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Published: July 26th 2012
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I didn't want to leave Japan without attempting to climb Mount Fuji, which is such an iconic symbol of this beautiful country. So, thinking it would be a great last event of me and my friends, I organised for us to do the climb on Saturday 14th July. I'd heard that Fuji is not the most scenic of climbs, being a giant volcanic cone and all, so most people recommend doing the night climb and getting to the top for sunrise. I spoke to a few people who'd done this and they said it was a long slog, but not too hard - many families do the climb with their kids.
The trip seemed doomed from the start however. Nine of us left from Iida city Saturday afternoon, pooling into two cars, and we got lost on the way there (heading too far towards Tokyo). As a result we were running late when we got to Fuji-Yoshida city, and to top it off we got lost again trying to find the bus stop (you park at the bottom of Fuji and catch a bus to the fifth station, to start from 2,300 meters - eventually ascending to 3,776 meters). So
we started the climb about an hour later than planned at 9pm. On average it takes most people 5-7 hours to do the climb, so I'd allowed for 8 1/2 hours to get to the top for sunrise to give us lots of rest stops. The distance to the top is only 6km (3.7miles) but the elevation gain is almost 1,500 meters. The main problem is the altitude slowing you down - the higher you get the harder it is to breath.
We met up with two more friends at the fifth station, so our group was eleven in total. Full of nervous excitement, we set off in good spirits. It was a little chilly, but that was pleasant once you got walking. It was also very busy! This was the only weekend we were all free, but it was also a weekend many people want to climb, so there would be thousands of people on the mountain! This wasn't too bad to begin with, but it became a real problem later on!
There are ten stations in total on the mountain (and many other unofficial rest stops in between). At nearly every station there are huts, small
shops selling food and drink, and toilets - a far cry from the mountains I'd climbed back home in the UK (well, apart from Snowdon with its restaurant at the top). These stations were a welcome break in the climb. We were all pretty positive and enjoying ourselves up until about the eight station. From there, the weather started to turn. It got significantly colder, the rain started, it got so windy we were often knocked sideways, and a few of my friends started to really suffer from altitude sickness (which makes you feel dizzy, tired, nauseous). We carried small oxygen canisters to help with the altitude and periodically stopped for a hit (I enjoyed breathing mine as I sounded like Darth Vader!).
But the worst thing about the climb from here was the human traffic jam. There were so many people you could only move a few steps at a time. At times we were just stood still for about five minutes. This meant we were getting colder and wetter. A few of my friends didn't have proper water proofs or warm layers, and they were pretty miserable at this stage. Just before the ninth station three of
my friends decided to turn back. Three had already raced ahead (they actually made it to the top, although they said afterwards it was pretty dangerous with the high winds). The rest of the group struggled on until the ninth station, which was only a ramshackle hut, and then as dawn started breaking we decided enough was enough and we headed back down the mountain, cold, wet and disheartened.
The route down was also hard going - loose volcanic ash and rocks. I slipped up four times and landed painfully on my bum, which was not fun! In the day light Fuji looked like a Martian landscape - very barren and red.
To add insult to injury, as soon as the sun came out in the morning it quickly turned into a scorching hot day and I got a badly sunburnt face.
Most of my friends have said never again! I can't say I wouldn't try again (I feel gutted not to have made it all the way) - we came so close to conquering Fuji. On a quieter night, with less people and better weather I think it would have been a good experience. That said, perhaps
I should take heed of a well known Japanese saying:
"A wise man climbs Mount Fuji once in his life; only a fool climbs it twice."
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