[July Event Report] We went camping in Big Agnes & arata tents!

Last weekend, we went on a two-day, one-night trip to the Yatsugatake Mountains as part of a membership-based event called "Big Agnes & Arata's Tent-Camping Hike," organized in collaboration with Big Agnes (Iwatani Primus) and Arata. First of all, it was absolutely amazing. It was yet another one of the most fulfilling mountain trips I've had in recent years!

Anyway, thanks to all the participants, you did a great job!

Thank you to Big Agnes (Iwatani Primus) and Arata for your cooperation!

It was a weekend near the end of the rainy season. The weather was clear. As usual, I headed to the parking lot nervously, fearing that it would be full

Learning from my mistakes at Mizugaki Sanso last time, I arrived even earlier this morning at 5am, but once again the parking lot was full just before I arrived at 5am...!

Luckily, I managed to find a space nearby again just in time, but this is exactly why I hate parking on weekends

This time, there were some repeat visitors and the group was relatively small, so we were able to walk smoothly but leisurely, enjoying the Yatsugatake forest

The further north you go in the Yatsugatake Mountains, the more mossy the area becomes. This time, the route was exactly halfway between Minami-Yatsugatake and Kita-Yatsugatake Mountains, and the trail was covered in moss, with clear streams, coniferous forests, and birch trees, all of which are typical Yatsugatake scenery

Even though I'm an old man, when I see moss wet with morning dew I can't help but point my camera at it

After walking for a while, we arrived at Oren Hut, where we planned to camp

Since this was a course that could be done in a day, the campsite was still quite empty. We all gathered together and easily found a flat space where we could pitch our tents, and as usual, we immediately began setting up

This time, we chose Big Agnes' lightweight and spacious tents, "Tiger Wall UL," "Copper Spool UL," and "Fly Creek UL," as well as Arata's two-person tent, "AX130," based on the wishes of the participants. Even if you're solo at this event, you might want to try out a two-person tent, which is quite a rare request, and we can accommodate that as long as the other party has it

While giving a lecture on how to set up the tent, we chatted about the features of the product itself and had a great time setting it up, and before we knew it, it was finished

Big Agnes' Copper Spool has this: a door that flips up with a trekking pole!

We had a comfortable tent night using the ultra-lightweight aluminum chairs we borrowed together

The Arata is light enough to carry even for two people! Whatever the case may be, the spacious and comfortable living space is very relaxing

The discussion about tents was lively

We also had the participants try out the Big Agnes air mattress. Unfortunately, it's not very well known in Japan, so it's difficult to see or try it out, but it's actually very comfortable, and its quality is in no way inferior to other companies' products. All the participants were surprised

Once we set up our tent and settled in, we headed to Tengu-dake, a nearby mountain that looked like it could be climbed (although it is 2,600m high)

From the pleasant forest we were in earlier, we head to the high alpine mountains!

It was the perfect season for alpine plants to bloom, which made taking photos a breeze

There was a fair bit of wind, but the sky gradually cleared up, and by the time we reached the summit, the blue sky was spreading out just as we had hoped!

Back at the campsite, it's time for some delicious beer!

After this, we had planned to take a break and have dinner together, but as expected, we were hit by a sudden shower, so we all went back to our tents and decided to wait it out

I thought it would stop after a few minutes, but it lasted until night! Unfortunately, the night at the tent site passed in the blink of an eye, accompanied by the sound of the rain. I was able to sleep soundly, so that was fine, and I also achieved the feat of camping in a tent for the first time, not just for the first time, but also for the first time in the rain, so I'll call it a success

By the way, the latest model of Big Agnes that I rented this time uses the newly developed "HyperBead™" material for the rain fly, which is lighter than previous models while achieving high waterproofing and strength. Thanks to this, the rain repelled perfectly and kept the interior comfortable

The rain that had been falling until late at night had finally stopped when I woke up. The weather forecast for today looks promising. I set off for Mount Io, hoping to see the first sunrise

At first, the area was covered in mist, but as we climbed to the ridge, the sky directly above gradually became clearer, and just as we had hoped, we were able to see the sunrise from the sea of ​​clouds!

The path to the summit lit by the morning glow

Arrived at Mt. Io!

I could see all the surrounding mountains

...But the highlight of this mountain climb is not over yet

On the way back, it was time to take a dip in Natsuzawa Onsen, so I jumped in and took a bath! It left me feeling refreshed in both mind and body

Then plum soda!

It was a very fulfilling two days with lots to see!

The next tent camping challenge is scheduled for September!

If you'd like to try camping in a tent, please feel free to join us! Stay tuned for more announcements!

   

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