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.
The Kurasawa Bridge (Kurasawabashi) One could be forgiven for thinking the Tokyo Gate Bridge is the highest bridge in Tokyo and while its truss sections rise some 88 metres, the bridge’s “clearance” when measured from the deck of the road comes in...
Dodge the Crowds and Enjoy Superb Fall Scenery The Oze Marshlands are without a doubt one of the most beautiful tracts of unspoilt nature in the Kanto region. Last year I hiked across the Ozegahara Marsh to Oshimizu and this year I decided to start...
Hiked on Oct 1, 2017 Aug 15, 2021 . Kamikochi 上高地 – Karasawa 涸沢 – Mt. Karasawa 涸沢岳 Duration: 4 days Distance: 36.7 km Elevation change: 1598 metres Highest point: 3103 metres Start:...
Kamikochi Showa Era Photochromes By any measure Kamikochi in the Hida Mountains of Nagano Prefecture is one of the best natural spots in Japan. But surprisingly this wasn’t always the case. Up until the mid-19th Century Kamikochi underwent extensive...
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...