Mt. Fuji

Here are some facts about Mt. Fuji:

• It is 3,776 m (12,388 ft) high.
• The official climbing season is July-August.
• It is an active volcano, although the last eruption was in 1707-1708.
• The "san" in "Fujisan" (富士山) means "mountain". It is not the same "san" that is used after people's names.
  

The Yamasa group of 19 people left Aoi Hall at about 3:15 Friday afternoon. Our Fearless Leader told us we had one last chance to choose to go to an onsen instead. This will be his 9th climb. The bus took us to two rest areas, then to the 5th station on the Fujinomiya route. There are several routes up Mt. Fuji, and most people start at the 5th station of whichever route they have chosen.

Fujinomiya is the shortest route, starting at 2,400 meters. There are 7 stations after the 5th station: 6, new 7, 7, 8, 9 and 9.5. New 7 and 9.5 were put in after the originals, and the originals were not renamed.

I had with me my camera and case on my belt, 2 liters of water, 2 half-liter bottles of a Gatorade-like drink, the shell of my Columbia jacket and a fleece jacket, ear muffs, scarf, biking gloves, lots of sweet snacks and energy bars, 2 energy gel-drinks, sunglasses, a walking stick, rain pants, sunscreen, ibuprophen, anti-diarrheal medication, a can of oxygen and ID, a flashlight and batteries, all in my backpack. I wore jeans, hiking boots and a biking t-shirt (not cotten).

We reached the 5th station at about 8:30 at night. Since we were told that this would be the last clean toilets we'd see, I decided to take advantage. They certainly didn't smell clean, even from several feet from the door. I took the first stall I could find, and used it even though it was Japanese style. I assumed they all were. When I stood up, my camera case slid off my belt, right into the toilet it went! ARRRRGH!

I went into the shop to see if anything could be done. The answer I got: "Sho ga nai." (Nothing can be done.). Crap. I wasn't so worried about the camera -- I'd get another and EVERYONE else had one, so I could get pics later. But I had just gotten a 4GB card for mine that I didn't want to lose. I had pics on there that I hadn't unloaded. Crap! I looked down there with my flashlight. Omigosh, I could see it! It was sitting on top of, well, you know....

I went back to the shop, and said, "Kamera ga miemasu! (I can see my camera!)"
Shop guy: "Mieru? (You can see it?)
Me: "Hai! Miemasu!"

So he came and looked, and he could see it too. So, he found a hook on a stick and got it out for me! Woo-hoo!!! He plopped it in a sink for me to wash off. Lots of domo arigato gozaimashita's later, I dared to peak inside the camera case. My camera and extra cards were DRY!! I tested the camera -- it worked!! I put the case in a plastic bag that I'd brought for garbage, tied it up tight and put the camera in a zippered pocket.

I told everyone that we'd had our one disaster and all would be well afterwards.

So, we started climbing. And climbing. We would climb to the next station, then wait for the whole group to get there and rest. Then we'd move on to the next station. At about the 7th station, I asked our Fearless Leader where exactly was that onsen he had told us about. Too late, he said! So, I kept climbing. It was dark, so I used my flashlight.

Then, the trail got a little easier. The distance between stations got shorter, it was less rocky for a bit, and my sugar buzz hit. I'd consumed both my energy gel-drinks, lots of the gatorade drinks and a lot of rock candy.

Our group passed and was passed by a group of Marines several times. They are stationed near Mt. Fuji. They sang cadence songs as they went, and we could tell when the song was cleaned up because there would be a slight pause as the leader remembered the clean lyric.

Large portions of the trail have ropes by them. These are both to hang onto, and to let you know which chunk of rocks is the trail. The whole trail has a lot of switchbacks.

Unfortunately, around here one guy had to drop off and go down a station. He'd gotten altitude sickness. He was one of the fittest guys in the group, but that doesn't prevent altitude sickness. The only way to know if you'll get it is to get it. You can get just a headache, or nausea, or diarrhea or worse symtoms. So our poor friend stayed at a mountain hut, where you can rent half a futon for about 8000 yen, or around $80.

Near the top, there is a torii gate. Mt. Fuji is sacred in Shinto, so the top is a shinto shrine. Around the 9th stations, it started getting rocky and I thought it would be a pain to go down.

