Iconic Mt. Fuji lies about 100 km (60 miles) south-west of Tokyo. Here’s the view from the train between Tokyo and Osaka.
I had recently met Ralph, an American who moved to Tokyo with his family six months ago, who also wanted to climb Fuji. After a winding drive up to station 5 at 2000 meters (6560 feet), we hit the Subashiri Trail at 5 am. Subashiri is one of four trails on Fuji.
The sunrise was spectacular.
Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3776 meters (12,389 feet). It is an active volcano which last erupted in 1708.
Shade was available at the lower levels…
… but soon disappeared as we ascended above the tree line.
We caught the very tail end of the hiking season which runs from mid-July to mid-September.
There are several stations along the way…
… selling refreshments (although, I can’t imagine sake is a good idea).
We had perfect weather with stunning views. However, altitude and oxygen work inversely. Breathing became more difficult, and each step became more labored under the thinning air and unfiltered sun.
Only 376 more meters to go.
Resting along the way is necessary.
After seven hours and 15 minutes, we reached the summit gate.
And then the peak.
The volcanic crater was formed in 1708 after the last eruption.
Here’s the view from the top of the world.
Fuji is more than 400 meters higher than Mammoth Mountain’s 11,000 foot summit in California (where I had worked some 26 years ago).
We began our decent at 1:00 pm, which was also challenging. The leg muscles that provide “braking” were heavily taxed.
After 4 ½ hours, we returned to our starting point just before sunset. All in all, we tackled Mt. Fuji in 12 ½ hours. It was grueling and exhausting, but highly rewarding. Enjoy. ts
Ukrainian Tom 