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.
One of the Best Places to See the Fall Foliage in Japan The splendid autumn colours which envelop the glacial cirque at Karasawa in the Northern Alps are a sight to behold. The only downside is you’re likely to be witnessing the “koyo” with loads of...
Beer, Boots and a Thousand Tents The Karasawa Cirque is surrounded by the towering peaks of Mt. Oku-Hotakadake and Mt. Kita-Hotaka in the Northern Japanese Alps. The glacial-eroded cirque has diameter of 2 kilometres, sits at an altitude of 2,300...
My Backpacking Gear Deciding what gear to pack for a hike is a careful balancing act between saving weight and potentially putting your health and wellbeing in harm’s way. As someone who readily admits to bringing along too much stuff, I have...
Hiked on Aug 27, 2017 Aug 10, 2022 . Hirogawara 広河原 – Shirane-oike 白根御池 – Kita-dake 北岳 Duration: 3 days Distance: 11.8 km Elevation change: 1673 metres Highest point: 3193 metres Start:...
Go Lightweight without Sacrificing Durability For an outdoor apparel company as large as Montbell there are surprisingly few hiking backpack reviews. This is a shame as Montbell packs are very reasonably priced, lightweight and well-constructed. I...
One LCD Monitor Brand that Holds its Resale Value When shopping for a new computer monitor its future resale value probably isn’t something you put much thought into. Like most people I just assumed that after many years of heavy use it would be...
Hiked on Aug 3, 2017 Jul 18, 2022 . Mt. Tateshina 蓼科山 – Ogawaratoge Pass 大河原峠 – Mugikusa Pass 麦草峠 Duration: 3 days Distance: 16.2 km Elevation change: 886 metres Highest point: 2530 metres ...
Central reference point for all Japanese surveys First up this sightseeing locale is only really recommended for mapping diehards. To give some perspective the place doesn’t even make TripAdvisor’s list of 623 ‘things to do’ in the Minato ward...
Not the Easiest Access but a Gorgeous Spot Nestled in the back hills of Kosuge Village just inside Yamanashi Prefecture contains a couple of rather beautiful waterfalls. First is the Shiraito Falls (not to be confused with the waterfall of the same...
Help Me Help You Publishing this blog provides a lot of pleasure and as such I want to do it well. That means not just helping or entertaining my existing readers, but also bringing new people in and encouraging them to get out and explore the...
Hiked on Jun 9, 2017 June 15, 2023 . Ryuzu Falls 竜頭ノ滝 – Odashirogahara 小田代原 – Yumoto Onsen 湯元温泉 Duration: 4.5 hours Distance: 10.4 km Elevation change: 120 metres Highest point: 1520 metres ...
Navigating the Pitfalls of Garmin Japan As someone who enjoys in the simplicity of navigating using a map and compass to find my way, I never really saw the necessity of investing in a handheld GPS unit. However, it’s not always beer and skittles...