Snailwalkers

After a week of retro carbloading (is that a thing..?) I finally feel strong enough to write up our experiences of the 2010 Oxfam Japan Trailwalker. In case you hadn’t heard, all 4 Snailwalkers finished in 42 hours 28 minutes. Considering the weather and conditions, we’re all pretty ecstatic with that result.

After 100km and [...]

Snow on Sakura
Winters softly exhaled death
quickly melting – gone!

In honor of Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, everyone’s favorite repressed homosexual, a camping trip should surely be in order.

I love camping. Ive never really thought about why, but a 2-day climb up to Kumotori-yama (for the second time in a month) gave me plenty of opportunity to think about that. I mean – is it really sane to enjoy strapping 15 kilos to your back, compressing [...]

The second long hike in one weekend… Completed this training hike last Sunday  after doing Tanzawa-san with Jordan and Joe on the Saturday.  The hikes are coming in quicker than I can bother to write them up these days so will just put up the stats and photos to tell the story.

When: Sunday [...]

A second visit to Tanzawa-san, a different route this time to keep the magic alive, and my first hike with Jordan “Keen Bean” Fisher. Also joining us Joe, also from team “Never Ever”.

It was a good day for a hike, the absence of rain taking us all by surprise after  a lot of hiking recently in miserable [...]

Statistics are like bikinis.  What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.  ~Aaron Levenstein

Its about 2 months since we decided to participate in the Oxfam Japan 2010 trailwalker, and we have only 3 weekends left between now and the big event.

<pun-alert>So – who’s in peak condition? Who’s trailing behind? Who’s facing mountain criticism [...]

A special event for the long  weekend, a 2-day epic to the highest point in Tokyo, Kumotori-san (or is that Kumotori-yama..?).  A great weekend training, with plenty of uphill slogs for the first day, more uppy-downy stuff  on day 2, finishing with 3hours  of downhill endurance. Weather was surprisingly pleasant, and despite an incredible storm on the [...]

It’s time to tackle the old nemesis again –  Kumotori-san (2018m). Been here before, but this time I’ve got crampons and a GPS. 33 km over a day and a half – promises to be good training, and a lot of fun.

Kumotori-san route

Heres the target boys and girls… 40 hours to the finish. Come on, how hard can that be…

When: Sat 14th Mar 2010

Snailwalkers: Paul W

NeverAgain’s: Andy, Joe (“the marathon men”)

Other Snailwalkers excuses:

Tights in the wash (Arita-san)
Rescuing relationship after gore-tex jacket girlfriend birthday present fail (Simon)
Needed some quality time with twitter (Paul M)

Where: CP7 to Finish

Distance: 22 km (longer than the officially posted 20km due to slightly lost detour and walk to onsen)

Moving time: [...]