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.

Barcelona cruising

My final cruise for this year! Well worth all the work and time, but it does take such a large amount of time that one cannot be but glad it is over!

Dream team aboard the Garcia del Cid

Well, after enjoying some of the sights of Barcelona, of course.

More Tansei maru

We've done ane re-done the Tansei maru in safe and local Sagami Bay,

and we've done the Tansei maru off of possibly a little less safe Fukushima,

so for a change we decided to add the active volcano element, and start a cruise out of Kagoshima.

Kagoshima is an absolutely beautiful town.

But it does have one negative point: it happens to be located downwind from Sakurajima, an actice volcano,

Sometimes even quite active.

And there it goes again....

After a short delay caused by an incoming typhoon, we were all roaring to leave beautiful Kagoshima, and get out to sea where we could finally wash all the ash off the ship.

Pumice bobbing around in Kagoshima port

The cruise went very well for everyone except the group whose idea it had beed to do the cruise in the first place.

Despite having spent a lot of time getting plankton pumps installed aboard the contraption carrying the VPR, they discovered there just were'nt enough particles down at 1000m to catch anything at all during the one hour alloted. But last I head they were making plans about how to improve things and go back next year.

Not for me, though, as I have had more cruises than I think is really wise, and although I am endlessly grateful to Nishikawa-san and Dhugal for getting me all this ship time, I do not think I'd have the courage to do it all again next year!

Archery in Aburatsubo

A cute little find from one of the girls at the house, perfect Sunday outing,

equestrian archery contest

it's a long story....

This is the captain of the Tansei maru, and it's a long story...

May 14, a clear, sunny morning after a cold, wet, windy and movemented night, just moving out on deck to prepare the next multi-corer station, some 250km offshore of Shiogama.

Little-prepared were we to find our preparations hindered by the presence of a pigeon, asleep atop the multi-corer! Calling crew and researchers out to show off our find, it was not long before we discovered a second pigeon, huddled behind the IKMT net. And finally a third was unearthed by the crew going about their daily routines.

Us all being proud scientists engaged in scientific activities aboard a research vessel, upon discovery of the birds we naturally started discussing whether or not they should be roasted for lunch.

But that discussion was quickly abandonned, because although they were weak and haggard, they did have leg bands... And said leg bands had a contact telephone number on them!
So the captain took it as his duty to use the emergency satellite telephone in order to find out more about these birds! Turns out they were from the northern-most tip of Hokkaido, and had been engaging in a pigeon race, when the big low-pressure zone sent them off track. They suggested we let the biggest and strongest bird fly home, and promissed to send a messenger all the way to Daiba to pick up the other two, very weak at that point.

May 15, sheltering from the high seas just offshore from Shiogama. More rain and cold. The biggest pigeon is ceremoniously taken out of the carboard box they are kept in, and thrown into the air. It did not appreciate this treatment, and after several unsuccessful pigeon-launching, it was decided all three pigeons would be delivered in Daiba.

May 18, three rested, large pampered pigeons, and their doting captain, at dock in Daiba. The two he is holding were last seen sitting atop the crane, showing no sign of getting ready to head North.

And as we all agreed that, although amusing, the report that we caught nothing but pigeons during our cruise would not go down well with office people back home, we did a bit of plankton and water sampling, too! Sampling which turned out, by pure chance, to be one of the most fruitful and interesting we've ever had!

We caught sharks, ...

... a beautiful and completely undamaged anglerfish, ...

... a siphonophore colody that had shed some parts, but was still in beautiful condition

(most detached bits were subsequently salvaged from the bottom of the sample bucket)

... and last but not least, a team capable of measuring up to the craziness of the cruise!