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吾妻山 征服 II |
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吾妻山 征服 II |
English |
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2005 年2月14日 月曜日 午前 5:15. ついに待ちに待っていた念願の日がやってきました。 ジョンと良き友人であり忠実なシェルパでもあり、地元では“偉大なる後閑”として知られている後閑さんが、群馬県桐生で最高峰の吾妻山に再度チャレンジする日です。 |
| 藤沢は、地図 "Yokohama"のKのあたり |
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| ジョン と ヒロミ （自宅前） | 藤沢 - ハッピーなパチンコ猿 |
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| 藤沢駅周辺 | 横浜 どこかの神社の鳥居 | 格好良い電車- これには乗っていない | |||
早々に天気と荷物をチャックして、6時14分発バスに乗るために、急いで肌寒い朝の中を出かけました。 小田急の急行に乗って、代々木上原で営団地下鉄千代田線に乗り換え、北千住で東武りょうもう号に乗り、 一路桐生へ！ |
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| 桐生市 産業文化会館 |
ジョン と 後閑さん |
吾妻山を背景に - ヒロミの父 | |||
10:30 桐生着。山々に囲まれた、絹織物で有名だった街です。 今はパチンコ台機械メーカーや自動車部品産業にとり変わって、悲しいけど活気の無い状態です。 ここに1940年代からの英語クラブが存続しており、現会長が後閑さんです。 ここで我々が出会い、運命的な共通点を発見しました。それは誕生日, 2月17日,が同じだったのです。 |
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| ジョン、危ない！落ちる〜！ | ヒロミ、二十歳の時の着物で | 吾妻山の下り坂 | |||
Kiryu has a new program wherein visitors such as myself are provided free transportation in the form of loaner bicycles, sporting large signs that proclaim that the rider is using a free bicycle, provided courtesy of the fine City of Kiryu. The embarrassment of carrying around the big sign is offset by the thought of all the money I would save! I availed myself of this new service, and headed for the local ofuro, or public bathhouse to complete my morning ablutions. |
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| ヒロミ と ヨーコ |
什一の不足に腹を立てている鬼 | なかなか手ごたえがある山だ！ |
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After the bath and a hurried lunch of curry-rice, I explored the town for a while, advertising the courteous bicycle lending service, arriving at Gokan's office at 2:30pm. With great trepidation we reviewed our bold plan to assault the summit of the fabled peak, then sallied forth to the jumping-off point. This was it, there was no turning back, and we began the ascent. |
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| 自動販売機 熱いも冷たいも |
Gokan takes a call |
雪景色の新桐生駅 東武線 急行 りょうもう号 |
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Each step up the jagged rock-strewn trail was like a stab of pain, but we bravely pressed on to the top, arriving at the apex just before dusk. What a magnificent view and sense of accomplishment! We had done it! Azumayama is now just another mountain, waiting for the tourists to queue up for the exercise. |
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| 小沢さん,信頼する友人 | 後閑さんのペット 臆病ポンスケ | 後閑さんの家から、夕暮れ風景 | |||
| The next day we would take Gokan-san's faithful SUV to another peak, Akagiyama to while away a pleasant hour or so at the Shakunage onsen. I call it "shark nuggets"...it is just easier to remember. Our mutual friend Ozawa-san joined us and we had a great time, even stopping to enjoy some Japanese macha (green tea) flavored ice cream, nature's most perfect food. | |||||
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| 群馬の山々 | 後閑さんとジョン 登り口 | 吾妻山の "いいおじちゃんたち" | |||
| We arrived back in Kiryu in time for the English club meeting which featured stirring commentary from Lady Arwen and other luminaries such as Momose-sensei (the famous eye-doctor) and Kaneko-san, the famous scion of a local businessman now assigned to oblivion, at least for me. Most of the world's problems were reviewed and resolved in that single meeting! But was CNN there? NO!! | |||||
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| Gokan prepares sneak attack of infamy |
しゃくなげ温泉 |
吾妻山頂上の展望 |
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| After the meeting, we relaxed at Denny's restaurant with more ice cream (nature's most perfect food) and then retired to Gokan's estate perched on the side of Gokanyama, named after my faithful sherpa and guide. At 4:30am the whole mountain shook with a ferocious earthquake that roughly roused me from my slumber. I tried sorting out my options, but before any conclusion was reached, the earth returned to normal, the house remained on the side of the mountain, and I went back to sleep. The next morning the whole world was white with snow, which was coming down in large white billows. It was beautiful...Gokan's house has a fabulous vista. | |||||
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| Jジョン 61歳 |
後閑さん 55歳 (オクラホマのキャップ) |
夕暮れの吾妻山 |
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| Gokan's wife displayed the hospitality for which Japan is well-known. She is a great cook and speaks pretty good English. Her home is immaculate and beautifully decorated. But you have to take off your shoes, because that is Japanese custom. It explains why the Japanese are always running and have no extra time. they spend it putting on and taking off their shoes! | |||||
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| 後閑さん夫婦 |
たび重なる危険 |
後閑さんのご近所の家 | |||
| After returning the bicycle to the post office, I jumped the Limited Express back to Tokyo and onward to Fujisawa in time to teach our Wednesday night class. Little did the students realize that underneath the shy and reserved demeanor of John, their beloved bible teacher, beats the heart of one who had met and bested the magnificent and mysterious mountain known as Azumayama. | |||||
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| 火曜クラスのいたずらっ子たち | 藤沢本町駅、駐輪場のひとつ | 藤沢に無事到着 | |||
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