御嶽山噴火から９年

Nine years have passed since the eruption of Mt. Ontake,
and the anonymous account of a woman who experienced
the tragedy has been made public. Reading her account,
there are key points that stand out:

Mt. Ontake is not an independent peak but part of a range
between 2,800 to 3,000 meters. While it has been traditionally
known as a sacred mountain for ascetic practices,
its high altitude makes it far from an easy climb. In fact, the ascetic practices in Mt. Ontake traditionally cease at the end of August, and it is believed
that the mountain's deity descends to lower altitudes in September,
making ascent for worshipers impractical. The guides were aware
that autumn could be harsh for ordinary believers.

There are major east-west routes for climbing, with the Tano-hara route from Ohtaki, in particular, being regarded as the easiest due to its starting point at 2,200 meters and well-maintained trails. Excluding the option to take a bus up to 2,700 meters at Norikura, this route is considered the most straightforward route to reach 3,000 meters.

The eruption accident was not unrelated to the ease of access. A percentage of the victims were, I believe, beginners or individuals with limited experience in high-altitude mountaineering.

It was suspected that those who perished were not solely due to volcanic rocks, and indeed, the account reveals that some were still alive when the eruption subsided. It's a grim reality for their families, but the author suggests that they might have survived if they had proper equipment.

Having climbed here multiple times during this season, I can attest that the nighttime chill is severe even at the mountain's base. It approaches freezing temperatures at Tano-hara. I am certain that at the summit, the temperature was below freezing.

However, during the daytime, the temperature rises to over 10°C, and if you are actively climbing, even summer clothing might not feel too cold. On sunny days, it can be quite warm, and climbers, especially beginners, might not have been adequately dressed. Of course, if nothing goes wrong, this might be okay. But when unforeseen events occur, the presence or absence of proper gear becomes a matter of life and death.

Some were deprived of their ability to move freely due to volcanic rocks or falls, making descending impossible, but they were still alive at the time of the eruption's cessation. However, the drop in temperature after sunset made it impossible for them to maintain their body temperature through self-generated heat, leading to their demise.

This is a critical point that hasn't been touched upon in previous reports. In other words, having the right equipment could have made a difference.

The necessary equipment includes cold-weather clothing (light down or fleece) and a tarp (tarpaulin tent). The latter is a lightweight, adult-sized tarpaulin tent that can be erected using trekking poles for high insulation bivouac. It seems that the author used down clothing for insulation and also brought a tarp, which she claims helped her survive.

In the mountains, one never knows what might happen. Unless you are on a very low mountain where escape is possible, having a tarpaulin tent should be considered essential in the upcoming seasons.

Here is a link to my equipment list:
http://www.yamareco.com/modules/yamanote/detail.php?nid=1310

御嶽山噴火から９年が経ちました・・・・
遭難した女性の手記が公開されています（匿名）。
これを読むと、やはり、と思える点があったの記します。

御嶽山は2800から3000ｍの連山で独立峰では無い。
昔から修験の山として知られ、馴染まれているが、その高度から決して
簡単な山では無い、現に御嶽教の礼拝登山は8月末までであり、9月になると
ご神体は麓に遷御すると言われ、礼拝登山は行われない。
先達は一般信者には秋は厳しい事を知っていた。

登山道は東西がメジャー、特に王滝から登る田の原ルートは、スタート地点が
2200ｍで、道も整備されており、バスで2700mまで登れる乗鞍を除くと、最も
簡単に行ける3000mと言われている。

噴火の事故はこの簡易さと無縁ではない、遭難者の何割かは、いわゆる
初心者、標高の高い山の経験が少ない方であったと思う。

死亡された方々は噴石だけではないと思っていたが、やはり手記を読むと
噴火が収まった時点では存命していた方が何人かはいたのである。
ご遺族には酷な話であるが、その方々は装備があれば助かったかも知れない。
と、彼女は記している。

私はこの時期復数回、ここに登っているが、夜の冷え込みは山麓でも半端では
ない。田の原でも氷点下に近い。山頂付近なら確実に零下であったと思う。

ところが日中では10℃以上あり、登山中なら夏の服装でも寒さは感じなかったと
思う、晴天なら暑いくらいであり、登山者、特に初心者は軽装ではなかったか。
無論、何もなければこれでOKである。ところがこのような事態となると装備の
あるなしが命に関わってくる。

噴石、または転倒などで行動の自由を奪われ、下山は出来ないが存命して
いた方も、日没後の気温の低下で、自己運動での発熱での体温維持が出来ず
死亡された方がいたと記されている。

これは重要ポイントで従来の報道では触れられていない。つまり装備を持って
いたら助かったかも知れないのである。

装備とは防寒衣服（ライトダウン・フリース）それにツエルトだ。
後者は簡易テントで大人のげんこつ大で軽量。ストックをポールにすれば
保温性の高いビバークが可能となる。彼女はダウンで保温していたようだが
ツエルトも持参していたようで、この装備で生存出来たと記している。

山では何が起きるかわからない、余程の低山でエスケープが可能ならともかく
ツエルト装備はこれからシーズン必須であろう。

以下は私の装備内容
http://www.yamareco.com/modules/yamanote/detail.php?nid=1310

わかお　かずまさ

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