A look at Mt. Fuji from my hotel
Amazing views today
The Yoshida Trail
Great views
A picture half way up
Tough walking conditions on much of the ascent
The final few steps to the peak - through a tori gate
One of the huts on the mountain
At the peak - looking into the depressed cone
At the peak - exhausted, but happy
A look down the mountain from the peak
Happy Independence Day! I really like this holiday. I've done a lot of fun things on this day. Today was no exception.
I awoke this morning at 5am at the Fujison Station Hotal in Fujian, Japan. After prepping my day pack, I walked over to the 7/11 and got some money from an ATM & food/water for the day. Today I climb Mt. Fuji. I left the bus terminal at 6:30am from Fujisan and took a 1-hr ride to the Fuji Subaran 5th Station. This is where I will start my day hike via the Yoshida Trail.
Unbelievably great weather today. Sunshine, white puffy clouds - great picture taking weather. And - the temperature was comfortable all day. I didn't change clothes 1 time - even on the summit.
Mt. Fuji - the highest and most recognized mountain in Japan. At 12,300ft in elevation - it's not a joke to climb. The route I chose - the Yoshida Trail - is the most popular route. You start at an elevation of 7,600ft and you ascend 4,700 ft in 6km (3.6 miles) to peak at 12,300ft. What does this mean? Mt. Fuji is VERY steep. Just for comparison purposes - the last 6 miles to the peak of Pikes Peak in Colorado has a pretty equal elevation gain - around 4500ft. That's in 6 miles however - Mt. Fuji does it in 3.6 miles.
Usually there are tons of people on the mountain. I chose to hike during the day on a Monday (versus at night on a weekend). Most hikers climb at night so they can see the sunrise in the morning. I'm not one to always go with the norm - so I decided to shake it up a little. I've climbed mountains in the dark - I'd rather have 5 hours of perfect views on the way up versus staring at a spotlight on the ground and hoping for a clear sunrise. I think it's actually safer to hike in the daytime as well. You have more site views for your next step.
The hike was challenging - but doable. I took a ton of photos on the way up - something I would definitely not have done if I was really struggling. 4 hrs, 5 minutes to summit. I then spent about an hour on the summit, walking around the depressed cone filled with snow at the peak. Amazing views! The return took a different path - made mostly of a scree field. So I basically slid a lot of the way down. 2 hrs, 10 minutes on the return. 6 hr, 15 minutes total hike with another hour at the summit. I was sort of anxious about this climb - really glad I did this. There were very few hikers today - I was not inhibited at any time of the day. I was able to go my own pace the entire way.
One of the traditional things to do on Mt. Fuji is to purchase a wooden walking stick. Then - as you progress up the mountain to the different stations (Station 6, 7, 8, etc), you get the stick stamped. This symbolizes you made it to a particular height. It's a great souvenir so I decided to take part. (not sure what I'm going to do with it the rest of the trip however). But, I'm sure I will never forget this day and the walking stick will bring back some great memories.
There are several huts on the way up, as a lot of people hike part way, sleep over, and then complete the hike late at night before sunrise. I know the travel books suggest this and state this is the way to complete the hike. If I ever did Fuji again or spoke with anyone prepping for the trip - I would 100% suggest the way I did it today. I think there's plenty of time to day hike the mountain at a relaxing pace and enjoy yourself along the way.
After reaching the 5th station on my descent (my starting location), I had about 45 minutes until my return bus. Perfect timing for some much needed food. Noodles and soup were the selection. Really hit the spot. A 50-minute bus ride back to Fujisan and then a 2+ hr train to Tokyo. I arrived around 8:15pm. Randy/Wendy are out on the town. I'm staying in tonight for some needed rest - and I get to catch up on this blog as well. Great, great stuff today! I needed a few challenges on this sabbatical - today qualifies for sure.
Tomorrow we have a lot of great stuff on the agenda, as we tackle more of Tokyo and what it has to offer. Until then - good night from a really big city!
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