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Fuji.Climb
A once in a lifetime experienceFuji climb.18 August 2006
Sonehara san from Toyota kindly organised a Mt Fuji hike, and a group of six of us did the climb (Sonoki san, Azuma san, Sonehara san, Jan, Pam and Michael). The hike was to climb the ＦＵＪＩＮＯＭＩＹＡ ＭＩＳＨＩＭＡ trail to Station 8, sleep there and wake at 2:30am and climb to the summit to see dawn. Unfortunately there was a mix up and we were late arriving and did not catch up to Sonoki san, Azuma san and Sonehara san till evening at Station 8.
Driving to Fuji in the car we read advice from a Lonely Planet guide which was not encouraging. Two comments stick out:
1.) "Climbing Fuji san is definitely not heroic....Nor is it much fun- it's a dusty slog and when you get to the top it's so cold and windy that your main thought is about heading down again."
2) "The japanese say you're wise to climb Fuji, but a fool to climb it twice"
This did not cheer us up, thanks Lonely planet!. But I have to say they were right!
The entire walk up took 4 hours on Friday afternoon and then another nearly 3 hours early Saturday morning. The climb down was about another 3 and a half hours. If we were fit, it would have been easier. The climb was exhausting, I swore, complained, I am now sunburned, I ache all over and dread walking up and down the stairs in my house because of the muscles that are used, and I will NEVER climb Fuji san again. But.... I am very glad I did it. It was an inspiring experience, with moments of great beauty, and like the quote from Lonely Planet, it really is worth doing....once.
Fuji climb.The Photos
We parked the car at station 5 and began to walk to the top. We
should have looked carefully at the map (above). We knew there was
about an 40 minutes to an hour walk between each station and that we
started at station 5 and finished at station 10. If we had of
counted the stations on the map we would have noticed that there were
two station 7's and two station 9's. So the walk was 2 hours longer
than we expected which was not funny when we finally discovered it.
View from the car park.
The starting point. 2400m (Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's tallest
mountain is 2,228m). We will climb to 3600+ m.
After a one hour climb you reach Stage 1. Some people do this with
their dogs, or children. Not too many rocks, we had breakfast
here on the way down.
Look at the rocks. When I think of Fuji I think of rocks
(scoria). This photo is taken at the start of the climb and you
can actually see climbers all the way up the mountain.
Pretty, passing the treeline. (look for this ridge in later shots)
Still early in the walk (I still look ok)
That is not the top, just another stage or two. Each building is
about an 40min to an hour's exhausting climb apart.
Rocks, walk on them or around them. Still pretty low.
Further up it is all rock
(You saw the ridge in the background earlier on)
Walking above the clouds
Above the clouds
We reach another stage
Stage 7, we end the day's walking at stage 8, so very happy at this
point, only and hour to go. But
when we got to the next stage it was another stage 7 (there were Stage
7 new and
Stage 7 old)....Ahhhhh another hour walking!!!
Finally we see stage 8
After 4 hours, slowing reaching stage 8, our destination for the night,
climbing the last 20 minutes in the dark.
The bunking was amazing. many people all crammed into a small
room. Two levels of communal bunks, Pam, Jan and I shared a
section of the open area about the width of a queen size bed. Jan is
taking the photo. On the way down the mountain, we saw the staff airing
the donnas by throwing them onto the roof of the building.
Outside stage 8 at 2:30am, people preparing to walk to the summit for
dawn.
Part of our group walking to the summit.
See me, see how fit I am, see the stage 9 sign. 65 minutes to the
summit. It lied!!
Both of us
About 2 hours after the "65 minutes to go" we arrive at the top.
Relieved and absolutely exhausted.
Shops at the top
Me "minding the stuff" as other fit people went for a walk.
More views of the top
More views of the top
More views of the top
You can walk around the crater at the top of Fuji. We just had a
look
The crater 1
The crater 2
No photos on the way down, too exhausted and tired.
On the Tomei driving home we did get one more photo.