We went out for only our second hike since we've arrived. Would have liked to have gone more often, but things kept occurring on hiking days so it wasn't possible to go. This time Ritsuko came along with me and also another Aussie who lives in Nagaokakyo. There were a few good English speakers amongst the Japanese who came along this time too. So, I didn't really get the chance to practice Japanese like I did on the previous hike. The route of this hike was different than the last, rather than going right into mountains, we went along the front face of the range and passing a few expensive houses along the way. The area covered has so much history, we learnt about battles, rulers, religious orders and legends. This time we ended the hike in Yamazaki and we had to catch the train back to Nagaokakyo.
If you're wanting to come along on one of these hikes all you have to do is to meet at the start point, I've geotagged it to this photo (click on view map). On Tuesday mornings at 10:00 (for a 3 hour hike) or Friday afternoons at 14:00 (for a 2 hour hike). The start point is very close to Hankyu Nagaoka Tenjin Station. The hikes are free. Good hiking shoes/boots recommend, dress suitably according to season: Bring: jacket, water/drink bottle, snacks (with enough to share), hiking pole. Note the mountain trails can be quite steep and rugged in places.
I can't guarantee I can always be there due to church, home, and work responsibilities. However if you want to know if will be there on a particular date you're welcome to send me a PM.