Consideration on the News of Climber Getting Lost on Mount Hiuchi

While browsing news on my smartphone today, I came across an article about solo climber getting lost on Mount Hiuchi, which I had climbed recently. Thankfully, the man managed to descend safely on their own. It was truly a relief.

According to the article, he got lost around the "Kouyaike Hut" and mistakenly ventured towards the neighboring Mount Yahachiyama. The day we climbed, the weather was clear with excellent visibility. However, I remember thinking during our climb that it would be quite challenging if the area around Tengu's Garden was foggy. The lost individuals seemed to be locals, so I assume they had climbed the mountain multiple times before. I suspect that on the day they got lost, the visibility was extremely poor, causing them to lose their sense of direction.

In our mountaineering group, we have a master who used to be an instructor at the Ministry of Education's Mountaineering Training Center and is a former international alpine guide. During our recent trip to Mouint Hiuchi, he taught us techniques like remembering the spacing between trees as landmarks for descending or measuring angles with a compass. Even with this knowledge, I felt that if I were walking alone, I might get lost. In snowy mountains, traces can quickly disappear when it snows, and the difficulty increases significantly when the weather is bad and visibility is poor.

Our master doesn't use modern tools like YAMAP or other map apps and GPS (in fact, he has never used them in his life). He relies solely on paper maps, a compass, and an altimeter. Even in foggy conditions during ski trips, he can navigate flawlessly to the exact destination. I'm always amazed, wondering if he can move using the Earth's magnetic field like birds.

At the very least, when going to the mountains, one should carry a paper map, compass, and altimeter. Smartphones can freeze in the mountains, and in cold conditions like snowy mountains, the battery can suddenly deplete. So, always remember to bring them.

As we become more accustomed to gear, our animalistic senses seem to dull. With the constant use of smartphones, it feels like modern humans are becoming weaker creatures. With talks of avatars and moonshot plans, it seems like humans are becoming more robotic. I wonder if civilization truly brings happiness to humans.

When considering mental and physical toughness, I think people from the past were far superior. As AI continues to evolve, humans seem to be regressing. Nowadays, we can check information about places we want to visit on the web and see photos and videos before going. The real sense of "adventure" seems to be disappearing.

In the past, people walked using only maps, and even when driving, they might get lost but would always reach their destination. Now, we simply input our destination into car navigation systems and rely on them. Without them, we feel insecure. I realize that I need to sharpen my senses as a living being, but smartphones are so convenient that I end up relying on them too much.

Every once in a while, without doing any research on the web or carrying a smartphone, I should walk into unknown places and feel the sense of adventure.