Kii Mountains

The Kii Mountain Range in Japan is located to the south of Kyoto and Nara, ancient capital cities that used to rule that country for over 1,300 years.

One writer got a rocky road to insight recently when he hiked through Doroga Wa, Japan through dense forests and sacred sites. The Kii Mountain Range overlooking the Pacific Ocean is considered to be a special place where gods dwell since the time of ancient Japanese mythology.

It was near The Seigantoji Temple by a pilgrimage route of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples that John Flynn began his path to enlightenment, which he said is not necessarily comfortable. Dark forests, numerous waterfalls, and steep cliffs dot the landscape. Unique plant life also abounds and by Japanese tradition all living things have important legacies.

"Thousands of Japanese pilgrims also come to the Kii Mountains each year to walk the ancient footpaths connecting the most important Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and sacred mountains," Flynn writes. "The pilgrimage routes are as long as 100 miles, and I didn't have time to walk one, nor was I able to figure out the system of lodges along the way."

According to Flynn, at 5,640 feet Mount Omine isn't particularly high by Japanese standards and its lumpy shape has none of the grace or symmetry of Mount Fuji. Mountains end abruptly on the north, according to one website.

"Not everyone was thrilled to see the mountain included on the list of World Heritage sites," Flynn wrote. "Men can climb the peak and descend in a day or they can spend the night in one of the summit shelters."

"The sacred" means "the scared" in Japanese language and in Flynn's writings you can sense his fear as he dangles off a Japanese mountain on his way to wisdom by his heels.

Flynn stated that as his group began the pathway wound steadily uphill through a forest of cedar and soon they arrived at the base of a 30-foot cliff. The Japanese are known to worship nature, research shows.

The tour also included up a trail to the top of a sheer cliff called Nishi-no-nozuki.

According to research, traveling independently in the Kii Mountains is challenging, though far from impossible.

Tour companies for the area include World Expeditions, Himalayan Kingdoms, and Geographic Expeditions.

Flynn recommends consulting the Japan National Tourist Organization at junto.go/jp/eng/RTG/PTG or call 212-757-5640.

One hiker recommends that no matter where in or out of the country you hike you should take a five to ten-minute break every hour, eating and drinking during each break.