Chase the chance

The end of the year is coming so if you are still waiting for the chance it may be time to “chase the chance” instead. One month to go!

The pandemic prevented us from traveling abroad, and I thought it might be a good idea to start mountaineering in Japan, like my younger sister does every week. Being in touch with nature will have a positive impact on my mind.

So, I asked my sister, “Take me to the mountains!” And she took me to two mountains in early summer this year. Thanks to the effect of going to the gym every day, I was able to climb the mountains in standard time. Then I started working on my leg muscles even more at the gym for the next mountain.

However, after that, she did not invite me to go climbing at all. She continues to climb mountains, though. Then, at the end of the summer, the truth came out. My mother said, “She said you were a drag on her.” I exclaimed for a moment, but that must be true, compared to a climber of 20 years. Besides, I didn’t pay my sister. I thought it might be better to pay to have a professional teach me, so I immediately took the orientation for the mountain climbing class on Zoom and made a reservation for the session on Mt. Takao. Then I bought some autumn mountaineering clothes and a 30-liter rucksack, and finally, I became a Montbell member.

Only two days to go until the mountaineering class. The attendant called me. She told me that the weather was going to be bad and it was going to be cold that day, so I should bring something warm to drink. I felt that if my first mountaineering class was wet and cold, I would dislike mountaineering, so I had no choice but to call and cancel the day before.

It would be better if it was today… No. Why not today? if I go to Mt. Takao, I can make it in the afternoon. After my daily online English conversation class, I decided to pack my light yellow rucksack and head for Mt. Takao in a hurry!

On the train, I looked up mountain trails. It’s easy to have someone take me out, but it won’t add to my knowledge and wisdom, so I think it’s good to go on my own.

When I arrived at Mt. Takao, I was surprised to find it as crowded as Disneyland. So I bought a return ticket for the ropeway. When I got off the ropeway, I could now see the queue for the return trip. I started climbing Path 3, off the main route.

I walked fast along the narrow path carpeted with orange leaves. My mid-cut shoes, which I hadn’t worn in a while, seemed to be happy. I was in good condition, so I tried running on the carpet. I felt refreshed. If it had been a mountaineering class, running in the forest would have been out of the question. There was a bit of a steep hill to get to the summit, but I made it to the top in about 40 minutes. There were hardly any people on Path 3, but when I reached the summit, it was crowded like Disneyland again. I only ate a rice ball and immediately started my descent.

At the end of Path 3, I planned to take the ropeway, but at the junction, I met a group of elderly ladies and asked, “Is the ropeway that way?” And she suggested to me, “Why don’t you go straight down?” If they were going down too, it wouldn’t take too long. Finally, I was down the mountain in 65 minutes. I did it before sunset! Easy Peasy.

I was not the only one, I passed some people who were climbing mountains alone. If I were alone, I would not be called a drag on someone anymore. And first of all, I’m going to enjoy beating my personal best. Anyway, thanks to my younger sister for helping me with the first steps of climbing mountains.