Local adventurer Martyn Bould, 79, has successfully scaled Mount Fuji in Japan and raised vital funds for the Cayman Islands Red Cross in the process.
Bould, who has already conquered Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro and Argentina’s Aconcagua, set his sights on the iconic Japanese peak earlier this year and embarked on an intensive training regime to prepare for the 12,388-foot ascent.
Training regime
The preparation meant giving up his post-work glass of wine and embarking on an intensive training regime, which included daily ascents of the observation tower at Camana Bay with a weighted backpack and running (not swimming) laps of his pool every morning.
The training stood Bould in good stead for the climb, which, he said, was “much harder than either of the two other climbs, because even though Mount Fuji isn’t as high as the others, the terrain was incredibly tough. You’re walking on volcanic rock, which means you have to lift your feet high just to get over the rocks. My legs were hurting for days afterwards!”
Bould and his guide, a 51-year old Japanese woman known as Chika, set off in the morning of Thursday, 28 Aug. after praying at a shrine at the base of Mount Fuji for a safe ascent.
They took the Yoshida trail up the mountainside, Bould said, “stopping mid-afternoon for a hearty dinner of rice and curry sauce with fish and sausage seated on the floor in true Japanese style”.
After a few hours’ rest in a hut on the mountainside, they set off again at 11:30pm, having changed into warmer climbing gear and wearing head-mounted lights.
Bould said, “Numerous other climbers were in front of us creating a Christmas-tree effect above us. After climbing for two hours and 20 minutes and 1,055 vertical feet, we took a rest and then started the final push, zig-zagging over the rocky terrain. With a few final pull-ups for me by the tiny but superbly strong Chika, we reached the summit at 5am to be greeted by the sunrise, the beauty of which overcame the very cold and windy conditions.”
So how did he feel when he reached the summit? “Exhausted!” Bould said. “But I was also elated. I couldn’t believe I’d made it.”
After peering into the crater at the heart of Mount Fuji, Bould and Chika headed back down the mountain to be greeted by his wife Vivian at the base. Before too long, Bould was enjoying a much-needed soak in a bath of Epsom salts and looking back at the summit that he had so recently climbed. And, after months without even a glass of wine, Bould was finally able to treat himself to a celebratory glass of chardonnay.
“It was a great adventure for a great cause,” he said.
After Japan, the Boulds are flying to Taiwan, then China to see the Terracotta Army and then Tibet before heading back to the Cayman Islands in mid-September.
Bould is already considering his next adventure, possibly some gentle climbing in Dominica, but next in the calendar is the publication of his book about his life in Cayman over the last 55 years, called ‘More than Just the Climb – Life’s Lessons Well Learned’, which will be released in November just before his 80th birthday.
Originally from the UK near Birmingham, Bould moved to the Cayman Islands in 1969 having qualified as a chartered surveyor. Bould stills works on various public and privately owned building projects across the island through his company, Bould Consulting, with current projects including the Lighthouse School and improvements to the prison service.
Contribution to island life
Over the years, Bould has been a dynamic force in Cayman life, being involved in a wide range of innovations, including the construction of the Harquail Theatre and the National Gallery, bringing squash to the Cayman Islands and helping raise funds to preserve Miss Lassie’s house, one of Cayman’s oldest structures.
People can support Bould’s Climb for Red fundraising campaign by donating to the Cayman Islands Red Cross. Contributions will go toward ongoing programmes such as disaster relief, first aid training, child protection, support for seniors, and emergency shelter operations.
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An outstanding record over 56 years in the Cayman Islands. Has Martyn received a royal award for his efforts, he certainly deserves one.
Well done my friend.
You are an example of keeping fit and service to the community.