when mum is away, the boys…

Every now and then my wife goes to Tokyo for work. This time she was away for three days leaving my son and I to handle two nights without her milk. So what to do between morning and nightfall to enjoy the day and also to make us as tired as possible to make the night go smooth? Climb a mountain of course! Or rather four.

It was one of those beautiful beyond measure spring days, where there is summer in the air without all the insects that summer brings – basically the perfect day to go mountain hiking. A short bicycle ride from home starts a hiking route that takes the hikers on a circular tour around the valley adjacent to where we live. From the carpark we started up a steep familiar path that we have climbed many times. My son made it halfway up by himself before wanting to ride on my back. We past the shrine at the top and had a short break in the sun at the summit of 叶嶽, Kanoudake, 341 meters high, before continuing on foot the two of us. The trail went along a ridge for a little while before going downhill again. My baby wanted to ride on my back, and soon he was fast asleep.

With my son sleeping I took the chance to speed up, and before long we had descended the hill and climbed another mountain, the 419 meters high 高地山, Takachiyama, where I took as short photo-break. He is getting heavy for me, and I remember wondering how many more times I will have the strength to take him mountain hiking on my back, especially now when it is getting warmer and I have to carry a lot of water and tea for the both of us. So better enjoy while it lasts I was thinking while hurrying down from the second mountain.

The path led to the far side of the valley we were circling before starting to climb again. Apart from the odd hiker we were alone on the mountains this day. My son was still sleeping and I was beginning to wonder if I could make it up the third mountain without a proper break. As it turned out I did, and at the top of the 416 meters high 高祖山, Takasuyama, with my son still sleeping in the backpack now resting on the ground, I had a quiet onigiri-lunch while enjoying the scenery. Gradually he started to wake up and before long he was running around looking the trees and branches and fallen leaves.

In the olden days, there was a castle built on this mountain; it must have been a spectacular sight. I could almost feel the wings of time surround me while helping my son finish his bento-lunch. Imagine walking up and down this mountain every day, carrying all you need – makes my struggles with my little one seem like a very small issue… A fellow hiker came and opened the little cabinet placed at the summit. He took out a little memorial medallion and gave it to us. My son got so excited that he did not let go of the little piece of wood with a string attached until well after we came home. But before that we had one more mountain to climb.

The next mountain is the mountain under which we live, 鐘撞山, Kanetsukiyama, 314 meters, and full of energy my son walked all by himself, except for a few steep parts where I carried him (and he was carrying both my walking stick and his medallion). We had a late afternoon fika at some benches on the top before descending the mountain for the last time this day, returning to our bicycle using the country roads crossing the little valley. Well at home my tired son ended up in his little armchair, holding his medallion. It really had been a full day outing and I was so impressed by my son’s excitement and energy and fighting spirit.

That night we both slept soundly – what a memory for a proud dad. Thank you so much my baby.

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