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Article: Big thrills in Japan: Hokkaido, the northernmost Japanese island, has mountain trails and rivers to attract adrenalin-hunters from across the world--including Chris Nelson.(ACTIVE TRAVELLER)
- Article from:
- Geographical
- Article date:
- September 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Circle Publishing Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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We skid to a halt in a clearing, and a cloud of dust fills the air. As it dissipates, the landscape around us is revealed: the lush green trees first, then the carpet of sasa bamboo, followed by mountain slopes stretching back up to snow-capped summits. As I suck in the clear mountain air and lean on the handlebars, one feature draws my eye, demanding attention: across the valley towers Mount Yotei, golden in the evening's fading light.
No matter how many times I cast my eyes over its 1,898-metre peak, I never cease to be amazed. This long-extinct volcano dominates every vista, the violent nature of the region shaping the land and producing steaming hot spring ...