[Women’s trip to enjoy walking] I want to walk the Kumano Kodo well! One-day model course for mountain girls

For women who are thinking, ‘If I travel along the Kumano Kodo, I’d like to try trekking’, here are some model courses where you can enjoy forest bathing and trekking!
If you walk along the pilgrimage route of Kumano Kodo, the road of resurrection, you will be able to feel the profound nature with your whole body and reset your daily stress♪
The information includes travel methods and time required, so please use it as a reference!

12:30　JR Kii Tanabe station

Take the limited express Kuroshio to Kii-Tanabe, the gateway to the Kumano Kodo.
Change to the Ryujin Bus Kumano Hongu Line for the 40-minute journey to Takijiri Oji.

13:00　Trekking starts from Takijiri Oji!

Takijiri Oji is the beginning of the Kumano Sanzan sacred area. This is where the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trek begins! Takijiri Oji is one of the most important and highly ranked of the Kumano 99 Oji shrines, which are scattered along the Kumano Kodo and are dedicated to the deities of Kumano, and is one of the five highest-ranking Oji.

The Kumano Kodo Museum, with its distinctive dodecagonal roof, displays materials related to the Kumano Kodo and provides tourist information. Takijiri Teahouse serves hamburgers made with local pickles, so it’s a good place to fill up before trekking.
You will enter the mountains from here, so make sure you use the toilet.

A steep slope suddenly awaits you from behind the Takijiri Oji and the trek begins. It will be tough with steep sections in the beginning, but it is important to take breaks and climb slowly at your own pace!

13:20　Go through the rocks in the ‘Womb Kuguri’.

After 20 minutes of climbing, you will come to the Tainai Kuguri, a passage through a small opening in the huge rock. If you have trouble getting through, cooperate with your fellow climbers and ask them to pull you out.

The rock in the upward direction is called ‘Nyukuiwa’ (Milk Rock) and is associated with the legend of Fujiwara no Hidehira, a warlord from the late Heian period. It is said that when Hidehira and his wife came from Oshu Hiraizumi to Kumano, she suddenly gave birth at Nyukuiwa, and while they continued their pilgrimage, the remaining baby drank milk dripping from the rock and was protected and raised by a wolf. It is said that if a woman passes through the rock, she will have an easy delivery. Nearby is a stone monument to the ‘Nezu-Oji’.

On the Kumano Kodo, there are numbered signposts every 500 metres.
These are important for pilgrims walking on the long road, as they can sense that they are approaching their destination.

14:00　Snap a photo at the observatory.

After another 500 m of strenuous uphill climbing from”Nezu-Oji””, you reach the remains of the Sutra Mound on Mt Kenozan. The steep climb ends in this area.
There is an observatory on the way, where you can enjoy the best part of the trek – the great view from the vantage point.
It is recommended to take a commemorative photo here!

From here, a gentle mountain path continues downhill until it comes to a point where it intersects with a road. Thereafter, a steep, stair-like climb continues again. You are almost at the plateau where the inn is located. Talk to your friends and aim for the goal!

15:00 　SEN.RETREAT TAKAHARA

After a steep, stair-like climb, one private house appears. The second house behind it is SEN.RETREAT TAKAHARA! First of all, rest your tired body well. Thank you for the 4 km trek!

18：00 Relax in the hot springs at Kirino-sato Takahara.

RETREAT TAKAHARA, a 10-minute walk from SEN.RETREAT TAKAHARA, relax in the day spa at ‘Kiri-no-Sato Takahara’! The view of the plateau from the hot spring is fantastic♪ Relax your body after a hard day’s walk.

The hot springs at Kirino-sato Takahara are from Watarase Onsen in Hongu Hot Spring Village. The water is heated by firewood made from local thinnings, making the water round and pleasant to the skin!
It is recommended to call in advance to confirm whether you can enter the day-trip hot spring baths, as it depends on how crowded the ‘Kirino-sato Takahara’ is.

▷Kirino-sato Takahara

Telephone number: 0739-64-1900

Address: 826 Takahara, Nakaheji-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, 646-1416

Please call in advance to check availability when using the day spa.

19:00　Barbecue on the terrace!

After a good night’s rest, spend the evening on the terrace with a BBQ and enjoy the local vegetables and meats to the fullest.

Two types of BBQ stoves are available: a real charcoal BBQ stove and a gas BBQ stove for easy cooking. We also provide the following items so you can come empty-handed

• Firewood and charcoal (minimum amount of charcoal and firewood required to be sustainable!)

• Chakkaman (two are provided)

• Igniting agent (even girls can easily light a fire…)

• Military gloves or gloves for firewood

• Chairs and tables

• Dishes, chopsticks and other tableware, tables, etc.

20:00 　Let’s get the girls talking over a bonfire!

Girl talk by bonfire with an all-inclusive drink in hand♪ The power of the flickering fire allows you to relax and talk more leisurely than usual. Taste sparkling wine made from Wakayama fruit and craft beers that are easy to drink for girls over a bonfire!

White sofas are allowed outside! Please do not use the wooden deck for bonfires, but use the concrete part.

21:00 　Let’s go and see the stars in the sky…♪

As night falls, the sky is full of stars, which cannot be seen in the city.
Gazing at the beautiful starlight will relieve the fatigue of hiking in the mountains.
The inn is always equipped with bench coats, so you can stay warm outside even in the coldest months.

The stars are so beautiful that even a mobile phone camera can capture them. Don’t miss the night sky, which can only be seen in the village plateau with a population of about 70 people!