Golf for http://codegolf.stackexchange.com/a/98834/48878

i=[list(x)for x in inputtt.split('\n')]

r,c,s,q,e,w=(0,)*6
# ->
r=c=s=q=e=w=0

o=lambda y,x:0<=x<len(i[0])and 0<=y<len(i)
# ->
o=lambda y,x:len(i[0])>x>=0<=y<len(i)

d='\\/_|'
# ->   ('\/' == '\\/')
d='\/_|'

for l in i:
 if l.count('x'):r=i.index(l);c=l.index('x')
for a,b in(1,0),(0,1),(-1,0),(0,-1):

 y,x=r+a,c+b;f=0
 if o(y,x):f=i[y][x]
 # -->
 y,x=r+a,c+b;f=o(y,x)and i[y][x]

 if f in d:s=f;w=d.index(f);q,e=y,x
k=lambda y,x,g=[1,1,0,1][w],v=[1,-1,1,0][w]:o(y,x)and i[y][x]==s and(exec('i[y][x]=0')==0)+1+k(y+g,x+v)+k(y-g,x-v)
# ->
                                                                 and exec('i[y][x]=0')or 1+k(y+g,x+v)+k(y-g,x-v)
print(k(q,e))