IrishOboe

Before Starting

The Mt. Fuji adventure started as I rode home from school and realized that I had planned practically nothing for the trip. I had to buy some gear (like a headlamp, gloves, food snacks, and some casual pants if I could) and at least I had a list from some bit of thinking and research I did. When I got home I checked the bus schedule to Fujiyoshida and noted that the last bus was at 8pm then I noted the last train to get there in time would be 7:20 which meant leaving the house by 7pm. Given the fact that I got home at 5pm and hadn’t packed and needed to shop, I was in a bit of a panic. I rode my bike to the D2 (deh tsu if you’re Japanese) and got what I could, but wasn’t very successful. I went to the grocery store for food (nuts and dried fruit) and stopped at the Lawsons to get a pair of gloves for 80 yen. I didn’t feel bad about that purchase even though I have tons of gloves coming to me . . .

I came home and packed in a rush throwing things together. I could have packed lighter but there wasn’t time. I did manage to have a small bite to eat of shrimp sushi from the grocery store. Yeah for cheap sushi!

I actually had a moment to breathe before leaving, but not enough to wash the dishes. I left for the train station too early, as usual, and just missed by 1min an earlier train. Grr! I ended up getting the train Kasia was on and we met up and found where the bus was leaving. I have to say the old panicky Janet came back a few times that evening. What if I read the train schedule wrong? What if I read the bus schedule wrong? After all, it’s all in Kanji . . . Happily, it all worked out fine. Kasia and I had a great time catching up on the way there (about 1 ½ hours). Mike and Matt met us at the station and we hung around for the next train to Mike’s place. Kasia went to hang out with a new Japanese friend of hers who owns a bar in Fujiyoshida and had a great time staying out late, but that is her crazy story, not mine.

Mike’s plan was to go to bed at 4am and wake up at noon to be ready for the 2pm climb. The reason for this strange departure time was that we planned to meet the rest of the JETs who were climbing from the fifth station at 8pm. The most popular time to climb Mt. Fuji is at night so that you see the sunrise from the top. Yes, Japan is full of crazy people. Anyway, I’ve been getting up at 6am so I really doubted that even if I stayed up late I’d be able to sleep, so I wasn’t planning to stay up as late, though I did bring a sleep mask and take other precautions that might help me sleep in. I knew a good night’s sleep too early would be better than a rough sleep just before leaving, but then . . .

But I’m getting ahead of myself. When we arrived at Mike’s around 10ish he asked if I was hungry, and I spurted out that I was because those few shrimp sushi hadn’t done much for me. He offered to make me dinner, which I accepted on his insistence that he loves cooking. It’s great to know he still loves cooking after being a professional chef for 10 years. He whipped up a smoothie and some pasta with veggies and eel. Yum, yum! The three of us talked for a bit then it was suggested that we play cards. Somehow I mentioned Mao and it won the day. We had one of the more interesting games of Mao due to the later hour and I was having so much fun I decided I’d try to stay up with them . . .

We went to bed at 4am and Kasia still hadn’t come home. I remember the phone ringing at some point while I was in bed but I wasn’t aware enough to answer it. When I got up to relieve myself at some point I was relieved indeed to see her on the couch. Proudly, I was able to sleep fairly well until 10 and then I was in and out until 11:30 when I finally just got up. Mike was sleeping soundly this whole time. I wish I could do that. Soon after I got up Kasia and Matt joined me and even though our conversation got a bit loud Mike didn’t wake up until his alarm went off at noon. Mike was really the only one who got a decent amount of sleep. I decided to ignore analyzing the intelligence of it all in an attempt to convince my body that it was fully prepared for the task ahead. I actually did feel fine.

Leslie joined us soon after we were up since she lives in a nearby prefecture. She went to bed at a better hour but didn’t get much sleep either . . .

Happily, we had a ride to the base of the mountain and we found a nice place nearby at which to have breakfast, even though it was well past the time most people have lunch. We spent a little time at the Fuji Shrine and then were on our way at 2:30. At the shrine Mike bought a Japanese style straw had like the one Matt had because it looked so cool. The hats would play an important part in our journey.

First Five Stations

The first part of the climb is a gentle slope along a road, then a path next to the road, then a path in the woods with many little rocks, then at the official entrance you climb some steps and what I would call a hiking path begins. It’s still not much of a climb at this point, just a hike. There are various stations and shrines along the way, but they are all deserted now because most hikers take the bus to the fifth station. Plus, it was officially past the hiking season, though as you’ll find out there were still plenty of climbers on the mountain.

We went at a reasonable pace for me, which was too easy for the boys, but they were very patient and I don’t think it bothered them at all. We were faster than the times in the guide book and even faster than what friends had told us. We were expecting it to take 5 ½ to 6 hours, but we did it in 4 ½ (arriving at 7) and we all felt great. We were all running around with energy until I noticed a poster showing where we were, where we had come form and just what we had to do. There was a lot more mountain left! In fact, I had done a little research and going from the 5^th station is just about like climbing Mt. Rundle (the peak in the Canadian Rockies that I did two summers ago that totally kicked my butt).

