In ancient Japan, towns and villages were made almost entirely of wood, straw and paper. The thing that they feared the most: fire. To prevent your town from burning down you needed to be careful, prepared, and to have the favour of the gods. This is the Akiba Kodo, an ancient major pilgrimage route leading worshippers to Akiba Grand Shrine, to the god that protects their towns from fire.

In Wakayama and the Kii Peninsular, the Kumano Kodo has become a huge commercial success. It gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004, making it one of only two pilgrimages in the world to do so. Nowadays it is bustling with hikers coming from all around the world to experience its secrets. The Akiba Kodo is none of these things. Largely forgotten and left alone since the Edo period, a small contingent of local elders keep the memory of the trail alive and somewhat passable. But to all but a few local history buffs, the trail is forgotten about entirely. A far cry from the busy and heavily trafficked pilgrimage route that it once was.

This section of the Akiba Kodo is called the Ogawaji Pass (小川路峠). It is long and treacherous and not for the faint of heart. You can expect to be hiking all day at a good pace, with some fairly steep ups and downs, and some very awkward soft and slippery terrain on the way down. This hike is only to be taken on by those who are up to such a challenge. For those who are not, we have plenty of easier hikes for you, so please be aware. But for those who take it on, you can expect to see around 100 stone relics of ancient gods lining the path that you walk upon. The forests are deep and we must be wary of bears and make noise as we go. The views are great on a clear day, but this hike is more about the journey than any one particular point. It is lovely and relatively flat to start with. The path then meanders up and up to the top of the Ogawaji Pass. After the pass, the descent is tricky. Here the path is less well maintained and the jagged loose rocks make it difficult on anybodies feet.

Finally once the descent is complete, it is time to check in to a local deep mountain inn and rest those sore legs in a place filled with deep mountain culture. The Akiba Kodo is tough and majestic and this experience is truly a giant leap off of the beaten track.