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Published: July 12th 2009
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Climbing Mt. Fuji was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but one of the most amazing and unforgettable experiences of my life.
My brother-in-law, Stephen, and I arrived at Station 5 (about 2000 meters above sea level/or a little above 6000 feet) by bus where we immediately saw an amazing sunset and encountered an extremely windy evening. We proceeded to throw on an extra layer of clothing and our head lamps. We then stopped into the tourist shop and purchased a wooden walking stick. After doing so, we were discuss outside about whether or not they were a waste of money. Two young guys from China (we talked to them after) overheard us and were laughing at us for buying them. We were the ones laughing later on because the walking sticks came in extremely handy during the difficult parts of the climb.
We started the climb at about 7:45 p.m. and did not arrive at the top until 7 hours later. We were joking after the first hour of the climb that it didn't seem that difficult. It definitely got more difficult and was a lot harder than we thought it would be. The first
part of the climb included a lot of switchbacks on loose gravel and stones. We thought it would be this way the entire climb. Unfortunately, we eventually came upon sections we had to maneuver jagged volcanic rock. This is where the walking sticks came in handy.
Along the way, there were a lot of resting areas and huts that we took advantage of. We used these to rest, acclimate our bodies to the altitude, and meet new people. A lot of people start the climb earlier in the day and use these huts to sleep before continuing the climb a few hours before sunrise at 4:30. Not us. We were smart enough to climb in the dark in the middle of the night.
The climb got harder and harder as it went on. Eventually, we weren't waiting for the huts to rest. We were stopping for rests along the trail.
The last 2 hours of the climb were extremely slow. We could definitely feel the effects of the altitude. We noticed that we weren't recovering as easily, but still had plenty of time to make it to the top before sunrise so we were happy to rest
more frequently.
We finally arrived at the top at about 2:45 a.m. after walking under the Toreii of the Kosushi Shrine. I wasn't sure if we had arrived at the top but when I noticed a lot of people sitting around and huddling themselves along the long, dark one-story building. They were huddling themselves because of the 40 - 50 mile an hour chilling winds that were blowing in the 30 degree weather. Stephen and I, along with a few other people that we had met, found a small, roofless hut to huddle in until the sun came up. It was extremely uncomfortable and cold, but we had no other choice. We wondered why the larger building wasn't open, but we suffered through it.
The large building did finally open a little before sunrise and began serving warm bowls of noodle soup which many people began taking advantage of. I wanted to do the same, but I had lost Stephen in the crowd and really wanted to see the sunrise. I was able to snap a few pictures as I suffered through the cold and as the sun came up I noticed a huge number of people still
climbing the trail to see the sunrise. It was quite a sight.
I finally found Stephen and we went to get a bowl of soup. After our soup and warming up some we went to get a look at the crater of the volcano and snap a few pictures. I was in awe of the crater and our surroundings. A feeling of accomplishment and exhilleration came over me.
After seeing the crater and struggling to keep ourselves from falling in as a result of the wind we decided to start our descent. It started at about 5:30 a.m. and we didn't reach our starting point until 3 hours later. The climb down was almost as hard as the climb up. We weren't losing our breath as much as were on the ascent and our legs weren't burning as much, but our knees were suffering. I think we took just as many rests on the way down as we did on the way up. Our eyes were also suffering because of the dirt and dust that the winds were blowing into our faces as we made our way down the trail.
Sleep deprived and exhausted we finally made
it to the bottom at 8:30 a.m. Our goal was to get some food, get the bus for the 2 hour ride back to Tokyo, and make it back to the apartment for a long afternoon nap.
Although I'll NEVER do the climb again I'm really glad that I did it. It's something I'll never forget.
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