Climbing Mount Omoto

We casually decided to climb Okinawa's highest mountain: Mount Omoto.

When the weather was really overcast we thought about what to do. As the local guidebook explained that climbing the mountain was a 'mild piece of exercise', we thought we should go! They could not be more wrong: the climb was pretty intense, jungle like and often pretty scary. But it was so much fun and really worth the exertion.

So blurry cos I'm hiking so fast... We were bantering about walking up the road to the start of the mountain hike; I'm not sure we would have been if we knew what to expect.

 Narrow jungle steps and a log bridge over a stream. It was so much fun and we felt like such adventurers.

Climbing through slippery, rocky streams...

Narrow, overgrown paths...

But we made it to the top! Just before the weather turned really bad...

The descent down was pretty tough. It had started to rain loads and we were getting soaked by the wet plants as we walked through them. Many steep sections have ropes to hold onto, and both of us nearly fell over a few times! But it was definitely worth it.

When we had finished, the next bus wasn't for 2 hours. Luckily, a kind Japanese family picked us up and drove us back into town - even though we were soaked through and our shoes were incredibly muddy! A great adventure - next stop, Mt. Fuji!!!