wish you were here.: Mt. Fuji.

Everyone says climbing Mt. Fuji is the one thing you have to do before you leave Japan. And although most Japanese people have never even attempted the climb, most foreigners I’ve spoken to eventually want to climb Fuji or already have.

Like most things in Japan, climbing Mt. Fuji is a very seasonal activity. It is only open to the public during 2 months out of the year: July and August. This is due the extreme weather and temperatures during the non-summer months. These 2 months are so packed with hikers, that sometimes there are long queues just to get up and down the mountain. A lot of people are discouraged to climb during Obon Week, since it is probably THE most busy time out of the 8-week hiking period. And when do I decide to hike Fuji-San? The Wednesday of Obon Week. Yey.

My friend Remi took care of looking everything up and making sure we were prepared. She rented hiking clothes, a backpack, walking sticks, hiking boots, and a head flashlight. I rented a backpack, but thought I could get away with my snowboard jacket, my Nike running shoes, my Camelpak hydration pack, and some windbreakers. We both had lots of snacks (I brought 4 rice balls, a sandwich, and a tub of peanuts). We also had one mini-oxygen tank each to help us cope with the altitude.

There are many options when climbing Mt. Fuji. Our chosen itinerary was as follows:

2-hour train ride to Mishima

2-hour bus ride from Mishima to the 5th Station of Mt. Fuji

1-hour at the 5th Station to get used to the altitude

4 to 5-hour climb to the 7/8th station

4-hour nap at a hut and 4-hour night-climb to the summit to see the sunrise at the top of the mountain (or sleep all night at a hut and see the sunrise from the side of the mountain)

3 to 4-hour descent

2-hour bus ride back to Mishima

2-hour train ride back to Tokyo

We made it to the old 7th station by 5:30pm and started debating about where to see the sunrise (at the top of the mountain for a full horizon view or the side of the mountain). The cabin staff mentioned that we may have no choice in the matter because a typhoon was coming. So we went to bed by 8pm and decided to play it by ear. I woke up at 11:30pm to check to see if people were leaving to finish up the hike to the top of the mountain, but everyone was staying in their futons. In fact, more people were coming from outside and staying at the cabin. Every hour or so, I would check to see if anyone was leaving, but more people kept piling into the cabin instead. As I laid there in bed, I could hear the wind crashing against the cabin. I’ve heard some strong gusts in my short time in Japan, but these were the craziest winds I’ve heard in my lifetime. I thought the roof was going to come off of the cabin. I decided to step outside to use the restroom and check out the weather conditions myself. When I opened the door, all I could see were clouds, fog, and rain. You could actually see how alarmingly fast the wind was blowing. It was about 5am (the time the sun was supposed to be rising), but there was no way anyone on that mountain was seeing the sun that day. Around 5:30pm, the cabin staff told us that the typhoon would just get stronger and advised us to climb down the mountain right away. I don’t know if everyone else knows what a typhoon is… but a typhoon is just a hurricane in a different region of the world. So, yes, the staff asked us to walk back down Mt. Fuji in a HURRICANE. And we did.

I have no idea how we made it. It was pouring rain like you could never imagine. The wind could have easily blown us over the sides of the mountain. Sometimes hail would be pelting you in the face as you tried to maneuver down a rocky path. We encountered some people who were still attempting to climb the mountain, but they were all Marines (and I heard that even they had to retreat once they got to the 9th station.)

I wasn’t really scared at any point. I was actually more pissed that I couldn’t make it to the top to see the sunrise. And so, I shall attempt to climb Mt. Fuji again next weekend. We met some climbers who said they’ve climbed Mt. Fuji many times, but have not always made it to the top due to weather conditions. There’s a famous proverb here in Japan that goes something like, “One who climbs Mt. Fuji once is wise, one who climbs Mt. Fuji twice is a fool.” Thanks, proverb, but I’m going to see the sunrise from the top of Fuji if it kills me.

Here are some pictures of our adventure: