Tonosuyama Hike and Iruma BBQ

Today was the first TAK event of 2024, and so fittingly, it began with a hike and a barbecue by Iruma river. 

After the scouts piled into the car, the drive started, and after some introductions and stories, we had arrived. The scouts put on their coats and backpacks, and sat down for a quick introduction to the day and what we'd be doing. A relatively relaxing hike up Tonosuyama, lunch, a hike down, and a little barbecue at the river nearby. 

The whole way through, the scouts would be looking out for neat things to photograph in nature. As always we focused on textures and patterns, however this time, we also tried to capture a unique point of view in our photos.

Before we could make our way over to the foot of the hike, we needed to go over some safety rules, mainly what to do when lost. Mark explained the use of our whistles to locate each other, and we played a game to get familiar with it.

Once at the bottom of the mountain, we took a few pictures of the snow and plants before heading up.

The hike was smooth and easygoing, totally manageable but still a good challenge for the scouts. We took more photos of interesting flora on the path, before quickly reaching a viewpoint/separate peak near the main route.

We rested and ate our snack, finding some walking sticks for the scouts who wanted them in the surrounding area. Back on the trail, the incline was increasing and terrain got rougher as we neared the peak, making the final stretch much more strenuous. But, in the end, the scouts powered through and reached the top. 

It was time for lunch! We all enjoyed our food facing the gorgeous view of Tokyo ahead. Some of the scouts drew in their sketchbooks while others finished eating. We cleaned up quickly after, and got geared up for an exciting descent. 

It was short and sweet, as the scouts made their way down the mountain much faster than when climbing up. No breaks were needed, and we soon reached the bottom. We found a patch of soil overturned by wild boar on a path we passed in the morning, now visible as the snow had melted, and Mark explained it to the scouts.

Back at the car, we grabbed the grill and some coals, and walked down to Iruma river. As the area was getting set up, some of the scouts threw rocks in the river while others stacked towers with them. 

The scouts got to practice their fire starting with Ferro rods on some tinder we had collected on the hike, and soon the fire was lit. As the fire was settling to hot coals, we prepared our skewers for the barbecue. Sausages, bell peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli were all on the table. Each scout prepared their own, and soon, all were cooking on the fire. 

Everyone enjoyed the smokey meat and veggies, and after some time playing riverside, it was time to head back into Tokyo. 

This event was great fun, while still proving challenging and full of chances to learn. A wonderful way to start the year! We're looking forward to all the events to come!