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Published: August 3rd 2012
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We did it! Climbed to the top and back again. Took just less than 4hrs up and just under 3 hrs down.
We took the first bus up in the morning and as we drew close to the 5
thstation (where the walk starts) we were amazed at the number of cars parked and the number of coaches and then when the vast number of people milling around. As we set off there were hundreds and hundreds of people coming down, in various states of weariness. It was a lovely clear day, good views up the mountain and down to the town. We set ourselves a steady pace, and were impressed with ourselves that we weren’t over taken at any point! The last 500m was a challenge, most of the walk was not too bad, not too steep, worst of it was the ground was quite loose for sections so you couldn’t get good purchase and kept slipping back a bit. Although it’s 3 776m high and I’ve never yet suffered altitude sickness, even at 5,500m, we both definitely felt it towards the end of the climb, feeling nauseous and a bit dizzy. But we made it and were glad to
sit at the crater rim and take it all in. Sadly it’s a bit of hawkers stall area just as you come to the top, selling all sorts of stuff, even a drinks vending machine! We attempted to walk around the crater, but neither of us felt well enough so headed down after about an hour at the top. The downwards route is separate from the upwards and is basically 2 hours of sliding down through loose scree and then an hours walk on relatively flat ground. It’s a bit of a slippery way down but much better then steps or climbing down; our legs didn’t feel bad at all at the end, (we were over taken by very many peopel on the way down, stronger knees than mine!).
Amazed at the end at the number of people going up, the two paths merge with around half an hour to go and we past hundreds of people, many of them in tight groups walking unbearably slowly with the guide at the front. I guess all heading up to the huts to stay before a dawn climb to the summit. Back at the car park there were even more tour
buses and cars and people than before. Due to just missing one bus we had an hour to wait and watched as one coach load after another do their group warm-up and then set off, we counted 48 coaches parked as we left and some more passed us driving up and countless cars, definitely good to have walked during the day. So a very rewarding walk, not as hard as we thought it would be and a lovely day to do it too.
As well as climbing the mountain we have also enjoyed being here in Kawaguchiko. There’s a huge lake of the same name which we’ve enjoyed walking some distance around. There would be good views of the lake and mountain but the mountain was never clear when we were out walking. Still there are lots of flowers here! Mainly big swathes of lovely blue hydrangeas which look good in the woodland.
Next, our last few days in Tokyo.
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