Killer Slopes

I left Nagano City at around 6am today expecting a hard ride up the Shiga Highlands. In 1998, during the Nagano Winter Olympics, most of the outdoor events such as alpine skiing and cross country skiing were held in the Shiga Highlands.

By around 9am, I had already covered 30km which was about a third of the distance to Kusatsu Onsen, across the Shiga Highlands region. Unfortunately, right after the 30km mark, as I entered the Shiga Highlands, the steepness of the slopes increased dramatically!

Little did I know that this ride up the Shiga Highlands towards the highest point of Shibu Pass, would be THE hardest climb of my entire journey!

Entering the Shiga Highlands

Before I left Nagano City, I took down the telephone numbers of a couple of hotels in the Hasuike area within the highlands. However, almost all of these hotels were either not operational in the summer, or were under renovation! So, in the end I had to book a room at Shibu Pass Hotel, about 10km from Hasuike. And like the name of the hotel suggests, it sits right at the top of the pass, at 2,172m above sea level! Getting there wasn`t easy at all....

A huge treetop freeway that led up the highlands

Probably built in 1998 to impress the international visitors

Taking a break about 10km up the slope when I still had strength to smile

After lunch and a short 10minute nap at the Hasuike area, I continued on to cover the last 12km to Shibu Pass. Along the way I saw quite a few derelict hotels and ski resorts - probably the result of the sudden boom in tourism just after 1998 and as the novelty of the Nagano ski slopes wore off, the scores of hotels closed down one after another...

An onsen source spewing steam

One of the many ski slopes in the area

About 4 more kilometers to Shibu Pass - This was worse than the Norikura Skyline Road

When I entered the Shiga Highlands and started the 25km uphill climb, it was curve #1. Almost 6 hours later, I met curve #47 and by the time I reached Shibu Pass, I had climbed 54 curves! haha....

A great view of the Shiga Highlands

The final 2km up to Shibu Pass

At around 4pm, I finally rounded my last curve and as the Shibu Pass Hotel and the little wooden post marking the top of the pass came into view, you can imagine my happiness!! hahaha....

Today`s ride was the only time during my trip so far that I have finished all the water I was carrying! Luckily I had 3 full bottles, as there wasn`t anywhere to refill up here in the mountains.

A tribute to the 3 lifesavers