One of the activities on the top of our "To Do" list while in Japan was climbing Mt. Fuji (better known as Fuji-san in Japan). The climbing season for Mt. Fuji is actually quite short and usually spans from the first week of July until the first week of September. The goal for most climbers, other than reaching the summit, is to enjoy the sunrise from atop the mountain.
Initially, Kaz and I had considered saving our Fuji hike until next year - since our July was full of visitors and August was spent in the US. However, we've come to realize that Fuji-san can be a bit temperamental when it comes to weather...so just in case the weather didn't love us on this trip - we decided to give ourselves next year to catch the sunrise if this year didn't work out. Spoiler alert...we almost had to schedule attempt #2...however, in the end, we lucked out! ;)
Mt. Fuji is Japan's tallest mountain - at 3,776 meters (12,389 feet for those of us who don't use metrics). Fuji is known for its almost perfect shape and is considered one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains." In 2013, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it's estimated that close to 400,000 people climb Fuji-san every year! Mt. Fuji is actually an active volcano. The last time it erupted was in 1708 - and if you talk to anyone in Japan - they will tell you that it's long overdue for an eruption (which is terrifying given that Tokyo is really, really close to Fuji).
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| The buses had "pull-down" middle seats! |
Our journey to Mt. Fuji began on Friday evening. After Kaz got off work, we drove about three hours to the "Fuji Area" and stayed at a small hotel about 45 minutes from the mountain. Because the busiest part of climbing season was deemed over as of August 31st, we were told that we would be able to drive to the 5th station of the mountain (where we would begin our climb). On Saturday morning, we began our drive to the 5th station. Upon reaching the entrance to the mountain road - we were told that it was at least a five-hour wait to get a parking spot. So, we abandoned that plan and took the bus up to the 5th station.
As we drove, the clouds became thicker and visibility was rather low once we arrived. The 5th Station was like a little mountain village - it had some stores (to stock up on last-minute supplies); some restaurants (of course, it IS Japan); and even a sacred shrine (which we visited to ask for a safe journey up the mountain). Spending some time at the 5th station also gave our bodies a bit of time to acclimate to the altitude before beginning the climb. I also purchased my "hiking stick," which became one of our motivators as we climbed - along the hike, you could stop and get various stamps on your hiking stick...which makes for an awesome souvenir!
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| Our "tickets" to climb! |
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| Clouds! |
As we hiked from the 5th to the 7th station, the sky turned bright blue and we were able to watch the fluffy white clouds pass around us at all angles. I couldn't believe how fast the clouds were moving! The toughest part about this aspect of the hike was allowing my body to adjust to the altitude. I found myself out of breath easily - but as we hiked - my heart rate slowed and I was able to breathe much easier. Phew! There was a clear path to follow - with a steady flow of people. Although I knew Mt. Fuji was a volcano - I don't think I was expecting the trail to be as rocky as it was! And, I had also forgotten about switchbacks. Those little trails that zig-zag up a mountain to lessen the steepness as you hike. They are super misleading too! So much of the climb - you could see your next destination...and it looks oh SO much closer than it actually is!
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| See those "switchbacks" on the left side?! |
From the 7th to the 8th station (8.5th, really) - the trail became extremely rocky. I could barely take in the beauty surrounding me because I had to spend so much time focusing on determining exactly where I was going to put my foot! I ended up using my hands - almost as though I was climbing on all fours - so that I wouldn't fall. I hadn't even considered that hiking with a backpack could throw your center of gravity off quite as much as it did!
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| Getting a stamp! |
We reached our "hut" for the night - at about the 8.5th station - after close to four hours of hiking (with food, water, and stamp breaks - of course). When researching our climb, we read over and over that climbing Mt. Fuji all in one day was not recommended. Most sites suggested that hikers stay in a hut around the 8th station and wake up early to hike the rest of the way to the summit for sunrise. We decided this was our best option - plus, I've never stayed in a hiker's hut before - so I was quite interested in the experience.
