Wow. I said that so many times as I watched the sun rise over Mount Fuji I lost count.
One of the things I had on my “must do” list when I came to Japan was to climb Mount Fuji and visiting Lake Kawaguchi a couple of weeks earlier only re-enforced this thought. Most people I spoke to prior to climbing the mountain suggested that the only time to climb was overnight because this allowed you to watch the sunrise from the summit of Mount Fuji. While some people elect to spend the night in climbing lodges up on the mountain and get up early to make the last little climb to the summit I decided to spend the night climbing.
Mount Fuji is officially open to tourists from the beginning of July to the end of August. Advice is that climbing Mount Fuji at any other time is dangerous because no lodges will be open (and the entire mountain is likely to be covered in snow and ice). “Open” means that the mountain lodges located on the ascent routes are open offering food, drinks and rest to those climbing the mountain along with a ¥200 charge to visit the toilets. The other thing you can buy if you really want are cans of oxygen. People who used the oxygen started early with people inhaling from the 6th station. One guy at the 8th station seemed to miss the point and was sucking down canned oxygen while holding a cigarette in the other hand.
The Yoshida, Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya trails are the 4 main trails to the summit of Mount Fuji. The research I did suggested that the Yoshida Trail is the most developed on Mount Fuji and best suited to what I had in mind. According to a website I visited the Yoshida trail has “modernised” facilities including lodges and some first-aid centres which ensure that climbing the mountain by this trail is “comfortable”. One of the warnings about the Yoshida trail was that because it is so popular there was a chance that it would be crowded and, if crowded, there is a risk that some people wouldn’t make it to the summit in time to witness the sunrise. An English map of the Yoshida trail can be found at http://www.mtfuji.jpn.org/fujimap_eng.pdf. The trail has 10 stations located at various heights with the 1st station being at the base of Mount Fuji and the 10th being at the top. With car access to the 5th station on most of the trails most people choose to start their climb at the 5th station on their chosen trail.
While the temperatures in Tokyo have been hot the temperatures at the top of Mount Fuji are winter like even in the midst of summer. I ended up wearing thermals, a down jacket (while sitting around waiting for the sun to come up), and windproof pants and jacket. Some people were wearing shorts, T-shirts and thin jumpers – there was a lot of shaking going on. Even more amazing were the number of people who didn’t have torches – yep that’s right – no torches. I can see the thought the process “…lets climb Mount Fuji at night time, do we need a torch? Nah, she’ll be right.”
I tried to time my visit to Mount Fuji to be towards the beginning of the climbing season to avoid the worst of the crowds that apparently start later in July and go through most of August. I watched Mount Fuji weather forecasts online for a couple of weeks prior to my trip (http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Mount-Fuji/6day/top) trying to get a night where no overnight rain or clouds in the morning were forecast. With the weather site changing their forecast between the overnight and morning updates I decided at around 11 am that I should take the opportunity and head to the mountain after work. While the temperature in Tokyo was forecast to be around the mid 30’s the temperature at the top of Mount Fuji was forecast to be around 0 without considering the wind chill factor.
Leaving Tokyo the peaks to the west of the city were covered in cloud making for a spectacular sight as the sun went down.
After driving through the mountains I got my first sight of Mount Fuji from the road leading to the national park and it looked like the weather forecasts were going to be right.
The cost of entry to the Fuji national park is ¥2000 per car (cash only). After entering the park you begin the 18 kilometre drive up the side of the mountain to the Subaru line 5th station (the beginning of the Yoshida trail). The drive up the mountain is through forests and it was very pleasant to be able to drive with the windows down allowing fresh forest smells to fill the car. One distraction was, while wondering why a musical note had been painted on the road, crossing lines cut into the road and the tyres rolling up the road making music. Following the road as it wound up the side of Mount Fuji through the forests, watching deer at the side of the road, I soon emerged above the clouds. Above the clouds there was the first of many amazing sights of the trip.
The Subaru line 5th station is at an altitude of around 2300 metres above sea level and when I arrived the sun was just disappearing and lighting was playing in the clouds. I didn’t get a chance to look around in the dark (I took this photo the next day).
After quickly changing into some warm clothes and eating a cold pasta dinner I started the 6 hour trek up the mountain. The lower parts of the trail zigzag up the side of the mountain and are covered with loose, broken, volcanic rocks which was a bit like walking on sand. The second half of the trail was clambering up rocky “steps” through volcanic features.
