[Special Discussion] Mountain climbing part 2: Mountain climbing requires a spirit of challenge and the ability to make your own decisions

[Interview]
Mountaineer Yasuhiro Hantani
Toshiyuki Yamada, Ajinomoto Co., Ltd.

What excites me is climbing a mountain that no one has climbed before.

--Mr. Hantani, you have had some difficult experiences while climbing mountains overseas, but what makes you continue to climb mountains?

Hanatani:Because you get to see a world you never knew existed. Personally, I find it most exciting to aim for mountains and routes that no one has climbed before. There is no prior information, and there are many aspects you can't understand unless you go to the site and see the real thing. It's very stimulating and fun to decide for yourself how to climb the mountain on the spot and proceed.

Yamada:I think the spirit of challenge that is necessary for mountain climbing is an important mindset for modern people too. Is there anything important that you learned by actively taking on challenges?

Hanatani:Mountain climbing is a continuous process of thinking and making decisions on your own. There is no answer, and if it turns out to be a mistake, there is a risk of losing your life due to the wrong choice. I think the most important thing is to take that on board and follow the path you have chosen for yourself. In a normal life, I don't think there are many opportunities to make decisions that could put your life on the line, so I think it's important to acquire the decision-making skills necessary for survival.

During tough mountain climbing, it is better to get energy by drinking than by eating.

--The more severe the conditions, the more important nutrition becomes, right?

Hanatani:The more difficult the climb, the more carefully I choose the equipment I take with me. I have to make the equipment as light as possible, so I can't take the food I normally take on climbs. I have to narrow it down to light, nutritious items.

At high altitudes, your breathing becomes rough and your body loses fluids, so it's more important to drink than to eat. When I get to the campsite, there's no water, so I melt snow, make hot or cold water, and then add sports drinks to drink. Sometimes I make instant miso soup. In any case, I end up drinking more than eating, so I think my diet is quite extreme.

Yamada:So it becomes more important to drink than to eat. In that situation, is there anything you do to replenish your energy more efficiently?

Hanatani:You lose your appetite, and it's hard to swallow solid food. So you have to change the flavor and type of food in different ways to get nutrients and hydrate. I think it's really important to make sure you get enough energy, even in a tough environment.

Among the limited options, amino acid supplements are effective for recovery

--Just like taking in energy, reducing fatigue is also important, but what do you keep in mind when it comes to recovery?

Hanatani:Since there are only a limited number of things I can do, I make use of amino acid supplements. I can take them while climbing, and taking amino acid supplements after a day's climb is also very helpful for recovery. I often have to start climbing again early in the morning the next day, so how I spend my time after exercising is important so that I don't feel too tired the next day.

Yamada:I think that nutrition and sleep are also important factors during and after climbing. Are you getting enough rest?

Hanatani:To be honest, it would be nice to have a place where I could rest, but the harder the climb, the harder it is to sleep. I'm lucky if I can just lie down and sleep, and there are times when I can only sit. When you get to that point, it's all about how well you can climb without losing your concentration, so I try to rest as much as I can when I can, but I'm never able to rest enough. However, the important thing is to not be fatigued the next day in any situation. I think about that a lot.

I want to create a system that can conserve the environment.

--Mr. Hanaya, you train young climbers at the Himalayan camps you run. Can you tell us about your thoughts on this?

Hanatani:I myself was taken to the Himalayas for the first time when I was a second-year university student. At that time, I didn't have any outstanding skills, but I was just invited by my seniors. Nowadays, due to the aging of the population, mountaineering clubs are getting smaller and smaller. As a result, I thought it was a shame that there are fewer cases where people like me can go on overseas mountain climbing at a young age.

So I started a project to go to the Himalayas with people who wanted to try their first overseas mountain climbing or Himalayan climbing. All the mountains we are aiming for are unclimbed. Rather than focusing on the difficulty of the mountain, we move forward while judging for ourselves the areas where there is no information. I think that is the real fun of mountain climbing, so I am doing my activities with that in mind.

Yamada:What kind of feedback do you get from participants?

Hanatani:Each participant has their own background, and some continue climbing after participating in the project, while others leave. However, they all say, "I'm glad I was able to participate because I've never had an opportunity like this before." Hearing that makes me feel glad that I took part in this project.

--Mr. Hanaya, you are also working on social issues such as maintaining mountain trails. What is your ideal vision for the future?

Hanatani:The conservation of natural resources will be a major social issue in the future. Japan has so many mountains and seas, and everyone is interested in using them, but the current situation is that there is no system in place to preserve them for the future. For example, even in very large national parks, there is sometimes only one national ranger. I would like to solve this situation as much as possible.

Yamada:Recently, mountain climbing has become popular and more people are enjoying it, but I think there are many things to be concerned about, such as the deterioration of mountain trails. I hope that through activities like this, more people will think about preserving the trails they walk on.

Hanatani:That's true. To achieve this, rather than the local government taking the lead, it would be more effective if mountain climbers themselves contributed their own money and effort little by little. I think we need a system or organization that can coordinate these activities, and since last year I have been working mainly in the Southern Alps area. Looking to the future, I would like to create a system that allows various people to get involved in environmental conservation.

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