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Training Report - Mt.Tokachidake (Mt.Tokachi) 8
Mr.Suzuki, Dr.K and K participated in this training.
It was minus 17 degrees Celsius at the Mt.Tokachidake Hot Springs.
It was a quite cold day.
Travelled distance: 23km
It's first time for Mr.Suzuki to participate in our winter training and also it's first time for him to ride on snow. He became one of our training party in summer but he still doesn't have his own winter bike. Dr.K kindly lent him his MTB which isn't in use this day. After the successful first trial in Akaigawa 2, we implement ski glasses to our standard training equipment. Mr.Suzuki who didn't ride bike for about 4 months seems to be in a good form and leads. Dr.K and Mr.Suzuki. Approaching the altitude of 1000m, Dr.K and Mr.Suzuki began to drop out. We can barely see the city of Kamifurano. K arrives first to the fork stuated at the altitude of 1000m. We regrouped at the fork and resumed our course together. Ski glasses have been getting fogged after passing the altitude of 600 - 700m. The temperature of the Mt.Tokachidake is much lower than the successful trial in Akaigawa 2. We have miscalculated this possibility. K took off his glasses and put them to the back of the neck. Entering the section where the gradient is 140 per mill, Dr.K dropped out. K always follows Mr.Suzuki. At the end of the section where the gradient is 130 per mill, the wheels of Mr.Suzuki were took by the snow and he was forced to stop. And K who was just behind him was forced to stop as well almost colliding with Mr.Suzuki. K recovered soon but Mr.Suzuki took a little while to resume his course. K waited for Mr.Suzuki and confirming the Mr.Suzuki resumed his course, he resumed his course as well. However, Mr.Suzuki failed to follow K and K went alone. K arrived first to the Mt.Tokachidake Hot Springs of which the altitude is 1280m. It's snowing a little hard. 1 minute 3 seconds later, Mr.Suzuki arrived to the summit. He's really good although he didn't ride bikes for almost 4 monthes. Dr.K arrived 4 minutes 20 seconds later. After having cleaned the frozen fog on the ski glasses' lenses melting with fingers heat, we began the downhill. But the road surface condition isn't very good. The wheels are easily took by snow and ice. Moreover, the studs of tires do not grasp the snow well as the snow on the road isn't well compacted. We are descending very carefully and slowly. K leads although he's descending slowly. Dr.K persues. But his speed isn't enough to catch up K. For Mr.Suzuki, it's his first descent on snow in his life. He's enjoying the sensation of snow in the downhill. In the middle of the descent, we lunched in a restaurant. After the lunch, we resumed our descent. K won the downhill. Just 1 minute later, Dr.K arrived to the foot of the mountain. Mr.Suzuki arrived 1 minute 20 seconds later. It's not bad for a beginner of icebiking. He says he enjoyed a lot riding on snow and he has convinced himself to compose a winter bike for the next season. |