Twenty years of ridgelines, and I still prefer the back of the field

I’m Naoki. I took up trail running in my thirties in the Rockies and have run mountain races across North America and the Alps since. Most of what I write is about huts, weather and the people finishing last.

Switchbacks began in 2025 as a letter to a few running friends. It is still free, still written on Saturday night, and still one long read plus whatever I couldn’t fit.