Of course you'd not get me to travel unless I had a chance to really get out and about...
The Japan Alps can be a savage and glorious playground - not for the faint hearted.
So it was with great pleasure that I was introduced by Hiromitsu-san to some (a lot of) local sake, and in the morning to Yamaguchi-san and Ville-san, two souls as keen as I was to get out of the overheated office. Thankyou all for your warm and friendly companionship! Dozo yoroshiku. Matane!
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Here's my first view in the direction of the modest summit of Kaikomagatake as the clouds cleared. Right about now I was thinking "Sheesh. That snow doesn't look too stable and that face is angled at about 70 degrees. How can it even stick there?" (I'm a newbie climber with plenty to learn) Our route wound around off to the right of the picture along a ridge which was a lot more secure. |
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The wind-deposited snow on the climb up was spectacular. |
| It left only the vertical slopes of giant boulders exposed. |  |
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And the underside of branches which, devoid of leaves, weave intricate networks across the sky. |
| Or paint delicate feathers on a grey canvas as even the sky was erased. Kirei! |  |
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The wonderful monuments to Shinto jut up through the white carpet to form a scene which could only be found in Japan. |
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So here we all are (trying not to look too cold - hey, I'm an Aussie, numb toes are still a bit of a novelty - that's me in the yellow). Sugoi desu nes!? ...and as I fumble to take the camera off the tripod which Yamaguchi-san carted up the climb (along with the six cans of Asahi, half a litre of sake and half a litre of whisky) for this one moment, I am already contemplating when I can get onto another mountain. Hopefully it won't be long. Domo! I throughly enjoyed the climb! ...and now we all have to get back down again in time for me to catch the train. |
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more mountain photos | geisha/maiko pictures
PLEASE, if you like these photos and want to use them for something just send me an email and ask. I would much prefer this to having you sneakily put them on your own website without letting me know! The images are © Alan Dorin 2002, they are not available for use without my written permission except by the people appearing in the photos.