Ploughing through the snow up the steep side of a cliff was a momentous challenge.
Earlier in the day, molly and I had arrived at Diesetuan national Park, the largest in Hokkaido. Straight away we were met with scenic views, and mountains on all sides, with the acoustics of a strong river following every where we walked. Our first path took us around the curve of a long path and up into the mountains, on a rocky terrain where the gravel gave way under your feet, and the signposts for the attraction led us into the middle of nowhere. After realising that there was no way through the woods without straying from the (non existent) path, we decided to turn back, rather than get lost among the bear prints in the snow.
So, after a rethink, we took a different direction and decided to find the valley on the edge of the park. We had a long road to walk, and stopped along the way to watch the fierce River drag itself over the rocks below. We had to follow it right up to the source, where the water very first jumped over the cliff face and formed the beautiful falls we had ventured this far to see. And suddenly they both opened up above us, a first glimpse of the stunning gorge above the tree tops.
Having seen the very top of the falls, I was determined to make it higher up, to a view point where we would see the whole picture spread out like a panorama. The problem was of course, the snow. The late winter meant that the trail was still covered in slippery ice, and one look at the glistening mass on the side of a slope was almost enough to make me turn around. But after the disappointment of the dead end this morning, I decided to go for it and see if I could pick my way through the rocks with nothing but my hiking boots for support.
That's how I found myself knee deep in the snow, scrabbling for branches to hoist myself up, and claiming great lumps of cold ice in my boots as I went. My wiser sister was smart enough to stay put, but I was determined to reach the top. And when I got there, it was worth the hard work. The double water fall tipping over the edge of the gorge was enough to leave me spellbound. Now all I had to do was figure out how to get back down...