Cloud sea, Yakushi-dake, Japan

Back story: onehundredmountains.blogspot.com/2008/03/snows-of-yestery...

Tags:   mountains japan hyakumeizan one hundred mountains of japan japan alps yakushi 百名山 深田久弥 cloud cloud sea unkai 雲海 GoldStarAward TheUnforgettablePictures Olympus OM2n Kodachrome ASA 64

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Torii in the sky, Mt Fuji, Fujinomiya slope, Japan

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Oku-Hodaka, December sunrise

Now with added B l a c k M a g i c

By the outbreak of the second world war, most of Hodaka's ridges, faces, and gullies had been explored. As Matsukata Saburô wrote, "Some nook or corner of the mountain still concealed a narrow ledge, a dance floor for a tengu, defended by sheer precipices on three sides and backed by a cliff, inaccessible to all but the true alpine adept. And, if you could only get there, the edelweiss would be blooming in sheets all around. Those were the kind of day-dreams we indulged in." Yet only a mountain on the sheer scale of Hodaka could harbour dreams like these.

After the war came the era of winter climbing. Climbing parties converged on those frozen faces during the New Year holidays, subjecting them to relentless assaults. At last unclimbed lines became sparse even for winter ascents.

Winter climbing takes its annual toll. Kosaka Otohiko and Uozu Kyôta are two more names, albeit fictional ones, in a roll that will never end. And with its cruel beauty the mountain will continue to lure men to their doom.

- Fukada Kyuya "One Hundred Mountains of Japan"

See blog at: onehundredmountains.blogspot.com/2008/01/hodaka-in-winter...

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Sunset at Oku-Hodaka hut

Now with added B l a c k M a g i c

See blog at: onehundredmountains.blogspot.com/2008/01/hodaka-in-winter...

Tags:   japan alps winter hyakumeizan mountains climbing takidani snow ice captain interesting mountain berg montagne 百名山

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Rock tower, Japan Northern Alps


Backstory on Captain's Blog: onehundredmountains.blogspot.com/2008/06/crack-babies.html

Tags:   mountain mountains japan hodaka takidani clouds yarigatake captain interesting hyakumeizan AnAwesomeShot

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