David Lowe

David grew up in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, with hiking and outdoor pursuits being a major part of his life for as long as he can remember. He has been writing, snapping photos, and sharing his adventures on RIDGELINEIMAGES.com since 2013.

At university, David majored in environmental management and holds a Graduate Diploma of Education. He has been living in Japan for over 15 years, first in Fukushima Prefecture and now in the Tokyo Metropolis. With a love of hiking and photography, he felt the best way to combine the two was a blog to provide some inspiration for others to enjoy the myriad of trails and outdoor offerings on Tokyo’s doorstep. You can follow David on Instagram @ridgelineimages.

Mt. Honjagamaru 本社ヶ丸

Hiked on Nov 4, 2020    Aug 15, 2022 . Mt. Tsunotogiyama 角研山 – Honjagamaru 本社ヶ丸 – Mt. Seihachiyama 清八山   Duration: 6.5 hours   Distance: 14.4 km   Elevation change: 1031 metres   Highest point: 1631 metres...

Mt. Kasatori 笠取山

Hiked on Oct 31, 2020    Nov 10, 2021 . Gan-toge 雁峠 – Kasatori-goya 笠取小屋 – Tama River Headwaters 多摩川源流   Duration: 2 days   Distance: 20 km   Elevation change: 893 metres   Highest point: 1953 metres  ...

Mt. Kushigata 櫛形山

Hiked on Oct 24, 2020 . Himuro Shrine 氷室神社 – Hokora Hut ほこら小屋 – Mt. Hadaka 裸山   Duration: 2 days   Distance: 16.2 km   Elevation change: 1276 metres   Highest point: 2052 metres   Start: Hirabayashi Bus Stop...

Map, Embed, and Share GPX Hiking Routes

Viewing Interactive GPS Maps Then & Now Not long after starting this blog I began using the pro version of WP Google Maps, a WordPress plugin to plot ‘polylines’ to display my hiking routes on Google Maps. As I commented at the time not having...

Mt. Naeba 苗場山

Hiked on Sep 30, 2020 . Wada Hut 和田小屋 – Kaguragamine 神楽ヶ峰   Duration: 8 hours   Distance: 13.9 km   Elevation change: 925 metres   Highest point: 2145 metres   Start: Carpark below Wada Hut   Finish: Carpark below...

Mt. Kurogane 黒金山

Hiked on Sep 21, 2020 . Mt. Kentoku 乾徳山 – Mt. Kurogane 黒金山 – Nishizawa Gorge 西沢渓谷 The Nishizawa Gorge hiking trail closes during winter (December 1st-April 28th subject to change depending on snowfall) for the latest information please...

Mt. Aizu-Komagatake 会津駒ヶ岳

Hiked on Aug 19, 2020 . Komanogoya 駒ノ小屋 – Chumon-dake 中門岳   Duration: 8 hours   Distance: 17.6 km   Elevation change: 1233 metres   Highest point: 2133 metres   Start: Mitori Auto Campground   Finish: Mitori Auto...

Journey Along the Kurasawa Valley in Okutama

Solo Summer Hike and Camp in Okutama Arriving mid-morning at Okutama Station during the Obon holidays was, as expected, bustling with activity. Perhaps a little surprising given COVID-19. I made a beeline for one of the two diminutive buses headed...

Mt. Nyukasa 入笠山

Hiked on Aug 1, 2020 . Nyukasa Marsh 入笠湿原 – Mt. Nyukasa 入笠山   Duration: 2 days   Distance: 23.3 km   Elevation change: 1095 metres   Highest point: 1955 metres   Start: Aoyagi Station (Chuo Main Line)   Finish:...

Koburi Pass 顔振峠

Hiked on Jul 17, 2020 . Suwa Shrine 諏訪神社 – Mt. Ogamiyama 越上山 – Yugate ユガテ   Duration: 4.5 hours   Distance: 11.9 km   Elevation change: 396 metres   Highest point: 566 metres   Start: Agano Station (Seibu...

Camping in Japan: How-to Find Campgrounds

Tracking Down Campgrounds Like Pro There is no shortage of camping locations in Japan in fact there are over 3,000 campgrounds according to this Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) travel guide. They can be found in just about every nook and...

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