My thermometer said 10 degrees C. That's cold with rain and basically summer gear!

The rain got a bit stronger and I cancelled my plan to ride back to Tokyo. It got stronger yet, and I cancelled my plan to ride down the hill to Otsuki before hopping a train. It was pouring. In the end, Jon T. dropped me at Kawaguchiko Station for the 4PM express bus to Shibuya. Actually not a bad way to go, at all. A great group to hang out and ride with, and a successful event.

Next year, faster!

(*There is another event a week later, the Mt. Fuji INTERNATIONAL Hill Climb, which goes up the Azami Line from Subashiri. That is NOT a mass event, but rather a JBCF race. Why? About the same elevation gain ... in less than half the distance! It boasts an average grade of over 10% and is just brutal.)

Cold Manju in Akiyama

Sunday I rode again with Todor, joined today by Eric, Chris, and Ryan (Chris' brother in law visiting town).  Clear, cold weather.  We planned to meet again at the Yanokuchi Lawson at 8AM, ... but Eric rides out Komazawa Dori from Yutenji and pulled up as I was waiting for the light at Kampachi around 730AM, just after leaving home.

Another ride up the river, then out Onekan -- but nothing felt old, with the novelty of a new group of riders, sorting ourselves out on the climbs and descents.  We continued from the far end of Onekan, along the "Tank Road", then through the sprawl of Aihara NW of Hashimoto, then around the North shore of Tsukui-ko.  We stopped briefly at the top of the climb, then again on the narrow suspension bridge over Tsukui-ko, enjoying the tranquility of being suspended high over the water, no wind or other noise, and the heavily treed hills all around us, colorful with the changing leaves.

Todor, Ryan, Eric and Chris at the top of the hill N. of Tsukui.

Todor, Chris, me and Ryan, on the suspension bridge

Onto Route 412, then Route 517 with its climbs and descents, a short jog along Route 76, and eventually we ended up on Route 35 heading through Akiyama and gaining elevation on the lower part of climb toward Shin Hinazuru Tunnel.  I just did this route on the Nishi Tokyo brevet in early October, so at least had some memory of the nasty little climbs.  We were working under a 4PM return deadline for Todor to the Yoyogi/Shibuya area, and the weather was quite cold once we got past Sagamiko and started to get the inland mountain climate, so we set a goal to try to make it as far as the little manju shop before turning around.

The autumn flowers, green pumpkins and an oddly shapred daikon.

The original "O-no-ire manju -- both anko and miso filled

We made it to the manju shop a few minutes after noon.  Unfortunately, it seems at least at this time of year they finish baking the day's manju mid-morning, well before our arrival, so while the sweets were not quite as cold as the surrounding air (a few degrees C), they were not piping hot either, as they had been the last time I visited.  Not quite the treat I had anticipated.  At least the proprietor brought out a metal bucket in which he had put embers from the cooking fire, so we could eat out front in relative warmth.

On the trip back our riding was focused on the goal -- get home.  After a nice descent back through Akiyama, fewer beautiful country roads with short climbs but low traffic volumes.  We took a different route through the Hashimoto area -- Route 508 instead of 413 or upper Machida Kaido.  As with Saturday, the Strava segments for Sunday suggest I was riding at a faster pace than normal on many stretches, mostly trying not to get too far behind Eric!  150 kms, 1770 meters of climbing.  

A very good ride.  And we can be thankful to live in Tokyo, where it is possible to do something like this in early December!

Eastern half of the ride (first and last parts).

Western half of the ride (middle parts).