Mount Tenpō — Attraction in Osaka

After months of planning for this truly treacherous climb, my partner and I embarked to conquer Mt Tenpo. Unfortunately, due to the extremely harsh weather and remote environs the maps we had used for planning the climb were incomplete. As such we got lost in the alpine range around Mt Tenpo, only once we had reached the summit of the wrong mountain and finally gained a clear view of the land, free of the infernal fog, did we realise our mistake. It was a tough call, our rations depleted and tired from an ascent up a lesser mountain all seemed lost. However, we knew this was our one shot at glory and so perceived!

It was gruelling, getting by on reduced rations was bad enough but a bitter wind set in that cut to our bones. But it is all worth it, to see the world from that magnificent peak 4.5m above sea level, I would give anything to see it again.

The descent was uneventful and once down we went to a nearby Onsen to recuperate....

I'm an Olympic short-distance racer, a marathon runner, and a slalom skier, and still took me years to prepare for this moment: tough days, training in the rain, and not drinking a single drop of alcohol since I set the most challenging goal of my life. I traveled from across the ocean, a 34-hour journey from Argentina to climb this monstrous mountain. And as if that weren't enough, just a few meters from the finish, I realized I had no more water and little oxygen. The adventure and the challenge didn't allow me to give up. Reaching the top of this mountain will be unforgettable for the rest of my life and a future story I'll tell my children, and they will tell their children. I wouldn't wish anyone to have to make the decision to attempt it; it was an inhumane experience that I...

I’ve scaled many a mountain in my time, but this one was by far the biggest undertaking. Half way up the ascent half of my adventuring group had to turn around and head back to base camp as the altitude sickness was getting too much to bear. By the time we reached the top my knees were shot and my vision blurry but it all cleared immediately once I saw the view. All of a sudden the multiple hour ascent and weeks of planning that had gone into this trip were worth it as I was able to view the world around me from a vantage point so few are fortunate enough to achieve. On the long and strenuous descent, all I could think about was how I had made it to the top of famous Mount Tenpo and witnessed Japan from a height so few get to see it. 4,5m...