Mt Fuji

Last Friday/Saturday I climbed Mt Fuji. To put it mildly it was awful, it was the mot uncomfortable experience of my life. To be honest I didn't do that much research, but everything I read made made it seam pretty simple. Our schedule was typical:

Friday 8am take a bus to the mountain
Friday 4pm start climbing from stage 5
Friday 8pm reach our lodge at stage 8
Saturday 1am start climbing
Saturday 4am arrive at the peak, stage 10, and see the sunrise. Hike around the peak and return down
Saturday 12pm bus home

The packing list included high nutrition snacks, water, garbage bag, hat, gloves, rain coat and pants, canned oxygen, toilet paper, extra socks, flash light and 100yen coins.

I started to get a bit worried when it started raining on the bus ride to the mountain, it stopped before we arrived so things seamed OK. When we arrived at stage 5 it was quite foggy, but the most comfortable temperature I have felt since I arrived in Japan.

There are several trails you can take to the top, I'm not even sure which one we chose. We took 30mins to adjust to the altitude and started climbing, I trusted our leader Yamauchi-san because, against conventional wisdom, he has climbed not one but four times.
This photo was taken between stages 5 and 6, there was no view, just fog.

Around dusk we reached stage 7, this blurry photo is of M&L under a tori gate around stage 7. The hiking sticks they are holding were not only functional, but also a souvenir - at each hut along the way you can buy a brand mark, 200 yen, for your hiking stick (purchased at stage 5 for 900yen).

From stage 7 I didn't take any photos until after sunrise. After dusk I was more scared than expected, The climbing was on slippery rocks that required large and careful steps IN THE DARK. While holding a flashlight and a hiking stick it was more difficult to maintain good balance, something I hadn't thought about. I'm not sure what time we reached our hut at stage 8, but it was pretty confusing since there were several huts marked 8, without a Japanese speaking leader I don't think I would have been able to find the place to stay. At the hut we were shown to our 'beds' basically long bunk beds with futon mats long enough for approx 10 people, a long shared pillow at the top and a long shared blanket across. The only way to sleep was on your back with your arms on top of you because the people sleeping next to you were that close. We were served dinner before going to bed, I actually liked my dinner some sort of egg sauce with vegetables and rice, the non vegetarian meal was a burger with curry and rice. We also received a boxed breakfast of salmon and rice. We went to bed planning to start again at 1:30am.

At 1:15 we all woke up and started laughing because at that point no one could sleep given the crazy sleeping conditions. I had a headache from the altitude and lack of sleep when we started off again. About 15 mins after beginning it started raining, boo, just before reaching the lodge we had been able to see the stars so I had hoped it would be the same in the morning. It rained the entire way from Stage 8 to stage 10, thus began the most uncomfortable time of my life. Because of the weather the buildings at stage 10 were closed, people who must have arrived very early in the morning were perched under the awnings of the hut, waiting for dawn? and those who arrived later meandered around wet and clueless. After ringing the water out of our soaked gloves and trying to activate some instant heater pads (which didn't work because they got wet) we gave up and attempted to find the descending route.

This is the first photo I was brave enough to take after having reached the peak, it was maybe 6am, I was terrified that my camera would be water soaked and broken. I estimate this was about stage 7, yes, it was still raining and no part of my body was dry or warm.

The colored dots are other people on the way down, the descending tail is a back and forth look on red lava rock. My toes were perpetually jammed into the tip of my shoes and my knees were aching from trying not to slide down. Still raining.

This is a view up the mountain, taken from around stage 6. You cant see the top because of the angle and the fog that had returned. Slightly to the left of center you can see the ascending trail and the huts along the way.

This was near stage 6, the trees grow at a peculiar angle.


Finally we reached stage 5, around 930, our bus wasn't scheduled to arrive until 1030 so we were forced to wait around in soaked clothes and shoes until then.

Things I wish I had packed include:
flip flops for changing into after finishing
waterproof gloves
change of clothes packed in a sealed plastic bag

I took 4 liters of beverages, I wish I had left half at home, they were too heavy and at a cost of 100 yen the smelly bio bathrooms we no treat.

Despite all my complaints and disappointment, I am looking for volunteers to climb with me again next summer. It feels good to have accomplished the task, but it is beyond disappointing to have not had the reward of any beautiful views. Before I leave Japan I want to see the sunrise from the peak and next time I'll have take some experience with me.