Top of Mt. Fuji

One 'must-do' in Japan ticked off the list: climbing to the top of Mt. Fuji!

One might think that, having just spent 2 months on a 37m-long boat, I would not be in my best mountain-climbing condition. However, Girish, whom I went with, is a visiting researcher from Mauritius, only in Japan for a couple of weeks, and has all his week-ends all planned out.

We set out Firday evening on a bus from Shinjuku, to arrive at 10pm at one of Mt. Fuji's 5th stations, located at 2300m above sea level.

From there, we followed the much-used Yoshida trail up the mountain.

It was my first time hiking at night, and everyone with their flash-lights gives quite a cheery, christmasy feeling to the climb.

The lights are of the huts and hikers going to the top.

It is about 5km from the 5th station to the top. After 2 hours of climbing, we reach station 7. Still bursting with energy. Can't be far to the top now!

One hour later, station 8. Do I look tired? Does that sign say 3 hours to the top?!

By 3am, I was litteraly falling asleep on my feet, which can be just a little bit dangerous, if said feet are trying to make their way up a rocky path. And the temperature had dropped, and wind come up, to such an extent that I was shaking with cold (despite my 2 sweaters and wind-breaker), and my hands had cramped onto the flashlight so I could hardly move my fingers. So we made a small stop at one of the mountain chalets, and had a most welcome bowl of hot miso soup. Never have 15 minutes sitting on a cold, windy, floor with a bowl of soup done so much good to a person.

So it was woken up and with the memory of hot soup that we tackled the last long strech to the top. I am glad I was woken up, as it allowed us to avoid a small accident, when someone trying to cut a switchback kicked a big stone loose. The first person to see it cried out, and everyone picked it up, so the rock rolled to a halt just bellow us, having gone right between me and the person in front with no damage done.

It started to get light around 4am, and although we still had 2 hours to go (it took much longer than what the signs indicated), the sight of what we were engaged in gave up the last bit of energy we needed to make it to the top.

An finally there it was! The gate to the top of Mt. Fuji!

Exhilaration and excitement filled us,

and we went to see the crater, and enjoy the view and the morning light a bit,

... before crashing out at one of the summit noodle shops.

By 7:30am, we were rested and refreshed enough to take on the descent. Or at least, that is what we though when we started down...

The descent route is different from the one you use going up, and is in fact the route the caterpillar tractors use to bring food and water to the mountain huts. So it is wide, and flat, and not very rocky.

By that, I mean the width of the path was flat.

The mountain itself seemed to have attained an angle I had not been aware of on the ascent.

3 hours later, and still descending a seemingly endless tractor path, the clouds start lifting, providing much welcome coolness on the by now baking mid-day lava slope.

Two hours later, we finally reach the level of of the 5th station, in a fog so deep you can hardly see a couple of meters ahead of you.

But this quickly passed, leaving us to finish walking through a beautiful, misty, high-mountain forest, and out onto a cool, overcast day at station 5.

There, we had about 2 hours to rest, buy some souvenirs, and climb on the bus back to Tokyo. Dinner, a hot bath and some sleep and greatly needed, and Sunday will not be filled with any kind of walking I can possbly avoid.

But it was an amazing experience, and, as crazy as it sounds, I would most willingly go again.