Daisetsuzan Hiking Trip

On September 14th, some of our high school students went on an overnight hiking trip to Asahidake, the tallest mountain in Hokkaido. This trip was one of the choices for the Huskies Green Week, and as Mr.Piazza, the outdoor pursuits teacher, describes it, it is one that we will remember for a lifetime.

Arriving on the night of the 14th, we had a good night's sleep. At 4 o'clock, we woke up and headed straight for the gondola after breakfast. Asahidake Mountain is 2,291 meters above sea level and is located inside the Daisetsuzan National Park, the biggest national park in Hokkaido. We took a gondola ride that offered stunning views halfway up the first mountain. 

Once we got off the gondola, the crisp air of high altitude immersed us, and the real adventure started. The paths that guided us to the top of the mountain were smooth at first but quickly became steep. Uneven rocks, wet sand, and dry air were some of our many challenges. As we were climbing, we often thought we were about to get to the top but only to find that it was just a ridge on the mountainside. Mr Piazza also kindly reminded us not to twist our ankles because that would mean we wouldn’t continue the hike, and a helicopter would have to escort us out, making everyone extra careful about their foot placement. 

Nature's beauty surrounded us—towering cliffs and vibrant greenery often forced us to look up from our feet to snap photos and save memories. After some time, we reached a wooden pole marking “2,096M" — the mountain top. Some of us thought this was the Asahidake mountain and were very surprised by how easy the hike was compared to our expectations, so when Mr Piazza said this was not the Asahidake and we still had quite a long way to go, we were all starstruck.

The side of the mountain we climbed up had a very different view from the side where we descended. The first was full of trees so close to each other that even if you tried, you couldn’t tell if it was gazillions of trees altogether or just one big bush; the latter, though, was almost the exact opposite, with little to no trees, just rocks and short shrubs. This was probably due to the intense wind we were feeling as we hiked down the first peak - the wind was so strong that it made it harsh for greenery to exist. 

This wind that seemed to come from nowhere stayed with us for the rest of the hike. Many times, we felt like it could blow us off our feet. Mr Rankin says that when we go home after this long expedition, the sound of the winds will stay in our ears even when we sleep. This sure was the case for me.

We reached summit after summit, and it didn’t feel like that long when we reached the peak of the Asahidake at 2,290 meters. Everybody was exhausted, but simultaneously, the descent to the Kuro-dake ropeway presented its challenges with loose gravel, steep drops, and careful navigation. Yet the shared laughter, the competition to reach the destination first, and the Onsen spotting kept our spirits high. The Daisetsuzan hiking trip was more than a hike; it was a memorable experience that taught us about perseverance and the beauty of nature. Though we faced the temptation to quit after realising we weren’t just climbing one mountain, we persevered and reached the end, rewarded by the breathtaking view from the top of Asahidake. Hopefully, we will see more of these beautiful sights as we move forward and continue to live out our theme of kaizen.