Some Mountain Pictures

Was going through my iphone pictures earlier and this came up from a hike up in the Minami Alps in early October. Quite late for a hump up Kita-dake, so it became very cold under some fierce winds late night an early morning; but the hike down threw these streams on the side of the mountain made the trip worth it. The water right at this point was pure (tested) and delicious. This was the last hike of the season since I stopped earlier than normal this year, but am looking forward to an early start next year. Fuji-san is now pure white from just above the 1,000 meter level, so won't be attempting Tanzawa's Tono-dake any time soon. However, a gradual climb may not be so bad even in the snow, and may find my way out to Kumotoriyama some time around the turn of the year.

Here is a picture from last fall up on Kumotoriyama at about 12 mid-night when I could not sleep. When I climb I generally tend to go to bed earlier than normal, but the Japanese 'rule' to sleep within an hour after sun down and wake up and pack at 5 am just does not work for me. I generally prefer to stay up until about 9 or 10 pm then wake up slow; especially when it's cold and bitter - to build up the courage to crawl out of the sleeping bag.

Cheers! NH2GX / JG1FXZ