Profiles « Four Corners of Japan

Profiles

26 March, 2007 by hydrolith

点滴穿石 | tenteki senseki
Even a drop of water can drill a stone. Japanese proverb

Ian Fraser, 43, and Chris Lynch, 30, are experienced hikers and teachers of English as a Foreign Language. The two met while working at the Australian College of English in Brisbane.

Ian “Mountaingoat” Fraser

I first fell in love with mountains while teaching in Tokorozawa, Saitama, from 2000-2003. On 50 trips ranging from 1-9 days, I climbed Fuji-san (from its base), Kita-dake, Hotaka-dake, Yari-ga-take as well as many mountains in the Tanzawa, Okutama, Chichibu, Nikko and Izu areas. I subsequently walked America’s 3,500km-long Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, beginning in 2004 but retiring halfway with stress fractures in both legs, then returning in 2006 to finish the remaining 1,800 km. In the middle of Vermont, depressed at the thought that I was only a few weeks from a return to reality, I took a two-week side trip up the Long Trail through the Green Mountains to Canada before continuing the trek to Maine. I returned to Japan to teach for six months before beginning the journey.

Chris “Ashioto” Lynch

I’m a published speculative fiction writer and keen photographer, traveller, and scientist. I was born and grew up in Papua New Guinea, and my first experience of Japanese culture was my best friend in primary school, Daisuke, and his family. My imagination was fired by time spent exploring the numerous WWII relics in PNG. I moved to Australia for high school and went to Japan — Tsuchiura, Ibaraki — as an exchange student in 1994-1995. In June 2007, I completed the Kokoda Track after returning to PNG for the first time in nearly 20 years, and joined Ian in Japan in September to teach, study Japanese, and prepare for Four Corners of Japan 2008. I can be contacted on Google Talk, Skype or Gmail under the username ‘hydrolith’.

14 Responses to “Profiles”

on 25 June, 2007 at 8:30 pm1 Eternal Witness

G’day Chris…Phil here…one of the Goat’s inner sanctum.
Yer Nuigini credentials tingled my spider sense.

I’ve done the Highlands Highway in the back of a ute from Lae to Laiagam in Enga whilst barely surviving the first 4 years of puberty in Moresby.

Where dya come from up there. I’ve always wanted to go back one day. Still speak Pidgin at a conversant level to a couple of ladies I know. We lived 2/3rds up Touaguba Hill directly behind the Aviat Club.

Also Lae for a Summer…

Be warned…the Goat was the inspiration behind Clumsy Carp in “BC”…DON’T harness yourself to him at any stage on the trail or it’s the bottom of a crevasse for the both of ya…
on 27 June, 2007 at 11:56 am2 Stewart

Hi Chris

Stewart here, currently a honourable ‘Quad’, won’t reach fully fledged status for 2 more years.

No doubt we’ll be hearing more on this at our get togethers - both of you take care of each other when you embark.

Cheers
Stewart
on 27 June, 2007 at 12:00 pm3 Stewart

ps when I said take care, I basically meant put out good vibes to each other I realise you’re not travelling together. We’ll do the same back home.

Cheers
S
on 28 July, 2007 at 4:55 pm4 hydrolith

Hi guys.

Stewart: Will do. I’ve got another 10 years of hard labour before I qualify for that illustrious title, so you’re way ahead of me there.

Phil: Just spent two months in PNG, so had plenty of opportunities to brush up on my Pidgin. Born in Madang and went to school there and Moresby. Slowly updating my blog with my adventures — I did the Highlands Highway from Lae to Hagen, among other things. A good trip!

As for the Goat, I guess I’m lucky I’m heading in the opposite direction…

~Chris
on 30 July, 2007 at 8:04 pm5 mountaingoat

Well, my navigation’s not that great so beware…
on 12 October, 2007 at 3:08 pm6 bob　blunt

To U2 fellow gaijins - twas a very inspiring read with some gr8 rumblings and ramblings-never doubted your prose Ian - it`s v evocative and makes you feel like you are there with you!

Looking 4ward to hearing more and hope to see u both before you embark

ja mata

bob
on 29 October, 2007 at 4:12 pm7 Anna Ferrett

Hey the photos you added look great
on 12 January, 2008 at 4:46 pm8 Momoko Ito

hi Chris!!!

I hope u remember me.

How s everything going??
Japanese unplaned trip seems to be hard and enjoyable at the same time??

I am in Japan now.
My city Nagoya.
I m gonna travel Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo from 26th Jan till 1st Feb.

I wanna meet u if our schedule matches.

My contact number is xxxxxxxxxxx.　mobile phone.
call me any time.

Have a great trip!!
on 20 January, 2008 at 4:13 pm9 Lynch Family

Hi C love from your family!!! xxx
on 7 February, 2008 at 4:25 pm10 Jordan St Pierre

Hi Chris and Ian,

I hope you have a nice trip. Pack a lot of drink bottles. My Year 5 Japanese class is going to be looking at your website and watching you as you go on your trip!

from Jordan St Pierre (Anna’s friend Melissa’s son)
on 3 March, 2008 at 5:13 pm11 hydrolith

Hi Jordan, thanks — we’ll try to keep our adventures — or least our reports of our adventures — as clean as possible.

Hello to the Year 5 Japanese class! We’ve got lots of new photos up on our Flickr page. Only 3 weeks until Ian and I leave Tokyo and set off for our start points.

I just finished my Japanese lessons last week: I hope they were enough. Among other things, I learnt how to say “I’m walking from Kyushu to Hokkaido.”

Mata ne,
~Chris
on 22 April, 2008 at 10:24 pm12 Four Corners of Japan « Japan in Motion - Blogs on Japan

[...] of Japan, upright and erect (at least at the start), a journey of up to six months and 3,500km. Ian is hiking solo from ‘mainland’ Japan’s most easterly point (Cape Nosappu: 43, 22′ N; 145, [...]
on 5 May, 2008 at 1:51 pm13 Andrew Smallacombe

Guys, let me know when you’re heading into exciting Saitama. Long time, no hikes!
on 5 May, 2008 at 2:41 pm14 mountaingoat

SAITAMA?! Andrew, if I end up in Saitama anytime soon, best buy me a new map or enrol me in an intensive kanji-reading course. But I might be able to see you post-walk before I leave from Tokyo. Hope all is well with you and yer brood.