2015: What The Hell Did I Do?

Congratulations! If you’re reading this, then we’ve successfully made it another year as a species. Go us.

So what did I manage to accomplish with the previous 365 days of my ride on this celestial merry-go-round of uncertainty?

This year I was based in Japan, as I tried my hand at exploiting yen from the Japanese taxpayers by way of teaching English. Although I’m rather ambivalent about lingering in one place too long, my experiment in the routine of conformity was necessary to guarantee sufficient financial resources for the coming year.

Speaking of next year, I am quite enthusiastic about the adventures to come during Earth’s next circumnavigation of the Sun – but more on that later.

First let’s take a look at back at some of my (and your) favorite posts of the year, yes? Yes.

• A total of 99 posts were published on Halfway Anywhere this year. Special thanks to Appa and Indie for their contributions.
• I got published, talked a bit on the radio, and was featured in a Japanese newspaper.
• We learned a lot about gear in this year’s gear reviews.
• We learned about section hiking the PCT in the “Best Section Hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail” series.
• We learned what it’s like to hike to trek to Everest Base Camp in my EBC Trip Report.
• We learned how to not get dead in a thunderstorm in the “How To Survive A Thunderstorm” series.
• I published a page dedicated to providing English language information on Japan’s mountains.

So where did I go this year?

This year I made my first trips to Taiwan (awesome) and Nepal (so awesome that if you’re reading this before January 7, 2016, I’m currently on my second tour of the country attempting to conquer the Three Passes Trek).

To make up for my lack of international travel, I did manage to get myself to nineteen of Japan’s forty-seven prefectures, and bringing my number of Hyakumeizan summits to ten (I’ve got a long way to go).

Here’s where I managed to set foot this year:

NOTABLE ADVENTURES

• Hitchhiked down the east coast of Taiwan and took a multi-day scooter ride through the spectacular Taroko Gorge National Park.
• Two extended road trips around Japan including visits to 19 of the country’s 47 prefectures (my count including previous years’ travel is up to 25).
• Completed the Okuhotaka-Nishihotaka traverse – the most dangerous hike in Japan.
• The second half (and completion) of my trek to Everest Base Camp, and the (hopeful) first half of my circuit of Nepal’s Three Passes Trek.
• Cycled around the largest lake in Japan, Lake Biwa 琵琶湖
• Learned myself a solid foundation of survival 日本語.
• Visited one of Japan’s “bunny islands”.
• Checked out the deal with Japan’s owl cafes and got up close and personal with my spirit animal.
• Hosted some awesome Couchsurfers.
• Summited the remaining two of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains” (三霊山) – Mount Tate and Mount Haku (Mount Fuji is the other).
• The beginning of Nepal’s Three Passes Trek.

Anything listed that’s not yet been written about, has its own post on the way. I know you’re excited to hear about Bunny Island.

In terms of high places I climbed up to – here’s a list of the peaks I managed to visit this year.

SUMMITS

OVER 10,000 FT / 3,048 METERS

• Mount Hehuan North Peak 合歡山北峰 (11,227 ft / 3,422 m)
• Mount Okuhotaka 奥穂高岳 (10,466 ft / 3,190 m)*
• Mount Aino 間ノ岳 (10,463 ft / 3,189 m)
• Mount Yari 槍ヶ岳 (10,433 ft / 3,180 m)*
• Gens d’armes ジャンダルム (10,377 ft / 3,163 m)
• Mount Obami 大喰岳 (10,174 ft / 3,101 m)
• Mount Naka 中岳 (10,118 ft / 3,084 m)

OVER 5,000 FT / 1,524 METERS

• Mount Minami 南岳 (9,950 ft / 3,032 m)
• Mount Tate 立山 (9,892 ft / 3,015 m)*
• Mount Tsurigi 剱岳 (9,839 ft / 2,999 m)*
• Mount Nishihotaka 西穂高岳 (9,544 ft / 2,909 m)
• Mount Haku 白山 (8,865 ft / 2,702 m)*
• Mount Okumaru 奥丸山 (7,887 ft / 2,404 m)
• Mount Sannomine 三ノ峰 (6,873 ft / 2,095 m)
• Mount Ryugatake 竜ヶ岳 (5,010 ft / 1,527 m)

UNDER 5,000 FT / 1,524 METERS

• Mount Arashima 荒島岳 (4,998 ft / 1,523 m)*
• Mount Ibuki 伊吹山 (4,518 ft / 1,377 m)*
• Mount Kanmuri 冠山 (4,123 ft / 1,256 m)
• Mount Bunagatake 武奈ヶ岳 (3,983 ft / 1,214 m)
• Mount Eboshio (2,792 ft / 851 m)
• Mount Nosaka 野坂岳 (2,998 ft / 914 m)
• Mount Hino 日野山 (2,608 ft / 795 m)

*Nihon Hyakumeizan

Lastly, I want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who reads and supports the site. Your comments, messages, and emails are what keep me motivated to pursue my dream of turning this site into something I can do full-time. So THANK YOU!

I’m looking forward to what the next 365 days will bring (and what else I can tick off the bucket list).

Hopefully not death!