Chapter two starts with a train ride of five-and-twenty miles on the Noetsu Line, destination the old castle town of Ueda in northern Nagano. During the day many Brits were surprised at the mere existence of trains in Japan. Ironic now when you compare the London and Tokyo subway systems. After the train it was rickshaw towards Matsumoto. The trail become so bumpy that Weston and co alighted and walked for 14 miles until eventually they crested a small summit to look across Matsumoto and see the full eastern face of the Kita Alps. His view took in Yarigatake all the way to Norikura.
Once in Matsumoto, population 20,000, he met for the first time Mr Sasai Motoji, the Inn Keeper and owner of a large hooked nose, noted by Weston as being unusual amongst Japanese. He buys a can of apricots labelled “This apricots is very sweetest”. It is the 3rd of August and there is still snow on the peaks as he sets out with his team to make the third ascent of Yarigatake, referred to as the Matterhorn of Japan (yarigatake = spear peak).
Passing on rickshaw through Hashiba then Murasaki and its silkworm farms then on foot along the bank of Adzusagawa. The big nosed Inn Keeper had come along with them this far and helped hire some local bear hunters to act as guides for the remainder of the trip. Of the three hunters, one had already climbed Yarigatake twice. They were farewelled from the small town with best wishes translated into English by Weston as “deign to proceed at your august leisure”. Weston notes that genuine refinement and manners is the exclusive possession of no one in Japan. He later translates O yasumi nasai as “honourably deign to rest”. They spent the first night in a small smoky hut.
Day two of the Yarigatake attempt rained a lot and they made modest progress up and over Tokugo pass. That evening they enjoyed trout which they had bought from an isolated fisherman earlier that day. The party of 5 all had those traditional farmers straw jackets which they used as mattresses in their tent.
Day three: they cross a river and at a fork in the valley decide not to take the longer previously climbed ascent, opting instead to go left, taking the shorter possibly harder unknown route. They left their gear in a cave and set out for the summit, taking not much more than a camera and a bit of food. Fast and light, they planned to be back at the cave before night. At 2100m the vegetation thinned and they found the first snow. Hodakayama was above them to the left.
Without actually giving an altitude, it seems that they made the large col before the ridge leading to the summit by 2pm when it started to rain very heavily. The snow and rocks were slippery and their guides took a break in a small cave to cook some rice and subsequently refusing to go any further in the dangerous conditions, recommending a bivy in the cave and an morning summit. After deliberation, Weston and belcher went on in the rain. At 5pm the reached the base of the summit spear, which was hidden from view by clouds. It as still raining hard and at that time a guide caught up to their position and begged them not to continue, such was the danger of the upper peak in the rain and in agonising tones told them that the risk was unjustifiable. They agreed and turned around.
Back at the cave the party continued the descent, racing against nightfall. Their aim was to reach a better shelter in the bad weather. The hunter-guides had to descend on rock rather than snow since could not glissade in their straw sandals. Dropping over 1000m back to the trees and a violent torrent they found a wet cave and made a fire at 9pm and ate the last of their food (rice, tinned sausage, mushy chocolate and brandy). They had not made it back down to their gear cache and so slept the night ion the ground.
The next day it rained on and off and their departure was delayed. Two guide retuned to the cache to get the gear and the other passed the time catching trout and attempting to shoot an eagle (with a smoky gun). Giving up on the actual summit after three days they turned for Matsumoto, but not before one more night in a cave cooking trout.
In chapter three they head towards Fukushima and walk over Komagatake (2967m) in the central range of the Japanese Alps.