Climbing Fuji-san

Well, I did it! Climbing Mount Fuji was challenging and rewarding all at once (those two things often seem to go together).

After a 7-hour bus ride, 9 of us from NOVA arrived at the 5th Station (out of 9) and had a small meal before beginning the climb at around 6:00pm. We made pretty good time, arriving at the 8th station in only about four hours. It got dark quickly, but we had flashlights or headlamps, and the cool weather kept us from sweating to death. It began as a gentle slope, but it quickly became more necessary to use the climbing sticks we bought. Between the 7th and 8th Stations, we even needed to crawl over rocks with our hands at times.

We had to stop every hour or so to drink water or sports drinks and eat a little something to prevent altitude sickness. At various points, my breathing became labored, and I felt a little lightheaded or dizzy for a few moments. A few puffs on my canned oxygen or a short rest usually took care of that. It was generally caused by climbing too high too fast, and short breaks were essential. In fact, they have most climbers stop at the 8th Station for a couple hours to help them adjust. It's sort of like not ascending too quickly when SCUBA diving because you can get "the bends" from changing air pressure too quickly.

So we took a "small sleep" packed in to loft-type bedding in rows of about 20 people, had a tiny breakfast of sticky rice, and made the painstaking 3-hour climb to the 9th Station at the summit. It was steeper than the rest, and the wind was getting really chilly, but the most challenging part was that there were SO many people climbing that we could only take a few steps and then had to stop, often balancing across two rocks, until we could move forward a few more steps.

We arrived at the top just in time to see dawn break, and the sunset was beautiful.

I think the most beautiful part wasn't the sun, but rather that we could see lower mountaintops peeking through the clouds below us.


We couldn't stay long because of the cold, and we soon headed down the mountain, which I think was more difficult than the climb. While going up was more challenging because of the altitude and required endurance, the descent was more of a workout.

The path down was full of lava rocks and gravel that you would slip on every few steps. I found it easier to actually run down the slope, digging my heels in to the gravel to prevent sliding. The whole trip down only took about three hours or so, and we were exhausted.

Our bus dropped us off at an "onsen" or Japanese spa, where we took advantage of a hot tub and massage chairs. Then as we continued home, the bus overheated twice, and we had to wait a total of three hours on the side of the road before finally heading home.

Overall, I was grateful for the experience. I got to use my Japanese with people on the bus, our tour guide, and the climbing guide. I was able to get away from my job and the city for awhile. I had time to think about my priorities and potential future plans. I got to spend some time with friends and get to know a few new people as well.

It was difficult at times to continue to the top, and two people in our group didn't actually make it all the way up. I think it's great that they were in touch with their temporary limitations and honored their body's needs. I have no doubt that under different circumstances they could both make it all the way to the summit. Maybe next time?

Well, while it was great to do once, I don't think I'll be doing that again anytime soon!

As usual, you can see the rest of the photos HERE, double-click to see larger versions, and right-click to save them.