Mt. Furutaka: Following the Footsteps of Naval Cadets

What?
The hike from Kirikushi Port (切串港) to Koyo Port (小用港) crosses Etajima's (江田島) two highest peaks: Kumandake (クマン岳, 400 m) and Furutakayama (古鷹山, 394 m). Besides offering some of the finest panoramic views over the islands of the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海), the trail is steeped in military history. Furutakayama is closely linked to the former Imperial Japanese Navy, whose Naval Academy stood at its foot, and the surrounding area remains home to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). While little remains to remind you of these military roots, the mountain served as a daily training ground for naval cadets, and the summit is still adorned with the JMSDF flag.
Where?
Etajima, in Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県), is an island in the Seto Inland Sea off the coast of Kure (呉), a city famous for its importance to the Japanese Navy, both during the darker days of World War II and today as a major base of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. I took the train from Kure to Kure Portopia (呉ポートピア), where I boarded the ferry at the tiny Teno Port (天応港), which brought me to Kirikushi Port. After hiking the two peaks mentioned above, I descended from Furutakayama and walked to Koyo Port, from where I took the ferry back to Kure.
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Dive Hiroshima

Hiking in July requires stamina and willpower. You also need to be an incredible idiot.
I know from experience how gruesome it can be. Even though ranked as an easy mountain, Mount Kokuzo still ranks among my toughest hiking experiences. And yet... I did it again.
It's not the size of a mountain that matters, but its shape.
It's a quote from hiking guru Wes Lang (Hiking in Japan) that I often use. He might as well have added that every mountain changes with the seasons. And every low mountain in summer turns into a huge odyssey.

Of course, the shape of Mount Furutaka is exactly what makes low mountains so tough. It's like climbing a wall. Steep, with no flat sections to catch your breath. And breath is exactly what you need in July.
Along with water.
Lots of it.

I had originally planned to do this hike, but the evening before I talked myself out of it because I knew it was going to be tough. Then I woke up, thought, "Why not?" and was on my way. And at first, I thought everything would be fine. Taking the train to the tiny Kure Portopia Station and walking to the even smaller Teno Port, I barely noticed the weight of my backpack and thought the heat was quite bearable. Of course, that was because it was still early and a pleasant sea breeze kept me company.
After getting off at Kirikushi Port, I had another 10 to 15 minutes to walk before reaching the trailhead. I was still in high spirits, feeling fit and ready to tackle the heat.
And then I hit the wall.

Climbing 300 metres – even if it's steep – is something I've done many times before and is well within my capabilities. But honestly, even with the forest shielding me from the worst of the sun, the summer heat and humidity drained the strength from my legs about three-quarters of the way up. I started taking more breaks to catch my breath and drink some water. Fortunately, I wasn't completely insane and had brought 3.5 litres of fluids with me.

Most of the trail was shaded by trees, but every now and then clearings opened up with wonderful views over the Seto Inland Sea. Truth be told, I'm sure I would have thoroughly enjoyed these vistas in any other season. Today, however, I'd snap a quick picture and immediately retreat into the shade of the trees.

From Kirikushi Port to the summit of Mount Kumandake, the trail is a natural forest path inhabited by snakes, salamanders, noisy flies, and plenty of spiders. While the trail is clearly well used, I was definitely the first person to hike it that morning, which meant I had to swing a stick in front of me to clear away the spider webs, only adding to my rapidly rising body temperature.

Etajima in sight.

I really like this stage where you either just leave or just enter a town on a hike.

One beautiful, recurring view.

And suddenly there were concrete stairs.

Once over the summit of Kumandake, though, the path inexplicably changed into concrete steps. Is this what people mean when they say the mountain used to serve as a training ground for the Japanese Navy?
Whatever the case, it certainly made the going easier. AND somebody had already cleared this side of the mountain of spiders!

That meant I could finally enjoy the ridge walk between Kumandake and Mount Furutaka a little more, appreciating the trees and giant boulders along the way while taking in beautiful views of the Seto Inland Sea and its hundreds of islands.

Arriving at the summit, I frowned at the navy flag (which is the same as the old Imperial Army flag and as such has a dubious reputation) before quickly escaping the exposed mountaintop. The views are just as beautiful a few metres farther on, where the trees provide some welcome shelter.
The descent featured a few steep rocky sections equipped with ropes and chains, and it was here that I finally encountered someone just as idiotic as myself.

Once past the chains, the trail turned into a very easy stroll through the forest. While I'm sure the mountain is littered with wartime remnants, the only things I noticed that might date back to that period were the concrete fence posts with rusted barbed wire lining the path toward the foot of the mountain.
Normally, when you trip, you have to worry about falling a few metres downhill; here, you have to worry about impaling yourself on one of those rusty poles.
A simple tetanus shot might not be enough.

No, today's hike wasn't the most enjoyable. But that, of course, had nothing to do with the mountain itself.
Yet again, I had to learn the hard way that Japanese summers and low mountains simply don't go together.