練習を振り返って

今回の練習では、当日のスタート地点CP5の最乗寺（神奈川県南足柄市大雄山最乗寺）から、CP7のふじみセンター（静岡県駿東群小山町小山）までの約24.5キロの道のりを歩く予定でした。今回は当日ウォーカーを務める3名が参加し、タイムを意識しながら練習に臨みました。スタート地点であったCP5は、イベント当日のスタート地点と同じであるため、程よい緊張感と、歩くことのできる喜びを噛みしめながら歩くことができました。

CP5〜6は主にコンクリートの道が多く、足元がしっかりしていないところでも急な斜面などがなかったため、特に苦もなく歩くことができました。しかし道が何通りにも別れる所や、案内と風景が変わっており見つけにくい曲がり角などで道を間違えた時もあったので、イベント当日はこの練習で間違えた所をしっかりと記憶して歩けると思います。

20分ほど休憩を取り、CP6〜7へ向かう途中、ハプニングが起こりました。練習当日の3日前ほどにあった雷雨の影響で、ルートに一部土砂崩れがおきていたのです。これ以上進むことは危険と判断し、練習は打ち切りとなりました。しかし今回の練習と3月29日の練習でCP6～7以外のすべてのルートを歩き、道を把握することができました。

この経験を踏まえ、今後は当日どこのルートをどういうペースで歩いていくかミーティングを重ね、このイベントをより濃いものにしていきたいです。

（国際交流学科2年　降旗知真）

On Friday April 4, 3 members of the walking team (Tomomasa Furihata, Tsukasa Yamada and Takashi Akiba), 1 supporter (Nora Porlsen Keriel) and two teachers (Aldo & Patrik) met at Odawara station at 8:00am for a training session to prepare for Trailwalker Lite. The goal from this training was to walk from Checkpoint 5, Daiyuzan Saijo-ji Temple to Checkpoint 6, Yagurasawa Public Home, a total of 9.5km, then from there to Checkpoint 7, Fujimi Center near Surugaoyama Station, a total of 16.0km,.

After taking a train then a bus from Odawara to Daiyuzan bus stop, the team walked to Daiyuzan Saijo-ji Temple, the actual starting point for Trailwalker Lite. The team started walking at about 9:45 am, and everyone was in very high spirits, talking and enjoying the beautiful scenery. After a wrong turn early in this training, we found true trail again.
We arrived at CP6 at about 12:05pm, after walking a little more than 11.5km. We walker an extra 2km because we made a little mistake at the beginning, we took a wrong turn; we turned left instead of right at a T-intersection. Even though we walked extra, everybody was still very happy and the team's spirits were high.

After about a 25 minute lunch break, we started the next part, from CP6 to CP7. We walked along a main road for about 30 minutes until we reached Kawagoe Ishibashi (川越石橋) bus stop. From there we turned left and began walking up the forestry road. After walking a few meters the team realised there may be some problems ahead because there were trees that had fallen after a storm and made walking a bit more difficult. Unfortunately, after walking another 200 meters along the trail, we came to a vary large tree that had fallen after a storm. This tree had blocked the path completely; there was no safe way to go past it and continue to CP 7. The team then decided it was wiser and safer to finish the training and head back home. The team was a little disappointed because all team members were really looking forward to finishing this training.

While we could not achieve our goal of walking from CP6 to CP7, this practice had help improve map-reading and orientation skills, and helped further strengthen team morale and team work. More importantly, members of the walking team now know they have the ability to complete this Trailwalker Lite event inside the maximum time allowed.

Prof. Villarroel