miscellany, etcetera, and survival tips
from the mind of the indeterminately fine Graeme Lottering
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Heaven and Hell
Last weekend I climbed Tateyama, the second highest mountain in Japan. We had to take a cable car up to the top. From there we took a bus to the base station. Then we go from there on foot.
This is the mountain. The tip is covered with a massive cloud, but you can make out the gift shop at the top. Yes! you heard me! A GIFT SHOP!!! For centuries there was a shrine at the top. The monks built a house, then when tourists came, the house became a shop for charms, now it's a gift shop.
The whole mountain was still covered in snow. About 2 meters actually. If you slip down the side, there's no coming back. You'd slide straight into the valley a 1000 meters below. Man, I swear I'd piss myself in fear for the first 3 seconds, then I'd shout "Guys, take a picture! Take a picture!"
This is near the top. The area near the summit was just rocks. Not Fuji style rocks, either. Real rocks.
The summit was incredibly misty and cloudy. The shrine is actually the highest point on the mountain. Totally covered in white, it was a little like being in a waiting room in a virtual reality game.
Yuka taking a picture of Erin and Will.
The climbing was good and the sunset beautiful—although I sadly didn't get a picture of it...However, to me the most interesting part was the area around the base station. The Buddhists claim that Tateyama is holy because it contains 9 views of heaven from the summit at 164 views of hell around the mountain. This sign points towards the area known as 'Hell's Valley'.
Here you can see it literally looks like God wiped his ass on this portion of earth. (And smells like it too).
The signs warn you not to walk on water like Jesus in this area. Also under no circumstance should you fight the gas clouds!
The path you follow is through a sulfur pit. I never knew that sulfur leaves green stains on the ground. But I guess it makes sense.
While everyone else was taking pictures of the green water, or the grey rocks, I couldn't stop snapping pics of the pipes and barrels lying around. I suppose my idea of Hell is like a dirty, fart-smelly place always under construction. I have like 50 pictures of a barrel in this landscape, but I won't bore you all with them.
There were also some natural scenery like this geyser spouting off evil clouds of gas just asking to be punched in the face.
More of hell. Those clouds are actually indescribably BIG...
Wow that is one of the most interesting and funny posts in a while! What a cool experience that must have been.
I like the photos of the hellish construction project and the rocky summit virtual waiting room. There must be a lot of inspiration to draw from there.
were the nine views of heaven worth the 164 of hell? i'm no "mathy", but thems don't sound like good odds. sounds like someone bartered for heaven with the devil and lost:
"i'll take 10 views of heaven for... 25 views of hell".
devil: "nope."
"ok, ok: how about 10 views of heaven for... 50 views of hell."
devil: "getting warmer."
"ALRIGHT! 10 views of heaven for 75 views of hell, that's my best offer, Red!!"
devil: "9 views of heaven for 164 views of hell, plus billowing gases of malodorous vapours and freezing cold snow blizzards--and absolutely no one walks on water like JESUS! oh yeah, and your eternal soul."
"...Deal."
wanh wanh wanh......... scene.
ps--you looked like that every day in writers' craft class.
We had to take a cable car up to the top. From there we took a bus to the base station. Then we go from there on foot.
This is the mountain. The tip is covered with a massive cloud, but you can make out the gift shop at the top. Yes! you heard me! A GIFT SHOP!!! For centuries there was a shrine at the top. The monks built a house, then when tourists came, the house became a shop for charms, now it's a gift shop.
The whole mountain was still covered in snow. About 2 meters actually. If you slip down the side, there's no coming back. You'd slide straight into the valley a 1000 meters below. Man, I swear I'd piss myself in fear for the first 3 seconds, then I'd shout "Guys, take a picture! Take a picture!"
This is near the top. The area near the summit was just rocks. Not Fuji style rocks, either. Real rocks.
The summit was incredibly misty and cloudy. The shrine is actually the highest point on the mountain. Totally covered in white, it was a little like being in a waiting room in a virtual reality game.
Yuka taking a picture of Erin and Will.
The climbing was good and the sunset beautiful—although I sadly didn't get a picture of it...However, to me the most interesting part was the area around the base station. The Buddhists claim that Tateyama is holy because it contains 9 views of heaven from the summit at 164 views of hell around the mountain. This sign points towards the area known as 'Hell's Valley'.
Here you can see it literally looks like God wiped his ass on this portion of earth. (And smells like it too).
The signs warn you not to walk on water like Jesus in this area. Also under no circumstance should you fight the gas clouds! 
The path you follow is through a sulfur pit. I never knew that sulfur leaves green stains on the ground. But I guess it makes sense.
While everyone else was taking pictures of the green water, or the grey rocks, I couldn't stop snapping pics of the pipes and barrels lying around. I suppose my idea of Hell is like a dirty, fart-smelly place always under construction. I have like 50 pictures of a barrel in this landscape, but I won't bore you all with them.
There were also some natural scenery like this geyser spouting off evil clouds of gas just asking to be punched in the face.
More of hell. Those clouds are actually indescribably BIG...
...and indescribably smelly.
4 comments:
Wow that is one of the most interesting and funny posts in a while! What a cool experience that must have been.
I like the photos of the hellish construction project and the rocky summit virtual waiting room. There must be a lot of inspiration to draw from there.
Where is that mountain located?
http://www.tokyoreporter.com/2008/07/07/japan-as-number-1/ Think you would think its funny.
The mountain is in my neighbouring prefecture, Toyama.
It is in the Japanese alps. Basically a good weekend trip from Kanazawa.
were the nine views of heaven worth the 164 of hell? i'm no "mathy", but thems don't sound like good odds. sounds like someone bartered for heaven with the devil and lost:
"i'll take 10 views of heaven for... 25 views of hell".
devil: "nope."
"ok, ok: how about 10 views of heaven for... 50 views of hell."
devil: "getting warmer."
"ALRIGHT! 10 views of heaven for 75 views of hell, that's my best offer, Red!!"
devil: "9 views of heaven for 164 views of hell, plus billowing gases of malodorous vapours and freezing cold snow blizzards--and absolutely no one walks on water like JESUS! oh yeah, and your eternal soul."
"...Deal."
wanh wanh wanh......... scene.
ps--you looked like that every day in writers' craft class.
-e.
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