Comments on: Valiant efforts were made http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/ Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:09:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: OE http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/comment-page-1/#comment-29358 OE Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:12:43 +0000 http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/#comment-29358 Ah...natsukashii... Ah…natsukashii…

]]> By: cjw http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/comment-page-1/#comment-1978 cjw Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:14:34 +0000 http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/#comment-1978 Hey Butuki - the weather was too horrible on the second night to even contemplate a bivy. And after the bourbon, you're thinking "it's only Y2000 for sudomari".... Hey Butuki – the weather was too horrible on the second night to even contemplate a bivy. And after the bourbon, you’re thinking “it’s only Y2000 for sudomari”….

]]> By: butuki http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/comment-page-1/#comment-1964 butuki Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:06:28 +0000 http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/#comment-1964 Two days in awful weather in bivies... sounds utterly delightful! But then Brits love having tea and crumpets picnics in crummy weather... Just glad you made it back in one piece. Two days in awful weather in bivies… sounds utterly delightful!
But then Brits love having tea and crumpets picnics in crummy weather…

Just glad you made it back in one piece.

]]> By: cjw http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/comment-page-1/#comment-1939 cjw Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:44:52 +0000 http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/#comment-1939 Thanks Tom - at least the weather can't get worse. Or can it? Thanks Tom – at least the weather can’t get worse. Or can it?

]]> By: Tom http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/comment-page-1/#comment-1930 Tom Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:07:53 +0000 http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/#comment-1930 Wow, a valiant effort indeed! At least it provided me with a fantastic read, as always. Thanks for the return link, hope you get better weather this weekend! Wow, a valiant effort indeed!
At least it provided me with a fantastic read, as always. Thanks for the return link, hope you get better weather this weekend!

]]> By: cjw http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/comment-page-1/#comment-1924 cjw Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:03:54 +0000 http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/#comment-1924 Good call, Kirt! The galling thing was that we knew Tuesday would see better weather, and today better still... Let's hope this weekend holds good! Good call, Kirt! The galling thing was that we knew Tuesday would see better weather, and today better still… Let’s hope this weekend holds good!

]]> By: Kirt Cathey http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/comment-page-1/#comment-1921 Kirt Cathey Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:23:11 +0000 http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/#comment-1921 You re-confirmed my decision to cancel hiking into the mountains this weekend. Thanks again for the great write-up. You re-confirmed my decision to cancel hiking into the mountains this weekend. Thanks again for the great write-up.

]]> By: cjw http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/comment-page-1/#comment-1920 cjw Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:23:08 +0000 http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/#comment-1920 C-Chan: your warning was greatly appreciated, at least we knew what we were heading into that day! The manager at the Senjo hut was great, he really made everyone (even Giants supporters) feel very welcome. Wes: a wise decision to stay away. My companion was flying in from Hong Kong for the trip, so we were tied to that weekend and decided to take a bet on good weather following the typhoon (which seems to have happened, but 3 days late). Still, as Mark Twight said, "It doesn't have to be fun to be fun".. Julian: the lack of other people up there was one redeeming feature. We met just one person on the ridge (just below O-senjo) - he must have set out from the hut around 2pm, and was planning to bivy if he didn't make it to Ryomata. I hope he made the hut, as it was an awful night. Captain: funnily enough, I used exactly the same phrase during the trip. To which my companion replied "There's a fine line between character building and soul destroying"... We got chatting to the taxi drivers at Hirogawara about bears. Despite last year's cull, their number does not seem to have diminished - the general consensus was that they were breeding faster than ever and with greater survival rates for their young (bears, not taxi drivers). But this seems to be putting pressure on food sources and pushing both bears and deer further up the mountains, and I imagine also closer to residential areas. We sighted a deer just below the summit of Kitadake, which solved the puzzle of why there were chewed pine cones all over the mountain. Having read of Yamanoi-san's exploits on Gyachung Kang (http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP02/climbing-notes-gyachung), I sense the bears might have picked the wrong person to mess with. C-Chan: your warning was greatly appreciated, at least we knew what we were heading into that day! The manager at the Senjo hut was great, he really made everyone (even Giants supporters) feel very welcome.

Wes: a wise decision to stay away. My companion was flying in from Hong Kong for the trip, so we were tied to that weekend and decided to take a bet on good weather following the typhoon (which seems to have happened, but 3 days late). Still, as Mark Twight said, “It doesn’t have to be fun to be fun”..

Julian: the lack of other people up there was one redeeming feature. We met just one person on the ridge (just below O-senjo) – he must have set out from the hut around 2pm, and was planning to bivy if he didn’t make it to Ryomata. I hope he made the hut, as it was an awful night.

Captain: funnily enough, I used exactly the same phrase during the trip. To which my companion replied “There’s a fine line between character building and soul destroying”…

We got chatting to the taxi drivers at Hirogawara about bears. Despite last year’s cull, their number does not seem to have diminished – the general consensus was that they were breeding faster than ever and with greater survival rates for their young (bears, not taxi drivers). But this seems to be putting pressure on food sources and pushing both bears and deer further up the mountains, and I imagine also closer to residential areas. We sighted a deer just below the summit of Kitadake, which solved the puzzle of why there were chewed pine cones all over the mountain.

Having read of Yamanoi-san’s exploits on Gyachung Kang (http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP02/climbing-notes-gyachung), I sense the bears might have picked the wrong person to mess with.

]]> By: Captain Interesting http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/comment-page-1/#comment-1914 Captain Interesting Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:38:53 +0000 http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/#comment-1914 Julian: just read the Yahoo news item about the bear attack on the famous mountaineer Yamanoi-san: thanks for pointing it out. My attention was arrested by two things - how close the bears were to Yamanoi's residence. (Next thing we know, our ursine cousins will be riding the Yamanote line.) Secondly, just how many fingers and toes Mr and Mrs Yamanoi have lost during their high-altitude adventures. That reminds me, I need to go out and get a better pair of gloves.... Julian: just read the Yahoo news item about the bear attack on the famous mountaineer Yamanoi-san: thanks for pointing it out.

My attention was arrested by two things – how close the bears were to Yamanoi’s residence. (Next thing we know, our ursine cousins will be riding the Yamanote line.) Secondly, just how many fingers and toes Mr and Mrs Yamanoi have lost during their high-altitude adventures. That reminds me, I need to go out and get a better pair of gloves….

]]> By: Captain Interesting http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/comment-page-1/#comment-1913 Captain Interesting Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:58:48 +0000 http://i-cjw.com/blog/2008/09/23/valiant-efforts-were-made/#comment-1913 Hmm, maybe there's something about the Southern Alps - after nearly being washed off Kita-dake in a typhoon - and then having all the gear frozen solid in the ensuing clear night - I explained to my Japanese companions about the concept of a "character-forming" trip. Sounds like you just had one too. Great write-up, very vivid, and I particularly like the photo of the wood... Hmm, maybe there’s something about the Southern Alps – after nearly being washed off Kita-dake in a typhoon – and then having all the gear frozen solid in the ensuing clear night – I explained to my Japanese companions about the concept of a “character-forming” trip. Sounds like you just had one too. Great write-up, very vivid, and I particularly like the photo of the wood…

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