What I didn't know was that those steps -- leading to the lofty highlight of my Kumano Kodo pilgrimage -- would be on a 70-degree incline.

CNN: World's best unknown hike: Japan's Kumano Kodo

And this is a good thing -- because it means a richer, more peaceful experience for those that make it to Wakayama prefecture and the Kumano Kodo.

CNN: World's best unknown hike: Japan's Kumano Kodo