Oxfam Trailwalker Japan 2010: Snakes and Ladders

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 [...]

April

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

Camptastic (and Training hike #11)

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 [...]

Training hike #10: Okutama

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.

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Training #9: Tanzawa-san (again)

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 [...]

Snailwalkers training league: update

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 [...]

Training hike #7: Kumotori-san

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 [...]

Training hike #7: Kumotori-san (Planned route)

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

2010 Oxfam Japan 100Km Trailwalker – Snailwalkers – Split Time Plan

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

Training hike #6

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 [...]