"Yamamichi-sai" is a festival for hikers hosted by Yamatomichi. This year, it will finally be held at Mt. Ishizuchi in Ehime. Unfortunately, tickets are already sold out, but if you happen to be one of the lucky attendees, why not challenge yourself to get there by bike? Of course, Monja and I will be participating via BIKE to, just like last time!
Yamamichi-sai
https://www.yamatomichi.com/journals/173713/
BIKE to Yamamichi-sai 2019 Report
https://ral.life/ride/bike-to-yamamichimatsuri
Yamatomichi has now become an incredibly popular manufacturer. The backdrop to this success is not only their highly refined products backed by experience and research, but also their steady efforts in building the Hike Life Community, which works to share the culture and ideas of UL hiking widely.
Like many traditional festivals, I think it is truly wonderful that this event is held as a culmination of a local community—in this case, not just geographically local, but also inclusive of the "local" culture of hiking—and as a place of celebration.
Let's plot a route to get there by bike
I have a decent sense of the geography in Shikoku, having ridden around the Seto Inland Sea previously and gone on surf trips with Riebo. Here are a few routes I’ve been considering.
That said, in the previous event, we had various participants: some rode 600km to the foot of Mt. Iwate, some used rental road bikes from the train station, and others joined along the way. For this event too, I hope everyone will ride a route suited to their own physical strength and schedule, and share it using the hashtag #BIKEtoYamamichi-sai.
Shimanami Kaido Route – Crossing the Sea
A route crossing the Shimanami Kaido, the most famous cycling route in Japan. With various spots to stop along the way, you are guaranteed to have a fun ride. I plan to take this route on the way back. As a variation, there is also the Tobishima Kaido that continues to Kure.
Easy Route – From Matsuyama Airport or the Overnight Ferry
The shortest route if you use a plane is from Matsuyama Airport. It should be even easier to arrive via the overnight ferry from Osaka Nanko.
Hard Route – Through the "Dappan" (Defection) Path from Kochi
It's a bit different from the path Sakamoto Ryoma took to defect from his domain, but this is a challenging mountain-crossing route starting from Kochi Airport. I wonder if I’ll be able to descend by carrying my bike from the final point at Kamegamori, or if I’ll be forced to take a detour. It’s not generally recommended, but I plan to ride this route on the way there with one overnight stay.
Hardcore Route – Upstream along the Yoshino River
A route that follows the Yoshino River—known as the "Shikoku Saburo" for its wild flow—from the mouth to the source. I plotted this because I have a wish to trace the path Ryotaro Shiba took in "Kaido wo Yuku – Vol. 32 Awa Kiko." It’s a very demanding route requiring two overnight stays.
The last Yamamichi-sai was a wonderful experience with people gathering from all over the country. I’m already looking forward to seeing what kind of experience awaits me with this new mountain and new approach. I’m excited to meet everyone there!