A couple years ago, my wife and I went for a trip through the Himalayas on a Royal Enfield - a 350cc no less. It wasn’t our first time there, so we noticed how the road conditions, which were previously filled with potholes and dirt tracks, often at a steep incline, had improved. This meant that some of the challenge that was previously an alluring point, due to its harsh conditions, had been taken out of the route somewhat. Don’t get me wrong, riding around up there is still one of the most challenging experiences you can undertake, but it also got me thinking about other places around the world.
Is a challenging experience on two wheels defined by the harsh conditions? Is it the traffic and road rules (or lack thereof depending on the country you’re in)? Or perhaps it’s the weather - storms, snow or…. Something else?
Perhaps, ‘challenge’ could be when the road itself breaks off into a mix of dirt tracks, providing an on road and off road experience?
What about in a developed country like Japan, where the roads are for the most part, impeccable?
Well, I suppose, the word ‘challenging’ is fairly subjective, and therefore defined differently by different people; however, in my point of view, it’s a confluence of all those things I’ve mentioned above, plus one additional factor that is perhaps often overlooked: FUN.
Without going down a rabbit hole of what that means, because - yes, it is also subjective. To me, fun is simply: variety, and the opposite of boring. Therefore, in this context, I think a challenge is a difficulty level that is fun, and when i think about the roads James and I have been on in Japan, there is no lack of routes that come to mind that fits the bill.
While it is hard to compile everything into a single list, we have given it a crack anyway.
So, without further ado, here is a list of our top 3 ‘Challenging’ Roads (in no particular order) so far:
#1: Irohazaka Winding Road, Tochigi, Nikko
Now, if anyone knows anything about my riding preferences, I'm a mountain rider who loves nothing more than twisty hairpin bends. It's my spirit animal if that even makes sense.
So on the FUN factor, anything with twisties is high on my list, especially if it's high elevation.
I can go on and on about the scenery and general riding experience as you head around the course, which includes waterfalls, mountain views and nature; but, why do I think this one in particular is challenging? Well, The Irohazaka winding course is 48 hairpin turns, which requires consistent concentration, and awareness of your surroundings. Keeping yourself switched on throughout the route is not just a Physical feat, but also a mental one, which undoubtedly dwindles over time. So if anything, the course is like a marathon.
Is the Irohazaka Winding Road as difficult as the Gata Loops in Leh, Ladakh? No - but it's a different experience, and earns its spot on my top 3.
You can ride the Irohazaka Winding Road on our Ronin 2 tour.
# 2: Venus Skyline (Matsumoto - Northern Branch - Ueda)
If there is one route that truly captures the essence of sharp bends on an ascent for me in Japan, it would be the Northern Branch of the Venus Skyline.
Now, most people tend to join the venus line mid way, by going east on the expressway from Matsumoto. However, if you trawl through Matsumoto’s town, to the outskirts, there is actually a hidden mountain road. It's a bit hard to find, but once you get there, you’ll find that you will often have much of the road to yourself which provides some awesome, almost private riding.
Why do I think this earns a spot on our list? Well, apart from being high on that fairly subjective metric of mine: FUN, it also ticks a few rare boxes you wouldn't expect on Japanese roads.
The route itself has some broken, yes I said broken, swaths of road, that includes the odd pothole and unevenness. This is not annoying at all, and doesn't stop your pace. Its just something that makes you have to heighten your awareness further, especially when banking around corners.
Secondly, much of the route is in deep forest, so during erratic weather conditions it can add additional difficulty on your ride, plus the odd chance that a roadblock could stop you in your tracks may occur, forcing you to have to find another route through the forest.
So yes, earning a second stop on the coveted top 3 list for me is the Venus Line, which boasts a good mix of technical riding demands, challenging conditions, and high altitude areas, adding extra layers of difficulty. Not to mention the awesome sunset you can experience at the end of it…
The Fuji 7 and 10 day tours focus heavily on the Venus Line towards the end of the tour for some awesome riding experiences.
#3: Norikura Skyline, Northern Alps
Right, so we’re going to finish this list off with my third most challenging mountain road in Japan.
The Norikura skyline is one of the highest roads in Japan, by elevation - reaching up to 2700 meters (8, 858 ft). it's now where as high as say, Khardung - la or Umling - la, both having taken the claim at various points as the highest roads in the world, but what it offers is truly unique.
We are talking about a thrilling ride around dramatic landscapes of the Northern Alps; Stunning panoramic views, snow capped peaks, deep valleys and lush forests.
As for the difficulty factor - you can expect high elevations with steep gradients, sharp bends and narrow sections that require concentration and vigilance.
Being at such a high elevation, you can also expect the weather to change at the drop of a hat. We’re talking sun, rain, fog and yes- even snow, all in the same stretch, the same day, which certainly adds to the variety factor (and I hope you agree - the FUN factor too).
It is for these reasons that the Norikura skyline earns its spot as #3 in my top 3 list.
Our Mountain Strider tour centers heavily around the Norikura skyline midway through the tour!
