[September Event Report ②] Start your tent-camping traverse of Mount Houou with Sea to Summit [Now accepting participants for the October event]

This week, I went to the September mountaineering event "Starting a tent-camping traverse from Sea to Summit," which was unfortunately postponed due to bad weather.

After discussing the location with the participants, they decided on Mount Houou, one of the 100 famous mountains in the Southern Alps. The theme of this trip was a tent-camping traverse, and for the first time, participants would carry a heavy load of luggage for two days and one night, including a tent, from Yashajin Pass to the finish line at Aoki Onsen, covering a distance of approximately 20 kilometers.

There were three participants, including me. Unfortunately, two of us were unable to make it due to the postponement. I was able to hike with one of them at a different location last week, but I promised to invite the other one back next time.

Day 1: Yashajin Pass trailhead to Minami-Omuro hut

In stark contrast to last week, the weather forecast predicted clear, clear skies with a mobile high pressure system. This time, we gathered in Nirasaki and approached by taxi, so we didn't have to worry about the parking lot being full, and it was a late morning (although the first departure was at 5am). We arrived at the Yashajin Pass trailhead at 9am, chatting with the driver, who used to be a bus driver for Hirogawara. After a quick get-up, we were ready to set off.

After passing through a gentle forest of beech and oak trees for a while, we soon reached Yashajin Pass. However, the weather was slower to improve than expected, and clouds were rising from below, turning everything white in front of us. The organizers' plan to give participants a spectacular panoramic view of the Shiramine Sanzan mountains at the pass was foiled from the very start.

However, it was so humid. We were all thinking about camping at 2,400 meters, so we were all concerned about keeping warm, but no one had paid any attention to how to protect ourselves from sweat. One of the participants was wearing the much talked about Otafuku gloves, which looked quite good. We all got excited talking about them, and as we walked the long, gentle climb, someone was always talking without interruption.

Along the way, we saw some unwary deer leisurely eating their meal.

I walked through the Southern Alps for two weeks in a row, and it was as wonderful as ever. Surrounded by carpets of moss, ferns that exude a primeval atmosphere, and magnificent conifers such as larch, hemlock, Japanese white fir, and silver fir, I felt like I was part of a vast natural chain. I realized that I really do love this forest.

Today, from Yashajin Pass, we just walked through the forest, but we were able to reach one peak with a great view. Before long, we arrived at our destination, Mount Tsujiyama. However, even here, we only saw a glimpse of blue sky for a moment, so the view was postponed.

I changed my mind and headed to the campsite. I arrived at Minami-Omuro Lodge a little after 2pm, and as I had been a little worried, the campsite was quite crowded, with barely enough space to pitch three tents side by side. However, I managed to grab a spot that was just barely available. No matter where you are on the weekend, you can't escape the worry of fighting for a spot.

It was time to try out the tent, mat, and sleeping bag from Sea to Summit, one of the highlights of this trip.

Looking around, the tents were mostly Montbell and Arai Tents. There were also a fair number of NEMOs. There were also Heritage, Finetrack, Arata, and one or two ZEROGRAMs. I had expected this to some extent, but no one was pitching a Sea to Summit tent, and as expected, most of the tents were domestically produced. Even though Japan has so many excellent tents from around the world, I think Outdoor Gearzine needs to put in more effort to spread the word (there was a single-walled one-pole shelter nearby that seemed to be pushing the limits by any standards, but I wonder if the person who used it survived the night).

The Sea to Summit tents were carefully made to be easy to set up, and as none of the participants had ever camped in a tent before, they were able to set them up very smoothly with just a little advice.

By the way, the tent I used this time, the "Alto TR1/Alto TR1 Plus" tent, was released four years ago, but it was ahead of the trends of the past few years, with a spacious ceiling space, excellent ventilation, and lightweight design. It reviewed on Outdoor Gearzine , so if you haven't heard of it yet, I recommend you check it out.

Sea to Summit also offers excellent mattresses and sleeping bags.

For the mattress, I tried the autumn/winter model of an air mattress that uses "Air Sprung Cell," which has been a long-time recommendation at Outdoor Gearzine. Even though it's thin, it distributes pressure well and is extremely comfortable to sleep on. It's now so common that many brands (including Chinese manufacturers) produce similar air mattresses.

We were also able to try out the Etherlite XR Pro Insulated Mattress, which was released this fall and winter and combines the best sleeping comfort with the best insulation.

Isn't it a great event to be able to try out (for free) all the ideal equipment you could imagine for tonight's sleep in temperatures likely to approach freezing, including tents, mats, pillows, and sleeping bags?

At the last event in July, it rained during dinner time and everyone was forced to eat inside their tents, but this time it didn't rain at all and everyone was able to bring their own ingredients, share them, and enjoy a peaceful dinner while chatting.

Day 2: Minami-Omurogoya hut - Mt. Houou - Dondokozawa - Aoki Onsen

I woke up at 4:30. The weather is...

Wow, I had high expectations but this is just too good.

About an hour after we set off, we finally emerge from the forest and emerge onto a ridgeline with a mixture of rocks and gravel. The blue sky spreads across the ridgeline, and we finally get to see the magnificent panorama of the Shiramine Sanzan mountains that we had been wanting to see the day before.

Below you, a sea of ​​clouds spreads out, creating dynamic shadows. Mount Fuji floats above it. It's a view that makes you want to take pictures no matter how many times you see it.

This made me give a fist pump.

Stop for a moment and admire the orange glow of the Shiramine Sanzan mountains in the morning glow.

A snap shot of the first peak, Mt. Yakushi

Kaikoma and the distant Yatsugatake Mountains are clearly visible.

The leaves are starting to change color little by little. The contrast between the colorful trees, the blue sky, and the granite is a testament to Mount Houou.

We will walk along the ridgeline typical of the Southern Alps, where a massive, deep, and magnificent landscape unfolds, and proceed to Mt. Yakushi and Mt. Kannon.

Finally, we paid our respects to the Jizo-dake obelisk and then descended to Aoki Onsen via Dondokozawa.

I thought it would be a good route with many beautiful waterfalls along the way, but the path was steep and a little rough, and the fatigue accumulated from carrying a heavy load up to that point made it difficult to move forward, so I struggled at the very end.

However, this course, which allowed us to encounter different types of nature such as forests, ridgelines, and waterfalls, was more satisfying than we expected, and once again it was a very fulfilling two-day event.

Thanks to everyone who participated. Let's go again!

And thank you to Lost Arrow for lending us their Sea to Summit products!

   

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