Dialogue with Nature #07 Dialogue with Nature #07

「雪を踏む音 - 北横岳」鈴木優香 The sound of tramping snow - Kitayokodake - Yuka Suzuki

アイゼンで雪を踏み締める音が聞こえる。いくつかの足音が近づいたり離れたりしながら、それぞれが良いと思うところで立ち止まり、再びそれぞれのペースで歩き始める。分岐や景色が開けた場所では自然と合流して、”寒い”とか”きれい”などと短い言葉を交わす。

I can hear the sound of crampons tramping on snow. The sound of people’s footsteps drawing near and drifting away, stopping on some good spots, and walking again at their own pace. When passing by junctions or when a scenery comes up, we exchange short words with each other like “It’s cold” or “It’s beautiful.”

山に雪が積もり始めると、まずは北横岳に行って足慣らしをしようということになる。それは冬山を始めてからずっと変わらない恒例行事のようなもので、今まで幾度となくこの山に登ってきた。

When the snow piles up in the mountains, the first thing I do is to practice by climbing up Kitayokodake. I have climbed this mountain several times, and this has been my usual routine ever since I started climbing mountains in the winter.

この日はよく晴れていて、足元には前の晩に降った新雪が煌めいていた。坪庭を抜けると、針葉樹の立ち並ぶ樹林帯に入る。ジグザグに造られた道を上がっていくと、樹々の間から縞枯山が見える。

This day was very sunny, and I could see the fresh snow from last night shimmering on my foot. Passing through Tsuboniwa, we entered the forest lined with coniferous trees. Once we have climbed up the zigzag path, we saw Mt. Shimakare through the trees.

北横岳ヒュッテで休憩をしてから、傾斜のある道をもう少し進む。樹林帯が唐突に途切れるとすぐに南峰の山頂である。ここでは南八ヶ岳の山々を見渡すことができ、さらに歩いた先にある北峰では眼前に蓼科山が聳える。後方には雪を被った北アルプスの山々。山頂からの景色がこんなにもはっきりと見えたのは初めてのことである。

After taking a break at the hut in Kitayokodake hutte, we trailed a little further along the sloped path. You will know when you have reached the summit of Nanpou at the end of the forest. Here, you can see the extensive view of the Minami Yatsugatake Mountain Range and if you walk further until Kitamine, you will see the towering Mt. Tateshina right before your eyes. Behind that is the Northern Alps, where you can see it covered in snow. This is the first time I’ve seen this view clearly from the summit.

来た道を戻り再び樹林帯に入ると、風の音は遠のいて、静けさが辺りを包む。頭上の樹々から粉雪が舞って輝くと、ふと、これまでにこの道を歩いた日の記憶がはらはらと頭に降りてきた。

As we went back from the route we came from and entered the forest, the sound of the wind faded away, and we were enveloped with silence. As the fine snow danced and sparkled from the trees overhead, memories of the days I had walked this way before suddenly fluttered down into my mind.

あるときは吹雪で前が見えず、あるときは長い縦走を経てふらふらと疲れきっていた。けれど、どれもが良い日だった。お互いの足音を確かめ合いながら、短い言葉を交わした。共に山に登ること、同じ景色を共有すること。それだけで素晴らしい出来事である。今でも山行を共にする人もいれば、それきりになってしまった人もいるが、少しでもこの山のことを覚えてくれていたらいいと思う。

There was a time when a blizzard came and I couldn’t see what’s in front of me, and there was also a time when I was completely exhausted after a long traverse, but either way, both were such good days. Exchanging brief words and checking on each other’s footsteps, climbing together and sharing the same sceneries, that itself was a wonderful experience. There are some people I still go climbing with even now, while others I haven’t seen since, but I do hope all of them would still remember the memories in this mountain even just for a little.

よく晴れたこの日のことも、いつか思い出すときが来るだろうか。北横岳へ向かう同じ道の上で。

Will I ever remember the clear skies today? Walking on the same path towards Kitayokodake.

山頂で被ってそのままにしていたフードを脱ぐと、アイゼンで雪を踏み締める音が遠くで聞こえた。私もそれを追うようにして山を下りた。

I took off my hood that I had on when I was at the summit, and when I heard the sound of crampons tramping on snow from the distance, I followed it and began to descend.

【今回歩いたコース】
北八ヶ岳ロープウェイ山頂駅〜北横岳ヒュッテ〜北横岳（2,480m）〜縞枯山荘〜山頂駅
コースタイム：約3時間
https://www.kitayatu.jp/trekking/

【Our route this time】
Kitayatsugatake Ropeway Sancho Station → Kitayokodake hutte → Kitayokodake (2,480m) → Shimakaresansou → Kitayatsugatake Ropeway Sancho Station
Course time: Approximately 3 hours
https://www.kitayatu.jp/trekking/

【今回着用したアイテム】
[Base layer] W 260 TECH LS CREWE
[Base layer] W 260 TECH LEGGINGS

【Items worn】
[Base layer] W 260 TECH LS CREWE
[Base layer] W 260 TECH LEGGINGS

【プロフィール】
鈴木優香
山岳収集家。大学院卒業後はアウトドアメーカーに入社し、商品企画・デザインを手がける。2016年に独立し、山で見た景色をハンカチに仕立ててゆくプロジェクト「MOUNTAIN COLLECTOR」を開始。山と旅をライフワークとしながら、写真・デザイン・執筆などを通じた表現活動を続けている。
www.mountaincollector.com

【Profile】
Yuka Suzuki
After graduating from graduate school, she joined an outdoor manufacturer, where she worked on product planning and design, before going independent in 2016 and starting her own project, "MOUNTAIN COLLECTOR," in which she makes handkerchiefs from the scenery she sees in the mountains. She continues to express herself through photography, design, and writing, with mountains and travel as her life's work.
www.mountaincollector.com