We hung out at the fifth station and changed into warmer clothes since it was dark and the temperature was dropping. Other JETs started to arrive not only from Yamanashi but from all over Japan. People set off with their huge jackets and big backpacks and I began to wonder what was up the mountain that required such gear. Oooo, can you feel the foreshadowing?

I bought some omiyage (oh-me-ya-gay) of Fuji cookies for the teachers at school (it’s just what you do here) and I decided to join the ranks of the Japanese keitai (cell phone) holders and buy a charm for my keitai: a green Mt. Fuji with a snow cap and a little bell. It’s almost as cheesy as my toilet sink!

Kasia bought a hat like Matt’s and Mike’s and after some thought I decided to get one two. It would keep my head a little warm, it said Mt. Fuji in Kanji and our little group was beginning to bond. We convinced Leslie to get one too, so we were complete.

The Last Four Stations

We set off at 9pm, though it was a bit early. Again, we didn’t really know how long it would take us. There were so many people! We were never more than 20 feet away from another climbing group. There was a lot of concrete and other structures marking the way. It was a much steeper climb and the terrain was very different since the trees ended at the fifth station. The hike up to the fifth station was a beautiful one with lots of green and life. It was rather eerie how little sound there was, though. I don’t know why the bugs weren’t out, but at one point we all fell silent at one of our breaks and we all noticed how noiseless it was! I thought maybe all the creatures could tell Mt. Fuji was going to erupt soon and had left, but then we heard birds and decided it was okay.

But back to the rest of the climb. After we hit the next station Leslie decided to take a longer rest and hike with another group. I should say that from the fifth station the path is just about impossible to deviate from and in many places there are steps and stairs, even some made of metal just poised above the rock. The stations I’m referring to are both official and named and unnamed, though I really couldn’t tell the difference. They are little huts with places to rest, sleep, eat, and do anything you’d like for a very pretty penny. Thankfully they let people sit on the benches outside for free.

We climbed, and climbed, and climbed and climbed. We checked out the map. What station are we at? Hard to tell. We climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed. Oh, we’ve only gone another 200 meters. We sweat from the steep climb which has turned into real climbing that requires the hands. Then we quickly grow cold when we rest our tired muscles. At one place we decide to pay 400 yen (about $4) for a cup (about 4 oz) of hot chocolate so we can spend 10min inside a heated room. Ah, does that feel good, but then we have to go out in the cold again. My guess is that it’s in the lower 40’s and it’s windy. I’m not guessing about the wind. There is no protection up there, and it’s cold. On our breaks we huddle together to keep warm, alternating who is on the end. I comment that people would get along better if they had to go through a physical hardship together. It facilitates bonding like no other get-to-know-you game. Mike is always peppy and happy and Matt is always providing comic relief. Kasia and I are just putting one foot in front of the other.

At one point I start to loose contact with the world and begin to see stars. I call for a break and eat some food and feel much better. I really can’t remember the last few hours of the climb. It’s all a big daze and I began to doubt if I could make it. At one of our huddle breaks Kasia’s hat blew away from her. That was tragedy indeed! Our breaks were beautiful, though. You could see the city lights below and you could see God’s lights above. I saw Orion and his belt and his strong sword. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many stars since I grew up on the East coast near cities and things. You could also see the steady stream of climbers coming up the mountain behind you. They looked like so many dwarfs carrying torches. That’s a nicer image than the bunch of tour groups with head lights that it really was. I kid you not. Tour groups with matching clothes and flashing lighted poles for the guides and everything. There has to be no other mountain climbing experience like Fuji. Leave it to the Japanese.

I was grateful for the traffic jam, though. It meant we kept a very slow pace. I think the last 200 meters took about 4 hours, or felt like it anyway. I kept thinking “This was a really stupid idea. We’re nuts.” We didn’t even notice when we made it to the top. That’s the problem with climbing in the dark. Plus there was so much stuff up there: buildings, campsites, benches, shops, etc. Right at the top of Mt. Fuji! And it was COLD! I had on pants, a T-shirt, a long sleeved shirt and a windbreaker. I also had my straw hat, which did warm my head a little and shade my face from the wind when I was hiking and it also shielded my legs from the wind while we were resting. The others weren’t much better prepared for the cold. The wind was fearsome at the very top. It was 4am and we had to wait an hour for sunrise. We found a little doorway and huddled in it. It didn’t prove to be much protection and we were all solidly frozen at time ticked by. Happily, I have a picture to prove it. I don’t think we could have looked more miserable if we tried! Then, I have another picture in the same spot, only this time we are smiling like we’ve never had so much fun in our lives. I love these pictures because both capture those two important aspects of the trip! Plus, Mike has his hat pulled over his face and slept through the whole picture ordeal . . .

