Sapporodake Hiking Trip

By George Wang

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As a school that loves the outdoors, we organise multiple trips across the school year to places around Hokkaido. On September 19th and September 20th, some of our high school students ventured to Sapporodake, one of the highest peaks in Sapporo. This was a one-day hike where we hiked the same way up and down.

As soon as we arrived at the trail entrance, we were greeted by a sign saying the last bear sighting was only a few days prior. That scared some of us. But Huskies persevere. The first part of this trail was within forests, with trees beside the tall paths and full of leaves, covering the sunlight and giving a mysterious vibe. To the left of the trail was a never-ending strand of bushes, and to the right was a steep valley leading to a stream; with the narrow trail at most parts being only about one person's width, we were wary of not slipping and sliding down this valley.

After some time to rest and wait for slower students who were further behind, we reached a wooden cabin. There, we rested, taking in the fresh air, waiting for the rest to catch up. After leaving the cabin, we realized we had entered a different mountain. Right from the start, it was steep, probably around 50 degrees. Plus, the rocks that slipped and tripped us tested our endurance. People played at the front of the group carried a portable speaker, playing music to energize us for the rest of the climb up.

The top of the mountain had a fantastic view. There was a small cliff that we could sit on hanging over the trees below. Sitting on that cliff felt like an experience only seen in movies. From that height, it was as if we were looking through the eyes of god. Sapporo, the city we live in every day and remember as so lively and vibrant, is now only a static piece of art so small you could cover it with your whole hand. Buildings of any height looked like pieces of a puzzle. Trees, many times the height of one of us, are now far below and waving at us to the rhythm of the wind, so close together that they just looked like a blanket covering what was hiding beneath it. You could not tell any figures of people because they were just so small in the image.

Some weeks after the hike, when I was writing this article, I recalled this image of seeing the city as static and peopleless. It calmed me to think of all my problems and worries. You could always zoom out — zoom out to a perspective where you don’t matter, and find that you are only a tiny part of a big functioning puzzle. The best you can do as a piece of this puzzle is to enjoy life and savour the good memories you have made!