We reached the top at 4:00 am on Saturday. It was dark, and it was very cold, but we'd made it!! WOO-HOO!!!! We were at the top of Mt. Fuji!! I'd actually climbed a mountain!! WOW!

We were on the "wrong" side of the mountain--we had to be at the top to see the sunrise. The Marines went around the crater, and we went to the top of a peak where an now unused weather station was. Several other people were there as well. Our Fearless Leader pulled a glass and a can of Guiness from his pack, and poured a glass of Guiness. Photos were taken, and the beer was drunk. I had a swallow. It was very good at 3,776 meters.

The sunrise was glorious. Absolutely beautiful. The Japanese did a cheer. We went to a platform on the weather station, and were able to see the shadow that Fuji casts. Wow.

We came down from the little peak, and everyone went to get postcards to send from the post office at the top of Mt. Fuji (there is one), buy walking sticks or souvenirs, or just rest.

We left the peak at around 6:00 am. It got warmer just because the sun was out. I was very happy to be able to see the trail to go down, especially where it was rocky.

I tried to drink my water, but I'd lost the little mouthpiece on the drinking tube. For awhile I was able to drink without it, but I must have been just too tired. At the next station, I went to transfer the water from the backpact bag to a bottle, and discovered the bag was empty! I'd drunk almost 3 liters of water and gaterade on the way up. Yikes. Fortunatly, our Fearless Leader had part of a large bottle of Aquarius that he "didn't want to carry". I asked him how to say "mensch" in Japanese. After telling him what "mensch" meant, I got a reasonable answer: yasashii hito.

Climbing down is hard, even when it's not rocky. Mt. Fuji is a volcano. So, there is a lot of pumice. Even the gravel is pumice. And gravel likes to shift when you step on it, so your foot likes to slip forward and you end up stopping with your weight on your toes. Ouch. A good walking stick helps a lot.

About the same time as we collected our friend, it started to rain. Then it started to hail. Around here, I got behind the group. When it stopped hailing (or I got below the hail line), and it kept on raining, I got my rain gear out.

Before, the rocks were points of stability -- a good place to step compared to the shifty gravel. Now, they were wet and slippery. I didn't make good time to the next station. When I reached the next station, everyone was still wandering around the shop, so nobody noticed how late I was. Yay!

After a bit it stopped raining. There were only a few more stations, then finally I reached number 5. Yay!!

We got on the bus around 11:30 on Saturday morning. It was decided that we would forego the trip to a waterfall that had been scheduled. That was OK with me.

We stopped at one of the rest stops, and got back to Aoi Hall at around 3:15 on Saturday. I dragged myself back to my room (Hooray for being so close to school!), took a shower and crawled into bed.

Today (Sunday), my legs still ached so I went to an onsen that I have been to before, and wanted to go to again on this trip to Okazaki. I was much improved after soaking in hot water and sittting in saunas.

I'm glad I went, but I won't go again. If you go, here are my tips:

• Climb at night. It's cooler, the sun won't burn you. It's easier to climb than descend by flashlight. There will be fewer people coming the other way. If you make the top in time, you'll see a great sunrise.
• Wear good hiking boots that go over your ankles. You will have plenty of opportunities to fall and turn your ankles anyway.
• Bring plenty of liquids. At least 3 liters. 4 if you are generally thirsty or a guy.
• Bring non-aspirin pain-relievers and anti-diarrheal medication. Even if you don't need it, you'll be a hero to anyone who does.
• Bring sweets and high energy foods.
• Either bring a light, collapsible walking stick or buy one at the top. You won't need it on the way up, but you will need it on the way down. If you buy wood one at the top, you can get it branded at each station on the way down to make a souvenir.
• Wear tough biking gloves. The rocks are pumice and you will either fall on them or have to hang onto them. Pumice is sharp.
• Bring a proper backpack with padded shoulder straps and a waist strap.
• Bring sunscreen and sunglasses. The atmosphere is thinner and therefore less protective as you get higher up.
• Go in a group. You can encourage each other, and someone will know if something happens to you. It will be a lot more fun, and you can share pictures afterwards.
  

So, here are a few pics:

Sunrise, from the top of Mt. Fuji.














A few nearby mountains peeking through the cloud layer.














Mt. Fuji's shadow, as seen from the top.














The top of Mt. Fuji looks like Mars, except for the other climbers...














Here you can see the switchbacks on the trail.














Here we are finally seeing some plants. You can also see the slope of the mountain.