Mt. Fuji

I started getting nervous about my Mt. Fuji pilgrimage as I boarded the bus in Tokyo. Actually, I had been nervous since it began raining at 3 PM. Just as I seated myself on the Mt. Fuji 5th Station bus, the thunder and lighting cracked the sky. There was about 45 other people on the bus, all of different nationality, race and age. I quickly scanned the rows to see who I could latch onto for the climb. I was drawn to two Americans, Matt and Terry, a father and son from Okinawa. When we arrived at the 5th Station, I lingered a little while as they bought hiking sticks and then followed as they started to walk toward the trail. They quickly told me they weren't sure where they were going but I was welcome to tag along with them.
We started the ascent at roughly 10:30 PM. I had bought a flashlight but quickly found it to be unnecessary as the moon shone brightly onto the path. The clouds were astounding. Huge and fluffy, I tried to capture them on my camera but the photos did not do them justice. With no thunder or lighting or rain in sight we planned on hiking straight through the morning. There were huts along the way where some people stopped to sleep but we only paused briefly for altitude adjustment and resting our legs.
At the 7th Station it became very cold and windy. I was wearing several layers and a knit hat but only one pair of mesh pants. Also, fatigue invaded my body and mind. My eyes were half open and I felt like a zombie dragging my feet up the steep path. Balance was a real problem. I thought that the hiking sticks people bought were mostly for novelty purposes; as people climbed they had each station burned onto the stick. As I climbed higher, I regretted not buying a stick. With darkness, altitude and fatigue I was unsteady.
Once we got to the 9th station (the 10th Station was the top) the trail was packed and we moved very slowly. It was nearing 4 AM and I thought my fantasy of watching the sunrise on top of Mt. Fuji might end up being just that. Luckily, the line progressed and we made it to the top just in time. The sky was unreal. A huge blanket of white clouds below us with a pink lining as the sun peaked. Everyone was awaiting the sunrise, huddled together and I was met by huge smiles of silent congratulations. A collective sigh was heard as the sun bore out from the clouds. It felt great on my skin after being really cold for the past three hours.
My legs were completely shot but I wanted to see the crater and mail off some postcards (yeah, there is a post office on the top of Mt. Fuji!). We walked up to see the crater and in the far off distance I saw the post office. That is when I decided the post cards would have to be mailed from Tokyo. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it down the mountain, let alone walk around the crater. I was relieved for the descent but it ended up being almost as difficult as the climb up. I kept seeing a mirage of the 5th station with every turn. After 2 1/2 solid hours of walking downhill we reached level ground but still had to hike another 1/2 hour. I felt intense joy when I finally reached the 5th station. After saying goodbye to Matt and Terry with promises to email, I bused back to Tokyo sleeping the whole way.
I heard that Mt. Fuji was difficult but I had no idea how grueling it would actually be. If I were to hike Mt. Fuji again I would go up in the afternoon, spend the night in a hut and catch the sunrise in the morning. I would also buy a hiking stick and gloves. But there is a saying about Mt. Fuji, "A wise man climbs Fuji once; a foolish man climbs Fuji twice." The sunrise on Mt. Fuji was an unforgettable experience but I will not be climbing it again. Ever.

For pictures of Tokyo and Mt. Fuji, click here.