This weekend was quite the adventure. We headed over to Otsuki, which is in Yamanashi prefecture, about 2 hours away from Tokyo. There are several mountains in the vicinity, and on the second day the plan was to hike one that (on clear days) affords one a good view of Fuji-san.
Well, on the first day, we all met up at Shinjuku station, headed over to Otsuki, did some grocery shopping, then hiked into the mountains for several hours, before settling on our camp sight. By then, it was starting to get a little dark, and we set up our tents, gathered fire wood, and started making dinner.
Day Two: swimming in some shallow pools instead of doing the planned hike. An OCJ member gets emergency medical care (not really).
Some pretty bamboo.
Our camp
A really gourmet meal of tomatoes, chorizo, bread, and herbs. Of course, the woman who cooked this didn't bring a flashlight, toilet paper, a sleeping bag or mat, or many other things. But she ate well.Sleeping for me was something of a trial. Because of the size of my backpack and the temperature, I had decided not to bring my sleeping bag. I figured we would camp on grass, and the weather would be warm, so I just brought a light blanket. As it happened, we camped on very rocky soil, so I cut down a lot of small bushes and stuffed them under my tent. The weather was also a little cooler and more humid than I expected, but I survived. The deer were also something of a nuisance. I've never heard deer in the US make much noise, but Japanese deer make a call that sounds something like a rusty nail being pulled from wood.
Anyway, the plan was to camp one day, then meet a bunch of day hikers back at the station, but the day hikers canceled on us at the last minute, and tempers were flaring over that and other problems, so the day hike was canceled and we hung out by the river and swam a little.
Luckily for me, we caught an express train from Otsuki to Omiya, so unlike my trip to Otsuki, I didn't have to change trains at all.
My summer break starts on Friday, and there is a long trip being planned to an as yet undeciced location for that weekend. I may go with the club on that. For next week, I'm planning on climbing Fuji-san next Wednesday. After that, it is still very uncertain. Hokkaido is definitely going to happen, but where, when, and for how long is unknown. I'd also like to see the Northern and Southern Alps. Hiroshima, and the Kansai area will have to wait until the weather cools down, as it is supposed to be hotter there than here, and it is pretty unbearable here.
Cheers,
Anyway, the plan was to camp one day, then meet a bunch of day hikers back at the station, but the day hikers canceled on us at the last minute, and tempers were flaring over that and other problems, so the day hike was canceled and we hung out by the river and swam a little.
Luckily for me, we caught an express train from Otsuki to Omiya, so unlike my trip to Otsuki, I didn't have to change trains at all.
My summer break starts on Friday, and there is a long trip being planned to an as yet undeciced location for that weekend. I may go with the club on that. For next week, I'm planning on climbing Fuji-san next Wednesday. After that, it is still very uncertain. Hokkaido is definitely going to happen, but where, when, and for how long is unknown. I'd also like to see the Northern and Southern Alps. Hiroshima, and the Kansai area will have to wait until the weather cools down, as it is supposed to be hotter there than here, and it is pretty unbearable here.
Cheers,
