♪ I'm falling right in, and I'm ready to go ♪

♪ I found what I want, and I know that we're on top ♪

♪ So I dive in, and I'm ready to whoa-oh ♪

♪ Holding my breath, and I'm ready to go ♪

♪ I catch you laughing, and I'm ready to go ♪

♪ You're holding a match and getting it light ♪

♪ And so I dive in, and I'm ready to whoa-oh ♪

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

- Hey, yesterday, it was just torrential rain.

Probably rained from, since we woke up to about 5 PM.

Checked the forecast,

and it said today would be beautifully sunny.

Should've looked at the wind a little bit more,

it's gonna be a headwind all the way to Akagi, I think.

But once we're there, we'll be in the forest,

get some nice shielding on the Rindo to the top (pants).

Hopefully, some awesome views, if the clouds stay away.

(lighthearted acoustic music)

(lighthearted acoustic music)

So, I've probably climbed Mount Akagi some,

twenty times now or so, maybe more,

but each time I try to work a little bit more on

figuring out the best way to get exactly

to the base of Akagi from Kiryu.

Mount Akagi is one of the iconic mountains

of the continental plains of the area we live in in Japan.

On a clear day, from anywhere in Gunma,

you can probably see the mountain,

and it was one of the first major mountains

that I fell in love with climbing here

because of it's amazing hidden backroad

that cars seldom go up.

But each time I go out to Mount Akagi,

I try to perfect the commute miles of the ride,

I try to perfect the commute miles of the ride,

testing out different little roads between here and there,

which is how I came upon this awesomely wide bike path

that gets you out a fair ways.

Woo!

Gunma Insect World: the largest collection of insects

in Japan, dead and alive!

(upbeat jazz music)

(upbeat jazz music)

(upbeat jazz music)

The Mount Akagi is a really massive stratovolcano,

at over 1800 meters high, at it's highest point.

The mountain basically starts at the base of the Tone River,

some 50, maybe 100 meters above sea,

so it has a huge prominence.

It can often be deceiving when you see it in the distance

as you might think there's multiple mountains,

but you're actually just seeing the different jagged peaks

of the caldera ring that houses the caldera lakes

inside the center of the mountain that were formed

when the mountain erupted some 30,000 years ago.

(upbeat jazz music)

(upbeat jazz music)

Now, for those segment hunting,

this is where the official climb begins.

From here, you have about just around 10 kilometers

at an average of 8.5 or so percent.

It's a bit deceptive because the beginning starts off steep

like this, there's a low and some drops

after about two kilometers in, once you get past the shrine.

Now, one of the nice things about this climb is

they number the turns, you can see there:

Numbered one, all the way up to, I believe 99.

I don't think they numbered the last turn

because it turns onto the road,

but you've got a 100 curves to the top.

And, if you look at the profile of it, it really --

there's just switchback after switchback most of these,

probably well over 60 of them are switchbacks.

Now, you might think, "Ah, when I hit curve number 50,

I'm halfway there".

No, don't try to think the number of curves you're on

is an indicator of how far up you are 'cause

there is some serious space between some of these curves.

Alright, let's hit the climb.

(playful woodwind music)

(playful woodwind music)

♪ Drifting ♪

♪ And the day starts coming ♪

♪ Cold and wandering ♪

♪ I saw lines up running ♪

♪ Shifting ♪

♪ In the garden, humming ♪

♪ And the roots are tangling ♪

♪ Our hearts have butterflies ♪

♪ I'm seven miles high ♪

♪ Up here, I don't get tired ♪

♪ Come up here, and you'll see ♪

♪ I'm seven miles high ♪

♪ Finally learned to fly ♪

♪ Forever on my mind ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ I'm seven miles high ♪

♪ Up here, I don't get tired ♪

♪ Up here, I don't get -- ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ I finally learned to fly ♪

♪ Forever on my -- ♪

(playful woodwind music)

(playful woodwind music)

(playful woodwind music)

(playful woodwind music)

Just passed 1,100 meters.

(playful woodwind music)

♪ Sipping ♪

♪ In the evening, blooming ♪

♪ Slipping into currents ♪

♪ Why carry on our courage ♪

♪ Tripping ♪

♪ All the nights we've fallen ♪

♪ The ink we write our lives with ♪

♪ Like moths to the light ♪

♪ I'm seven miles high ♪

♪ Up here, I don't get tired ♪

♪ Come up here, and you'll see ♪

♪ I'm seven miles high ♪

♪ Finally learned to fly ♪

Ugh, (mumbles) turn 99.

Woo!

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ I'm seven miles high ♪

♪ Up here, I don't get tired ♪

♪ Up here, I don't get -- ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ I finally learned to fly ♪

♪ Forever on my mind because lovers never -- ♪

100!

Check this out: hot soup.

(laughs)

Look at that!

Perfect for a cold day at the top of the mountain.

(pop tab clicks)

Mmm, beef and onion, delicious.

(calm electronic music)

(calm electronic music)

(calm electronic music)

(sighs)

Beautiful!

All these hawks.

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(waves crash)

(waves crash)

(wind blows)

(wind blows)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(calm electronic music)

Ugh, gotta check out the view before we go down.

(lighthearted electronic music)

(lighthearted electronic music)

(lighthearted electronic music)

(lighthearted electronic music)

(lighthearted electronic music)

(lighthearted electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

I like this new way back.

Bit less climbing on the way home.

Both the valley and back of Mount Akagi.

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

Woo, another fantastic ride up Mount Akagi!

Crazy to believe I was just up there two... two hours ago.

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)

(upbeat electronic music)