Now for the main event: my ascent up Mt. Fuji. After enduring a day in which my nerves prevented me from eating much of anything, at 6:00 in the evening, my friend Lou and I climbed into the bus that would take us to our destiny. This was not a normal bus ride, but one that would take us half way up Fuji, before depositing us at the Fifth Station some 6,000 feet from the base. The wind was whipping around quite a bit, and we were grateful for the coats and gloves that we had the foresight to bring. There were several dozen people milling around, chatting, drinking beer, and generally waiting for the night to get a bit closer before beginning the climb. In the distance, I heard a man shouting that all climbers
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