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.
Rainy Season Delights at a Suburban Tokyo Park A mere 25 km (16 mi.) from Shinjuku Station finds one of Tokyo’s most underrated parks that being Hachikokuyama Park 八国山緑地. Together with Kitayama Park abutting to the south it is one of four discrete...
Lightweight, Double-wall Backcountry Workhorse Choosing a lightweight solo backpacking tent is no easy undertaking especially with an ever-expanding range of brands and designs to choose from. However, after much deliberation I settled on an MSR...
Reduce Stress by Spending Time in Nature Focused or mindful breathing meditation is something I have been practising on and off for a long time now. I first came across the method in the mid-90s after reading a local newspaper article titled...
Hiked on Jun 16, 2020 . Saitama Prefectural Nature Park – Noyamakita-Rokudoyama Park Duration: 4 hours Distance: 12.9 km Elevation change: 60 metres Highest point: 172 metres Start: Seibu-Kyujo-mae Station ...
A Simplified Backpacking Cook Kit One of my resolutions this year was to lighten my base weight. It’s easier said than done. First up I tackled my first aid kit, followed by some upgrades to my sleep system and shelter with a Nemo insulated...
Hiked on May 31, 2020 . Mt. Imakuma 今熊山 – Mt. Kariyose 刈寄山 – Kongo Falls 金剛の滝 Duration: 5.5 hours Distance: 13.7 km Elevation change: 447 metres Highest point: 687 metres Start: Imakumasan Tozanguchi Bus Stop...
Where Neuroscience Meets Navigation Whenever I head out for a solo hike which happens to be the bulk of my forays into the mountains, I every so often have a niggling worry that I’ll utterly lose my way. Though statistically it’s a slight...
3-Day, 3-Season Backpacking Gear (Updated 2020) Glorious Golden Week weather yet confined indoors apart from a morning run and biweekly foray to the local supermarket courtesy of COVID-19. It’s borderline cruel and unusual punishment for us hikers...
Lightweight Tailor-made First Aid Satchel Whether out for a leisurely day hike or week long jaunt in the Japanese Alps carrying a first-aid kit is a must. For the lion’s share of my hiking life (in Japan) I have carried this bad boy which came in at...
18 Beautiful Places to Camp in Japan With everyone now under stay-at-home requests through May 31 it’s looking increasingly likely the spring hiking will pass without most of us hitting the trail – myself included. To console myself with this...
Information and advice about hiking in Japan during the current novel coronavirus pandemic. UPDATED ON MAY 25, 2020 (Note: I will update this page regularly as conditions change.) TL;DR Emergency declaration lifted in the five remaining...
5 Guidebooks to Help Inspire Your Next Hike Hiking is one of the most popular pastimes in Japan and is accompanied by a near limitless array of Japanese-language guidebooks to savour the demand. Travel guides however catering to foreign hiking...