足が竦んだ怖い思い出！

　「赤城颪に送られて、学びの窓に集まりし」の歌詞で始まる前橋高校校歌のみならず、群馬県下の多くの小中高の校歌の歌詞として歌われてる赤城山です。標高１８２８mです。赤城山と命名された由来は、夕日に輝くと山全体が赤く染まることによると伝えられてます。

　写真をクリックし拡大しますと、各峰々がよく分かり、左から三角形のように尖った峰が「鈴ヶ岳」で山頂からの眺望は群馬の西の山々が手に取るように見えます。次が「鍋割山」「荒山」「地蔵岳」「黒檜山」(最高峰)「駒ヶ岳」「長七郎山」です。

　私はすべての峰に登りましたが、眺望にそれぞれ趣があり、どの峰からも「富士山」が見えます。特に、東端の「長七郎」の山頂からは関東平野が一望でき、東京・新宿の高層ビル群や東京湾が見えます。近所の方々と正月登山を行い、山頂では一杯戴きながら楽しいひと時を過ごした思い出があります。

　赤城山の頂上付近にはカルデラの「大沼」と「小沼」があり満々と水を蓄えてます。前者の周囲はおよそ４kmで私のお気に入りウォーキングコースの一つで、湖畔の南側には終戦時の内閣総理大臣「鈴木貫太郎」の碑が建立されてます。彼は、前述の前高出身です。

　一方、「小沼」の周囲は１Kほどで、手つかずの自然が残っており、やはり、幾度か周遊しました。しかし、近くには恐ろしい「三途の川」があり、近くでは後から何か出そうです。

　いいですか。よ～く聞いてください。実は、私は一人で「三途の川」を探検しようと思い源流に向かいました。ところが、途中でついに身の毛がよだち、足が前に進めず、やむを得ず引き返したことがあります。森林が薄暗く生い茂り、一人では恐ろしさで背筋がぞくぞくし、何か音がしたとき、ついに「出た～！」と思い、慌てて逃げました。

Dear my overseas friends who love nature

　Mt. Akagi is sung not only in the Maebashi High School's school song, which begins with the lyrics, "We are sent to wind from Akagi, and we gather at the window of learning," but also in the lyrics were used by school songs of many elementary, junior high, and high school in Gumma Prefecture. The altitude is 1828m. It is said that the name of Akagiyama came from the fact that the mountain turns red entirely when the setting sun shines in the evening.

　If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can clearly see each peaks. The triangular peak from the left is Suzugatake, and the view from the top looks the mountains of the west of Gumma. Next are "Nabewariyama", "Arayama", "Jizodake", "Kurobiyama" (the highest peak), "Komagatake" and the easternmost "Choshichiroyama".

　I have climbed all the peaks, and each one has its own unique view, and I could see Mt. Fuji from every peaks. In particular, from the easternmost peak of Mt. Choshichiro, I could see a panoramic view of the Kanto Plain, as well as Tokyo Shinjuku's skyscrapers and Tokyo Bay. I have fond memories of going to mountain climbing on New Year's Day with my neighbors and having a great time with drinking at the top of this mountain.

　Near the top of Mt. Akagi, there are the caldera named "Onuma" and "Konuma" that store plenty of water. The former is about 4km in circumference that is one of my favorite walking courses, and on the south side of this lake there is a monument of Suzuki Kantaro, the Japanese Prime Minister at the end of the world war Ⅱ. He is a graduate from the aforementioned Maebachi High School.

　On the other hand, the surrounding area of lake "Konuma" is about 1km in circumference and has untouched nature, so I went around it several times. However, there is a scary "the River Styx" nearby, and something will probably come out later.

　Listen to me carefully. Actually, I decided to explore "The River Styx" by myself and headed to its source. Halfway through, I finally got so scared that my legs couldn't move forward and had no choice but to turn back. The forest was dark and thick. When I was alone I felt a shiver of fear run down my spine, and when I heard a sound I thought, "A ghost appeared!" I panicked and ran away.

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