Embrace nature. Embrace unpredictability.
Members from The Yamabushido Team after completing the Akinomine Autumn's Peak Ritual last year.
We yamabushi know the Dewa Sanzan mountains like the back of our hands. We know the secret shrines and paths of Mt. Haguro, the ancient trails of Mt. Gassan, the hidden waterfalls of Mt. Yudono. We have been climbing these slopes for a long time, and we have a pretty good idea of the lay of the land.
However, mother nature is a different beast altogether. At the drop of a hat, mother nature has the power to turn a calm blue sky into a thunderous storm, a trickle into a gushing delta, a sun-shower into a rainbow.
Mother nature is as unpredictable as she comes.
This unpredictability is why we must treat mother nature with the utmost respect. This unpredictability is why we must take all precautions before even stepping foot on the mountains.
That’s why before you come to Tsuruoka, before you bow at the shrine gates, before you utter your first Uketamo, our first priority is to guarantee your safety on any yamabushido experience.
So, earlier last month, Tak, Kohei, and Tim from the Yamabushido Team undertook a refresher Mountain First Aid course run by The Association for Mountain Medical Rescue in Toyama. Basic first aid is a given, but this time around there were more serious exercises aimed at staying safe on the mountains specifically during winter. The team all passed with flying colours. However, besides for prevention, this is not the kind of information we would ever want to have to use.
We took the insights from this experience and made sure they were a part of our already comprehensive risk management manual. This way we can better prepare for the unpredictable and ensure your safety to the best of our ability when you visit. The unpredictable is a big part of your yamabushi training, but staying safe is even more so.
The view from the Association for Mountain Medical Rescue in Toyama Prefecture. Photo shared with permission from The Association for Mountain Medical Rescue.
From left to right: Tim, Tak, Oshiro-sensei, and Kohei.
Photo shared with permission from The Association for Mountain Medical Rescue.
P.S., the organiser of the course, Doctor Kazue Oshiro, is famous in mountaineering circles around Japan. She was instrumental in helping Yuichiro Miura regain his record as the oldest person to climb Mt. Everest, for example, and features in this article in English we think you will enjoy.
