Mt Ibuki: The Conquest

An interesting week

A few weeks ago, my compatriot Rion belittled my struggle with the Internet companies of Japan and told me to go outside and do something for a change. To this I said 'Fine, be that way... but may Gypsies carry off your thumbs in the night.'

Last Sunday, I was offered the chance to get higher than I had ever been in my life. I replied that I wasn't into the sort of thing, and they said they had actually meant mountain climbing. I said I didn't do that sort of thing either, but what the hell. I got up early to catch the train to Nagoya and met up with the rest of the Chubu International Hikers Club, before catching another train that took us to Mt Ibuki on the border of Gifu and Shiga prefectures. The first part of the ascent was hot, muddy work- it had been raining all last night and the path was still not very solid. We got to the first base camp, which was a derelict ski resort. There was no snow at this point, and it looked like the place had been abandoned for years. I had a chance to rest my legs for a while before we moved on. The next part of the hike was a grassy slope with very few trees. It wasn't as steep or as muddy, and this part of the trek was actually enjoyable. We also had a good view of Biwa lake (the biggest in Japan) on the horizon. It was also starting to snow a little- the occasional, lone snow flake every minute or so.

We continued up the mountain as the weather got colder and it started to snow more. We finally passed the up limits of the tree line and began the final leg up to the summit. Now it was really cold and snowing a lot more. What I didn't know at the time was that there was a full fledged snow storm on the top and other side of the mountain, and that we had only gotten a little taste of what was to come at the top. On the summit the wind was so strong that it felt like my face was being flayed by the falling snow. There were a number of shrines and temples on top of the mountain, but it was barely impossible to see them in said conditions. I took my glove off to touch the peak of the mountain and I still haven't gotten all the feeling back yet.

We rapidly began our decent back down the mountain. Now there was a lot more snow, and it had gotten a lot colder. We took a break in a little mountain cabin with no heating whatsoever, before continuing down to the final part. It was like walking down a completely different mountain- the snow had changed everything. It was also a lot more slippery- I feel down several time and got some mud stains on pretty embarrassing places on my pants. We got down the mountain just in time to make the final bus. My conquest of Mount Ibuki gave me a great sense of accomplishment, which was soon overwhelmed by the great pain in my knee

The next day I was effectively crippled, but that wasn't going to stop me from going skiing. Tsuna and I went to Ontake, a new ski resort up in the mountains in Gifu. It was very nice, but also very cold- even while wearing fill ski gear and a face mask. My leg didn't hurt when I was skiing, which I attribute to the strong ski boots and the snow. Overall, it was a great trip, even if I accidentally doused my french fries with Chili Sauce. Baka

At night we decided to head to Mos Burger (It has been a while).　Little　did we know that the 12th of March is national Mos Day. Not only did I get a Mos cheeseburger set, but also a box which contained a pot, some soil and some seeds that might grow into petunias. Or a magical plant that grows Mos Burgers. Either way, I'm watering it to see what happens.

Wednesday was White Day, so after work I went to Toyota to surprise my girlfriend Tsuna with some chocolates and ice cream. I had already given her something for Valentine's, so she wasn't expecting anything. I did come close to giving her a heart attack, but it was totally worth it :-) On Thursday I left Toyota early to go and have my last Japanese class for the term. In the last half hour the teacher showed Sarah and I how to do Ikebana (flower arranging). It is a long and very important Japanese tradition, but it didn't stop Sarah and I to use our branches and makeshift fencing swords and whack each other.

Finally, Saturday night was St Patricks Day. After work a number of friends met up in Nagoya to go to Peat's Irish Bar. The Guinness was warm and a lot of people had to leave before midnight, but I still think we put in a good effort.

So, what did you do this week Rion? :P

-Blake

Photos and spell check forthcoming