The hut was just that....a hut. It had a main room - in which they served you dinner in shifts (curry rice - woo, woo!). There was a back room that had two sides divided by a narrow walkway. Each side had an upper and lower level (think bunk beds) that was filled with sleeping bags (placed so close together that rolling over or wiggling while sleeping was COMPLETELY out of the question). Luckily, we arrived early enough that we were given a corner spot - so I "rested" between Kaz and the wall - and he "rested" between me and some random stranger. The bathrooms were outside (and actually way better that I imagined - think park bathroom) and were 200 yen to use. You had to pay to use all bathrooms on the mountain since there is no running water and all water is brought up by truck. BUT - there were western toilets - so I was able to avoid the squatty!! WOO!
We had the "5pm dinner slot" so after we ate - we nestled into our sleeping bags. The hut was super noisy (as other were still eating - and then chatting with each other) - so it was difficult to sleep. Plus, it was hours before we usually went to sleep. However, we both knew that the "1am wake up time" would come early...so we did our best to snooze. At 1am, we were woken up by a long announcement in Japanese (thank goodness Kaz could understand). Basically, they were telling us that it was raining and they felt it was too dangerous to attempt the summit. They told people to climb at their own risk - but the clear recommendation was to wait a few hours to see if the weather would break. There were a few groans - and then most people went back to sleep. My heart sunk, for sure. We had already come so far...and the thought of having to turn back and then attempt again next year...was VERY disappointing. Kaz was much calmer than me (as usual) and suggested we just wait it out. As he snoozed - I tried to make friends with Mother Nature.
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| Here we go! |
Around 3:30am - the weather lightened up and the radar showed a few-hour break in the weather...so we decided to take our chance (along with almost everyone else in our hut). We knew we wouldn't make it to the summit for sunrise; however, we had chosen to hike the trail that promises you can see the sunrise from anywhere on it as long as the weather cooperates. There are actually four trails to the summit of Mt. Fuji - but the one that we chose is the most popular - probably because it has huts, food stands, and toilets)! As we climbed - we could see that most of the clouds were below us...so we knew that if the weather stayed the same - sunrise was a strong possibility! Climbing in the dark was definitely an interesting experience. We had our headlamps - which definitely helped - and as you looked above and below you - you could see the lights of other climbers twinkling in the night.
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| The sunrise is coming! |
At about 5:15am, we found a little spot to stop and watch the sunrise. We probably could have hiked a bit higher - as my judgment of when the sun will actually rise - or set - based on the sky is usually at least 30 minutes off! On our honeymoon, we "watched" the sun set for close to two hours! There are really no words that can describe the beauty of watching the sunrise from what felt like the top of the world...so I'll let the pictures (and video) paint the picture for you.
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| The "LINE" |
We spent about a hour on the top of the mountain - enjoying some hot instant noodles and peering into the crater of the volcano. The crater is huge...and as you peer into it...you are reminded that you an on a volcano and not just a mountain. Then, we began our descent down the mountain.
Other hikers had warned us that the hike down is often more difficult than the hike up - and I would have to agree. Your legs are tired, you have already "achieved" your goal, and you are walking steeply downhill for hours. Since the paths are rocky, you have to focus on where you are stepping while at the same time tightening your legs muscles enough to make sure you don't pick up speed and fall (think about a snowball picking up speed as it rolls down a mountain). Throughout our hike down, the weather continued to hold off...and the rain didn't start until we were about thirty minutes from the "finish line" (aka - the 5th station). By then, we were so tired and sweaty that we didn't even feel the rain! The first thing we did once we returned to the 5th station was enjoy a well-deserved ice cream cone...and then catch the bus back to our car (man, was the bus smelly - full of wet hikers who hadn't showered in 48 hours)
Sunny Moments: Weather that held off; reaching the summit; BEAUTY!
Cloudy Moments: Rain; the bathroom smell that filled the hut during the night; sore knees on the descent.
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