Last weekend, I went mountain climbing to Yatsugatake in Nagano for the first time. In fact it was also my first overnight mountain trip and staying at a lodge. 4 of us took an early morning train from Shinjuku to Chino City to meet up with 3 others.

Here are our boots, still without any mud.

We climbed up to the mountain lodge on the first day. It was rainy but this first part was not too long — under 3 hours. We took it easy for the afternoon, chatting, cooking, and doing some stretch (2 of the girls in the group were yoga/pirates trainers).

The lights were out by 8:30 PM and most of us woke up at 5, while I slept in until 5:30, to get ready. On the trail, there were still some snow and ice.

It rained quite a bit on the first day but the weather was just perfect for the second day.

And here’s a photo of myself at the top of Higashi-Tengudake. The view and the air were amazing.

The photos and text can only describe some of the great experience that I had. I can’t wait for the next chance to get out and do this again.

More photos on Flickr: Yatsugatake