日和田山

 関東百名山にも名を連ねている埼玉県の日和田山を登った。標高は305メートルと低いが、ロッククライミングの練習場があり、その脇に岩場登りの男坂が聳えていて、迫力ある登山が楽しめる山だ。

ソールの厚みが数ミリしかない手作りのマンサンダルで、足の怪我をしないように丁寧に一歩一歩登る。登山靴で登るのと異なり、指や土踏まずを柔軟に使って大地を掴んでいく。

山は秋の装いだった。

I climbed Mt. Hiwada in Saitama Prefecture, which is also listed among the "Kanto 100 Famous Mountains." Its elevation is only 305 meters, but it serves as a training ground for rock climbing, and alongside it, there's a steep slope called Otoko-zaka, ideal for exhilarating and impressive climbing.

I ascended step by step in handmade sandals called Mansandal with a sole thickness of only a few millimeters, taking care not to injure my feet. Unlike climbing in traditional hiking boots, I used my toes and arches flexibly to grip the earth.

The mountain was adorned in the colors of autumn.