Have I mentioned that one of my hobbies is hiking? No? Well, now I did. So consider this a small warning, there will probably be more stories like this.
One of them takes me back to December 2025, when I went on my first hike after a very long break. I chose Ashiya, a place I had already visited before.
You’d think that meant I knew exactly what I was getting myself into.
I didn’t.
Getting There: The First Small Choice
If you’re planning the trip, take the Hankyu line. It’s one of those tiny decisions that makes everything smoother, since the Hankyu station drops you closer to the trailhead. Less friction, more mountain.
And trust me, you’ll want to save your energy.
The Climb: Not Your Casual Stroll
Let’s get this out of the way: this is not an easy hike.
ロックガーデン earns its name. The trail quickly transforms from a pleasant walk into a hands-on climb. At certain points, you’ll find yourself gripping chains, pulling your body upward over rocks, negotiating each step like a quiet puzzle between you and gravity.
Yes, it’s physical. Yes, it demands attention. And strangely, that’s part of its charm.
There’s no room to overthink emails or replay conversations from the city below. Your world narrows to rock, breath, movement.
The Descent: A Different Story
And then, like a shift in tone, the return path softens.
The way back offers a gentler trail, almost like the mountain is giving you a quiet exhale after the effort.
This is where you can finally lift your eyes and take it all in.
Why I Hike
This isn’t really a hiking blog post. The hike is just the setting.
I’ve been walking mountains for a while now, not for the challenge, but for what they take away. The constant forward push of city life.
In nature, time feels different. Not slower in a dramatic sense, but steadier.
And something else happens up there. Conversations change. Without distractions, no phones and no signal, people open up. Ideas stretch out. Thoughts that felt tangled in the city start to line up, one by one. Some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had happened on a mountain trail.
This very site? It exists because of one of those conversations.