After you leave Kawachi-Nagano, the road soon heads up to a low pass called "Kimi-toge." I didn't need to be told what the meaning of this particular place name was: the "Ki" of "Kii" - the old name for the Wakayama area (and the peninsula where it's located) - combined with the character for "see." Unfortunately, I don't recall getting a great view of Wakayama from the top of the low 290m pass...

The downhill takes you straight down to the small city of Hashimoto, where you start the ascent to Koya-san. It begins with a pretty ride along the river.