Mountains cover almost three-quarters of Japan. But the one that literally towers above all the rest is Mt. Fuji. And despite being an active volcano, hundreds of thousands of people hike to its summit every year. Add me to that list for 2015.
So our rag-tag group hops on a bus at Shinjuku station. The ride lasts about 3 hours, making its last stop at station five. Today’s weather is partly cloudy, and the clouds enjoy hanging out with everyone at the station.
Peak climbing season is from July to September, when the mountain huts are operating. As the most popular starting point, the area becomes fairly crowded as bus after bus delivers more climbers. I say climbers, but in fact, station five attracts sightseers as well. Several souvenir shops and restaurants cater towards those who are “just here to look,” rather than journey to the summit. Not exactly what I was expecting, but I shouldn’t be surprised either. Fuji is Japan’s most famous mountain after all.
You can even rent a horse to ride part of the trail in style.
Here we go! After a quick rest stop to eat and get our gear ready, we start at the Yoshida trail head. A steady stream of hikers are ascending and descending at this time.
Clouds roll over this part of the trail frequently, blanketing us in fog. Maybe an hour or two in, different paces dissipate the crowds.
We arrive at level one of the Fuji fortress. Retaining walls zigzag following the trail switch backs, creating a fortified stronghold to resist the erosion caused by the thousands of climbers each day.
A quick rest as we start to climb out of the cloud cover.
Open spots in the clouds let us peek down at the area surrounding Mt. Fuji.
Although the Yoshida trail is the easiest to climb, some of the steeper parts make you feel like a proper mountaineer. Real mountaineers will probably scoff at that sentiment.
Taking a break to look out over the sea of clouds.
We press on, passing huts and shrines along the way.
The sun starts to set.
Another quick break to rest and take in the scenery.
As the sun dips lower, the shadow of Mt. Fuji stretches further out over the land below. From up here, it’s amazing (and kind of ominous) the way the such a massive object blocks the sun.
Time for a short break outside one of the rest stops along the trail. Bits of sunlight paint the clouds in warm tones. It’s so wonderful, even the staff can’t help but admire.
As twilight approaches, the mountain takes on a new appearance. Some parts with the red lava rocks look almost alien.
It gets darker and darker, but we press on in order to reach our stopping point for the night.
Just a little longer.
Finally we reach the Fuji-san Hotel, the hut where we will rest for a few hours before the final stretch of the climb.
Some cup noodles before bed.
When I say bed, what I mean is a sleeping bag in the barracks upstairs. And when I say sleeping bag, I really mean half a sleeping bag, because boy is it cramped in here. I do not think I will sleep much.
And sure enough I didn’t. At this point the altitude sickness is at its worst for everyone. Imagine a mid-level hangover. Now imagine you have that hangover on the side of the largest mountain in Japan, and that’s what altitude sickness feels like.
We manage to shake it off, and begin the final ascent around 2 am. At this time, climbers emerging from the huts crowd the trail, and climbing churns at a snail’s pace. Luckily, attendants and tour group leaders encourage the use of a passing lane of sorts for faster climbers. Using this to our advantage we make it to the shrine at the summit with time to spare. Now all we have to do is find a good spot and wait.
And wait, and wait, and wait. Did I mention it is cold and windy up here? I never realized how long it took for the sun to actually get over the horizon.
Eventually, the sun starts to peek out from the horizon, and you can feel the excitement growing.
And then just 30 seconds later, the sun is above the horizon. All that build up…
It is a pretty awesome sight though. And such good weather too.
Lots of cheering from all the climbers as the sun comes into full view.
The sun continues on its way upwards, and we start to prepare for our descent. That means stopping at the shrine for a stamp that proves we made it to the top.
We begin the long way down along the exit trail. A lot of people say this is the most difficult part. The return trail is steep with very loose gravel. Add to that tired legs, and slipping becomes inevitable. Whether you fall or not is up to you. With no walking sticks, I adopted a mixed strategy of side stepping and digging my heals into loose gravel as I leaned back. The latter is kind of like walking down stairs.
After what seems like ages (even though it took way less time than our ascent) we arrive back at the forested area around station five.
We drag our tired bodies on a bus back to Shinjuku station, and return to Tokyo with a quiet sense of accomplishment.
Climbing Fuji is one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. That’s great, because I’d rather not do it a second time. The sunrise and scenery are spectacular, no doubt about that. But the trail is demanding, even though it is sometimes labeled as easy enough for beginners.
And I’m not sure if the next time could live up to such a successful first outing. Our group did an awesome job. So if you get the chance, and your body is able, go for it—climb Mt. Fuji!