Busted out for 24hrs of riding, eating, yabbering, riding and more riding with 2 great wingmen JamesK and MTMatt. Cheers fellas!
Had to stop for the amazing sunset from Hakone. I was Fuji bound and beyond.Took the opportunity at the stop to put on the track logger. Next stop Castle Klauzner in south-east Nagano.Got chilly on the peaks. Saw 10deg.C east of Mt. Fuji. leaving home it was 26deg.
Made it there in good time and received a warm welcome from James and his band of merry off-roaders just back from a day on the trails.
Next morning – James having hosted to a fine Chinese feast the night before, decided to put on an impromptude fashion show the next morning. Needles to say, we were waylaid 😉Mt. Fuji from the Venus Line above Matsumoto City. Yep, it’s back there in the haze.Matt showing where we were and James tickling Abo Touge, where he really wanted to be!He got his icecream and was momentarily happy.Abo Touge at 1800+m was cool and James was right at home!Next stop Hida-Takayama and…The ‘Lets Enjoy Natural Life’ Windy Cafe.Right across the road was the secret lair of the one, the only, the amazing Toilet Man!What’s this? The entrance to the Lost World or KingKongville? Nope, the Gorilla Gate, aptly named by James, is the southern entranceto the Arimine National Park. I’d tried 3 times to get to this remote pocket of the Japan Alps before but weather and circumstances had bedevilled me each time. Not today! But, rain was on the way so we only had a few hours to play. And on the other side?…Plenty of this…Lots of that… Look at that landslide!Endless gorges…25deg.C by the dam and snow on the peaks. Gotta love riding in May.If only the Empire hadn’t been crushed…the stoomtroopers would still have this place looking sweet 😦The abandon cliff-hangers were pretty gnarly!More gorgeous gorges and roads winding up and around them.Team Yamaha! Taking a break before outrunning the rain home. Will definitely be back to Arimine!Not quite done, we had the roads out of there too. – James twistin’ on the FJR –Not the longest of days but Arimine sure was worth it.
Touge Express 