I made three very good decisions today. First I went to the point in the river that Charles had told me about. I never actually decided to get in but I kept getting closer, took off (most of) my clothes and got wet (and very cold), all the while composing an apology to Charles saying that I had a long way to go and couldn’t spare the time. In the end I spent an hour there jumping in and out then drying off on the rocks as a group of oldies watched from the Art Park nearby. It has easily made it to one of the top moments on my walk so far.

   

The next good choice was to come up to Torri pass. I’d read its name on a map at home along time ago but not until this afternoon did I realise I was actually going there. The sky had been grey all afternoon and was getting worse. There had been a few drops of rain but it wasn’t far to the safety of another road station and I made mental notes of good looking barns and shelters on the way up.

The third decision was to stay up here. The pass itself had a locked shrine but further down on the north-eastern side I found a hut called Mineno-Chaya with toilets and water, even a John Grisham novel but the light has faded now so I can’t read it. I signed the register and may be the first english speaker all year, but I suspect most make this a day hike and walk right by. Now I’ve spread my stuff out on the polished wooden floor ready for an early start tomorrow. Possibly in rain, but I’m heading to a house so I can push on through.

Word of the day: o-yo-gi-mas = swim