• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Halfway Anywhere

Halfway Anywhere

  • About
  • Blog
  • PCT
  • CDT
  • Hikes
    • Arizona
      • Arizona Trail
      • Buckskin Gulch/Paria Canyon
      • Royal Arch Loop
    • Australia
      • Outback Bicycle Tour
      • New South Wales
        • The Coast Track
      • Tasmania
        • Federation Peak
        • Frenchmans Cap
        • Mount Anne Circuit
        • Overland Track
        • Western Arthurs Traverse
    • California
      • Cactus to Clouds
      • Kings Canyon High Basin Route
      • Southern Sierra High Route
      • Trans-Catalina Trail
    • Brazil
    • Japan
      • Alps Traverse
      • Fuji Area
      • Hokkaido
      • Hokuriku
      • Kansai
      • Kita Alps
      • Kyushu
    • Nepal
      • Everest Base Camp
      • Three Passes Trek
    • New Zealand
      • Ball Pass Route
    • Oregon
      • Timberline Trail
    • Washington
      • Wonderland Trail
  • Gear
    • Current Gear List
    • Gear Reviews
    • Gear Lists
    • PCT Gear
    • Best Backpacking Quilts
    • Best Satellite Messengers
    • Best Sun Hoodies
    • Best Thru-Hiking Shoes
    • Best Thru-Hiking Socks
    • Deals & Discounts
  • Surveys
    • PCT Survey
      • PCT Survey Results
      • PCT Gear Guide
      • PCT Resupply Guide
      • Women’s Gear Guide
      • Couples’ Gear Guide
      • Demographic Breakdown
      • PCT Horror Stories
      • PCT Hiker Advice
      • PCT Social Issues
      • All PCT Survey Articles
      • PCT Survey Sign-Up
    • CDT Survey
      • CDT Survey Results
      • CDT Gear Guide
      • CDT Resupply Guide
      • CDT Horror Stories
      • CDT Hiker Advice
      • All CDT Survey Articles
      • CDT Survey Sign-Up
    • JMT Survey
      • JMT Survey Results
      • JMT Gear Guide
      • All JMT Survey Articles
      • JMT Survey Sign-Up
  • Contact
    • Say Hello!
    • Support

2015: What The Hell Did I Do?

By Mac 5 Comments

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.
Taiwan-Hualien-Mac-Dive
Diving headfirst into the unknown of the Ano Novo.

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:

COUNTRIES

  • Japan
  • Nepal
  • Taiwan

Flag-2015

JAPANESE PREFECTURES

  • Aichi 愛知県
  • Fukui 福井県
  • Gifu 岐阜県
  • Hiroshima 広島県
  • Hyōgo 兵庫県
  • Ishikawa 石川県
  • Kyōto 京都府
  • Mie 三重県
  • Nagano 長野県
  • Nara 奈良県
  • Niigata 新潟県
  • Okayama 岡山県
  • Ōsaka 大阪府
  • Shiga 滋賀県
  • Shimane 島根県
  • Shizuoka 静岡県
  • Toyama 富山県
  • Yamaguchi 山口県
  • Yamanashi 山梨県

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.

Japan-Hiroshima-Bunny-Island-Bunny
I’ll never forget you, Mr. Wiggles.

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!

You'll Like These Too:

Share this post:

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on WhatsApp Share on Email

Updates Bucket List,  Recap,  Year End

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
guest
5 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Primary Sidebar

Most Recent Posts

  • Arc’teryx Rush Bib Pant Review
  • Discrimination on the Pacific Crest Trail (Class of 2022)
  • Pacific Crest Trail, Then and Now: PCT Podcast
  • Women’s Gear Guide for the Pacific Crest Trail (2022 Survey)
  • ALLPOWERS Solar Generator S1500 Review
Backpacking Gear Pacific Crest Trail Continental Divide Trail Mac's Backpack

Footer

STAY IN TOUCH

You've made it this far, you're either into this site or you're still looking for something. Either way, best to sign up for my newsletter, yeah?

NAVIGATION

  • Recent Posts
  • Backpacking Gear
  • Continental Divide Trail
  • Pacific Crest Trail
  • Brazil Trekking
  • Japan Trekking
  • Nepal Trekking
  • New Zealand Trekking
  • Tasmania Trekking

LEGALESE

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2023 · Halfway Anywhere