草津・志賀高原ツアー - Kusatsu/Shiga Tour

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17日に友人と二人で草津温泉から白根山越えで志賀高原まで、ロングライドしてきた。関越練馬入口近くに7:30集合、彼の車に自転車を積んで草津温泉へは10:30頃に到着。

心配した雲行きも取り敢えずは大丈夫そう。脚力が違う連れはタイム狙いでBH G5ロードレーサーを持ち込んできたので先に行かせ、こちらはゆっくりペース。5月に試走した時は1h27mでゴールしているが、今回は1泊旅行なので背中のリュックがかなりの荷重だ。7kgくらいあるだろうか。32分後、ロープウェイ山麓駅に着く頃には指先や局部など末端にしびれを感じ、小休止することに。無理はできないと判断して用心しながらペースダウンして進む。結局今回のゴールタイムは1h32mと遅かった。因みに連れはチェーン落ち3回のトラブル込みで58m、順調なら55mくらいで上がっただろう。

休憩して食事をと思っていたら、突然の土砂降りが始まった。1時間100mm近くあろうかというくらいの凄い雨に雷まで鳴って、このままでは撤退してバスで下山かと考えた。1時間くらい雨宿りしていたら、ようやく雨が上がったので先を急ぐ。渋峠から横手山にかけては国道最高地点もあってさらに登りとなるが、周囲の風景がパノラマ的に楽しめるコースだ。横手からのダウンヒルに入るとやがて再び雨の中に突入、スピードは出せないし路面に一層の注意も要るし、ずぶ濡れの難儀な走行を強いられた。

濡れ鼠の二人を温かく迎えてくれたのが上林温泉の塵表閣。説明によると文人たちも愛した宿らしく、豪華さはないが心からくつろげる上品さを備えた旅館だ。靴は乾燥機に入れてもらい、濡れた衣類は風呂場に吊して、ひと風呂汗を流したら、Syntax中野事務所に出向いて、新作音源のサラウンドデモなどでしばし歓談させてもらった。

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On August 17, I went to a long ride with a friend of mine from Kusatsu Onsen to Shiga Kogen across Mt.Shirane. We gathered at 7:30 near Kan-etsu Highway entrance in Nerima, put our bikes of his car’s roof, and arrived at Kusatsu around 10:30.

The weather did not look promising but probably manageable for a few hours. My friend brought his BH G5 to challenge for a better time in the climbing, so I let him go first and I made an easy start. My time in May was 1h27m, but this is 1-night/2-day tour with fully-loaded pack on the back, 7kg or so. 32 minutes later, I came to the ropeway station feeling some numbness in my fingers and private parts, and I felt I needed a brief pause. I decided to slow down my pace conservatively, and consequently the time at the goal of Mt.Shirane was 1h32m. My friend marked 57s including resetting the chains in place for 3 times.

We were about to open our lunch when it started pouring rain, really extraordinary one, with thunders. We thought we could no way continue, then we would catch a bus to go back, but after one hour of waiting, it cleared. Going beyond, Shibu Pass and Mt.Yokote are even higher but the route offers panoramic mountain views around. The downhill was long but we went into rain again, got completely wet, and it was a tiring run controlling the speed and watching the wet roads.

Dripping wet, we were warmly received by Jinpyokaku in Kambayashi Onsen. It was truly a fantastic Japanese inn, it is not too gorgeous but refined and relaxing. The shoes were taken to the dry room, we hang our wet wears in the bath room, and warmed our body in the hot tub. We then visited local Syntax office to receive a demo of some new recordings in surround and enjoyed the conversation rest of the day.