Like all great stories there must be conflict. And as with this story there is no shortage of that. I'm sure by now some of you have seen images of the pain and have heard inklings of the suffering. These are all merely just scratches upon the deeper agony that was Hakusan.
It started out well enough. The expressway was clear and the moon was out as we left Osaka towards Ishikawa. After a few stops we pulled in to Ishikawa and started our aｓcent of Hakusan in our little Nissan Note. As we climbed higher we encountered a lingering fog which was dense at times and at others, lifted to reveal a sharp edge of a road which, if unskillfully maneuvered, would lead to a cold, quick death. Thanks to Juliens' reliable driving we made it to the top without a hitch. As we settled in for the night, all one could do was imagine the glory of reaching the top of this famous mountain.
Although I awoke at 4am, everyone else did not seem to feel the same urgency and thusly arose at about 7:30am. After packing everything away and having a light meal we started on what we believed would be a three day sojourn. Our first night on the mountain was planned to be the most difficult as there would be no 小屋 (koya - a small cabin) to provide some insurance against the possibilities of bad weather. However the weather report mentioned only passing rain and the tents we had brought should have been enough.
The seven hour hike was nice enough that day. It was a bright day but with just enough clouds to block out the dreaded August sun. We made a leisurely time of it. Stopped when we wanted, had a long lunch, no need to rush cause we had more than a fair amount of time to reach our destination.
It was exactly 4:30pm when we reached the designated location. Ideally it wasn't the best place to pitch a tent. We were near the top of a peak, ｻｻ (sasa - bamboo grass) everywhere and no real protection from the elements. Also the wildlife was starting to get a little too familiar. By wildlife I mean insects. All kinds, ants, bees, flies, mosquitoes. And by familiar I mean swarming.
After making the necessary sleeping preparations we all started in on the food. Unfortunately I had slightly underpacked on the food department and was left to depend on the kindness of my hiking mates. The mosquitoes at this point were more than anyone could handle so we all settled in for an early night.
Falling asleep quicker than I could have imagined, I was awakened just as promptly by the sound of rain falling upon the tent and Makoa's voice saying, "Scott, I think there's a puddle forming under us. You should check it out." After assuring myself that things wouldn't be so bad I settled back in only to be awakened again by Makoa. "You should really check to see if your sleeping bag is getting wet", he said. It was 12:30am. I looked over at Makoa. He was crouching holding his knees in his arms. He had already folded up his sleeping bag to protect it against any further wetness. I did as he said and felt under my sleeping bag. Amazingly the top of my sleeping bag was dry but under it was a massive puddle of water and it was only getting bigger. Like the captain of a sinking ship, I decided that maybe it was time to abandon it. Yelling, above the the thrashing rain, we asked our hiking mates for sanctuary in their dry tent. "Julien. Josh. Hey, we are abandoning ship. We're coming over ok?", I said. It was more than a question, more like a request, however there was no reply. Finally I said, "Hey, we cant stay in this tent anymore we're coming over." All I got was, "Ok, wait, hold on a minute..." as a reply. What could they have possibly been doing to make us wait in these circumstances, I wondered. Anyway, we waited our allotted minute and headed over.
It was a long night. Four guys, bent and twisted into a tent made for a maximum of two. Daylight couldn't come quick enough.
Our goal to reach the peak would not come to fruition this time. Due to the weather we decided to turn back. It hasn't been the first time this mountain has discouraged a mountaineer from the summit and it would not be the last. However, this isn't to say that this summit will not be conquered. It is only time that separates that vision from reality. Like all great stories there must be conflict. However, there also must be a resolution to that conflict. I am anxiously waiting for the chance.