Closer to sunrise Matt and Kasia went out to get a clear view of the sunrise. Mike and I decided to get inside a crowd and try to stay warm. We ended up with nice spots just in front of a shop. There was heat coming out of the shop where people paid to go in and there was a crowd of people waiting to go in and also buying hot coffee from a vendor. We bought a little 4oz coffee for 400 yen and it was possibly the smartest purchase of my life, excepting y instruments. From there we could see over people and see the sunrise, which I think was just a sunrise, but I was a bit distracted by the fact that I was slowly turning into stone. We had to leave our nice spot once the owner yelled at us not to block the view of his omiyage for sale. Okay, so he asked us twice but we can plead that we don’t understand Japanese (true) and that the Japanese people standing there with us didn’t move until the second yelling either . . .

We tried to seek a place more out of the wind, but there really wasn’t any place. We just hunkered down and watched the rest of the sunrise. Once the sun was out of the clouds it lit up very quickly and people started tearing down the mountain. I took a quick look at the crater and at the view around us then went to the bathroom (talk about long lines, but it wasn’t all that bad for something on top of a mountain). I should have stayed in the line there to keep warm while waiting for the sun.

The Way Down

Somehow the five of us managed to meet up with each other and we started down the mountain, which was a different path from the way up. It’s a good thing, too, because even though this was a wide path of switchbacks it was very crowded and there were still people coming up the mountain on the other path. Every once in a while we ran into a construction vehicle and I stopped feeling sorry for the people who work at the top stations. I know how they get to work now . . .

The way down was very hard on the joints. It was crowded, and it quickly grew hot (it’s amazing the difference the sun makes!) and it was a long, long, long way down! When we finally, finally hit the 5^th station we had enough energy not to cheat and take the bus down, but our joints were not happy. We paused to change into cooler clothes and have a bite to eat. The lower path was better for going down than the loose rock of the upper part of the mountain, but by then our joints and feet were already beat up so it was still painful. Like I said before, Mike never complained. I am focusing on our pain, because that’s what I’m used to doing, but I really did have a wonderful time traveling with my four buddies. We talked about all kinds of random things (not so much during the night climbing) and we shared our food and thoughts and supplies and strength and energy. I love The Lord of the Rings for the daily journey and events that happen to the fellowship as they travel, not for the battles or for the final moment when the ring is destroyed. I felt like we had that kind of journey in our own little way. That was the part that was so much fun. In fact, back at the end of the climb down to the 5^th station Mike and I overheard a girl talking to a guy in a less than kind way pointing out all his faults. It was so shocking to hear such language and intonation that I realized right then how wonderful our trip had been. We could have gotten all upset at each other for many reasons and it could have been made much worse by the difficult conditions we endured, but really, the whole time people were understanding and helpful and happy and encouraging. That is what made it all so enjoyable!

The last walk down the gentle slope was a lot longer than we remembered. We had two hours left when we thought we had one and by this time my joints were screaming and my muscles were tightening up. I started feeling my blisters from jamming my feet into my shoes on the way down, and every step was an act of willpower. I survived by singing every line of every song that I knew and walking to the beat. It kept my mind on something and I could ignore how I felt. Along the way Kasia and I managed to have some interesting discussions as well.

We rested at the Fuji shrine for a little bit to gather the strength to walk to the train station. We arrived at 12:30, just about 22 hours after we left. That’s 22 hours of hiking with the longest break being the 2 hours at the fifth station, and NO SLEEP! We were all wiped out! Leslie went right there and the rest of us stopped for lunch. All the slow walking and resting gave our muscles the chance to really bind up and Kasia and I were walking like two old ladies! I had wanted to crash at Mike’s, but we all had this thing called school the next day that we had to be to. It was already late Sunday afternoon even though we hadn’t woken up to it. We just took showers, gave each other foot massages and headed home. I got home at 7pm, though trying to walk after a 1 ½ bus ride was perhaps the greatest challenge of all . . .

That didn’t give me much time to get ready for the morning or do anything in my apartment. It certainly didn’t give me enough time to rest, though as you know I felt compelled to write a post to the blog (see In Grandpa’s Memory).

That’s it. That was the adventure. If you haven’t already you should read In Grandpa’s Memory since it captures the spirit much better than this long and detailed post. I wish I was a good enough writer to be able to incorporate it all and leave the reader with the right balance of emotions, but I’m not, and I don’t have time to work on it. I am barely getting enough recovery sleep as it is! As I wrote this I was putting pictures up on Shutterfly. I just have to figure out how to make it available to you – oh, and label all the pictures . . .

I hope you enjoyed living this little adventure with me. I love you, and thanks again for your prayers. My thoughts are with you during these difficult times at home. My Japanese colleagues and friends have expressed great concern, so please be aware of the support!