Well, this explains why we didn't bump into you on top of Mount Iwaki today! It was windy, cloudy, damp and cold ... but great fun! However, I think I used up my adrenalin quota for the week - no maybe the month - when one of our party went over the edge near the summit. I saw it all and was the first to reach him but was jolly glad a few of the men got there speedily as he was considerably heavier than I and seemed in very real danger of sliding down the mountain despite my tight grip on his wrist. (I was rather glad not to have many seconds to contemplate whether I would let go in that instance!)
He was "rescued" by the Mt. Iwaki patrol who had been just finishing up their garbage pick-up mission but had hung around to see us down safe when they saw Daughter #3 going up in flip-flops. She had no trouble at all but after the accident we were all escorted down the mountain by members of the patrol. And as the only Japanese speaker at the head of the line I was lectured on proper foot care and mountain etiquette all the way down.
Now its my husband's ambition to join the Mount Iwaki Patrol. 
Wow. It sounds like you had an action-packed day. My question is - where did he drop off? Was he alright? I'm assuming you climbed the Ajigasawa route, which I've never done, so I can't picture the dangers, but from your description of the event I'm thinking maybe it was the Akakura trail. Send me an email if you want, because I'd like to know more.
Cheers.
How does climbing Iwaki compare to Kitadake Luke, in terms of difficulty?
Iwaki is easier, there's little doubt about that. When I climbed Kita dake I took too much gear with me, which weighed me down, but the climb from Hirogawara to the peak is more in altitude than Iwaki, so even without all the gear it's still a longer trek. With Iwaki, you start at around 380m and it's 1625m at the top.
You can do Iwaki in around three hours. Most people take up to four, but I imagine with you hiking most weekends you should be able to crank it up a gear or two.
If you're thinking of Tohoku mountains, Tom, I'd seriously recommend Iwate. I'm thinking of going back at some point to see if I can approach it from the west side. It's got everything a big mountain should have, such as good water supplies, a good hut to stay at and amazing views from the top.
If you're up this way though, and if you want a nice one-dayer, let me know in advance and I can be your guide for the day.
Commenting by HaloScan
