Mount Fuji from Tokyo during the snowy season
Climbing Mount Fuji was never really a desire of mine, but when asked to go as a group I couldn't turn down the offer. I really had no idea what I was getting into, and I didn't research anything before going. My friend Davida and I ended up being the only two going on the trip, and luckily for me she did all of the planning.
Mount Fuji is an active volcano that last erupted in the 1700s. It is one of the most recognized mountains in the world, and is the highest point in Japan.
We took off on Monday, a national holiday called Ocean Day. We caught a bus from Shinjuku at 10:55AM which took us to the 5th checkpoint on Mount Fuji (around a 2.5 hour drive away). Our plan was to hike to around the 9th checkpoint (near the 12,388 foot summit), sleep on the ground at around dusk, then wake up around 1AM and hike to the top to see the sunrise.
As it got dark, we were exhausted and really thought that we would be able to sleep on the ground. We were prepared with winter clothes, even though the walk up had been extremely hot. At first it was very comforting as we lied down. We could see a full sky of stars, which is a sight that is impossible to see in Tokyo. I saw at least 13 shooting stars, but the coolest thing was how we were above the clouds and we got to see the moon rise above them. As the moon rose, it illuminated the solid blanket of clouds under it making for one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen in my life. Some of my other pictures in this blog will illustrate what I mean by there being a solid bed of clouds.
Anyway, it started to get VERY cold, and slightly breezy. I nodded off for around 30 minutes and woke up extremely cold, and somewhat distraught. I had completely forgotten where I was, and as I sat up all I saw as I looked off the cliff I was on was the starry sky and the beautifully lit-up clouds. My eyes were still blurry and it was such a surreal sight that my heart jumped because for a second I didn't know which way was up and I thought I may be falling through space or something. I finally got it together and noticed that Davida was gone. I knew exactly where she must be because I had heard from other people who had gone up unprepared that they ended up taking shelter in the bathroom. I found her in there and we just decided to start going up the mountain even though it was just 11:30PM. We turned on our flashlights and headed up.
Our beds
We got to the top around 1:30 AM and were some of the first people up there. It was very cold and somewhat windy. I was so exhausted and cold that I really thought that I was going to be sick. We ran into some guys that took our picture for us by a building that is used in the summer.
Seeing the sunrise on Mount Fuji is a tradition that is apparently celebrated every morning with a gathering of people who have made the middle of the night trip. All of my friends here seemed to understand this sacred tradition except for me, but I am very happy I was able to participate before going home.
The wait from 1:30AM to the 4:30AM sunrise was torture. We were so cold and exhausted. I was not having fun at that point. Around 3:40 we saw the sky start to light up. The hikers coming up the mountain with their headlamps make for a very scenic view. This trail of hikers you see is over a mile long and is a grueling amount of vertical feet.
This is how the rest unfolded in chronological order
This is as zoomed out of a picture I could get of me in the position we were in
Others who made the trip
The crater
The view off the other side was spectacular
After climbing another small hill you reach the nation's highest point
The route down was along a cat-track accessible in the summer months. It was very steep, rocky, and dusty. The decent was so rough on my legs, and the dust killed my nose. I am not sure I ever want to climb a volcano again, as it was very grueling being on rocks the entire time. However, I saw some of the most beautiful, and unforgettable sights of my life, so I am so happy I blindly jumped into this adventure.