There was an almost full moon and, until it disappeared behind the mountain and the terrain became more complex, it was pleasant to climb just in the moon light. About 1 am, at the 8th station, it started to get really cold with gloves and a beanie (tuque) needed. A thermometer on the side of one of the huts showed that the temperature was around 3 degrees with the wind whistling around the buildings making the temperature even lower.
Arriving at the top of Mount Fuji (3776 metres) around 3:00 am I was in for an hour and a half wait for the sun to begin rising. After putting on all of the clothes I had bought with me I settled in to wait watching the snaking line of ascending headlights rising up the trail below me. Around 4:15 am the sky began to lighten and then the sunrise began.
One of the things I had on my “must do” list when I came to Japan was to climb Mount Fuji and visiting Lake Kawaguchi a couple of weeks earlier only re-enforced this thought. Most people I spoke to prior to climbing the mountain suggested that the only time to climb was overnight because this allowed you to watch the sunrise from the summit of Mount Fuji. While some people elect to spend the night in climbing lodges up on the mountain and get up early to make the last little climb to the summit I decided to spend the night climbing.
Mount Fuji is officially open to tourists from the beginning of July to the end of August. Advice is that climbing Mount Fuji at any other time is dangerous because no lodges will be open (and the entire mountain is likely to be covered in snow and ice). “Open” means that the mountain lodges located on the ascent routes are open offering food, drinks and rest to those climbing the mountain along with a ¥200 charge to visit the toilets. The other thing you can buy if you really want are cans of oxygen. People who used the oxygen started early with people inhaling from the 6th station. One guy at the 8th station seemed to miss the point and was sucking down canned oxygen while holding a cigarette in the other hand.
The Yoshida, Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya trails are the 4 main trails to the summit of Mount Fuji. The research I did suggested that the Yoshida Trail is the most developed on Mount Fuji and best suited to what I had in mind. According to a website I visited the Yoshida trail has “modernised” facilities including lodges and some first-aid centres which ensure that climbing the mountain by this trail is “comfortable”. One of the warnings about the Yoshida trail was that because it is so popular there was a chance that it would be crowded and, if crowded, there is a risk that some people wouldn’t make it to the summit in time to witness the sunrise. An English map of the Yoshida trail can be found at http://www.mtfuji.jpn.org/fujimap_eng.pdf. The trail has 10 stations located at various heights with the 1st station being at the base of Mount Fuji and the 10th being at the top. With car access to the 5th station on most of the trails most people choose to start their climb at the 5th station on their chosen trail.
While the temperatures in Tokyo have been hot the temperatures at the top of Mount Fuji are winter like even in the midst of summer. I ended up wearing thermals, a down jacket (while sitting around waiting for the sun to come up), and windproof pants and jacket. Some people were wearing shorts, T-shirts and thin jumpers – there was a lot of shaking going on. Even more amazing were the number of people who didn’t have torches – yep that’s right – no torches. I can see the thought the process “…lets climb Mount Fuji at night time, do we need a torch? Nah, she’ll be right.”
I tried to time my visit to Mount Fuji to be towards the beginning of the climbing season to avoid the worst of the crowds that apparently start later in July and go through most of August. I watched Mount Fuji weather forecasts online for a couple of weeks prior to my trip (http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Mount-Fuji/6day/top) trying to get a night where no overnight rain or clouds in the morning were forecast. With the weather site changing their forecast between the overnight and morning updates I decided at around 11 am that I should take the opportunity and head to the mountain after work. While the temperature in Tokyo was forecast to be around the mid 30’s the temperature at the top of Mount Fuji was forecast to be around 0 without considering the wind chill factor.
Leaving Tokyo the peaks to the west of the city were covered in cloud making for a spectacular sight as the sun went down.
After driving through the mountains I got my first sight of Mount Fuji from the road leading to the national park and it looked like the weather forecasts were going to be right.
The cost of entry to the Fuji national park is ¥2000 per car (cash only). After entering the park you begin the 18 kilometre drive up the side of the mountain to the Subaru line 5th station (the beginning of the Yoshida trail). The drive up the mountain is through forests and it was very pleasant to be able to drive with the windows down allowing fresh forest smells to fill the car. One distraction was, while wondering why a musical note had been painted on the road, crossing lines cut into the road and the tyres rolling up the road making music. Following the road as it wound up the side of Mount Fuji through the forests, watching deer at the side of the road, I soon emerged above the clouds. Above the clouds there was the first of many amazing sights of the trip.
The Subaru line 5th station is at an altitude of around 2300 metres above sea level and when I arrived the sun was just disappearing and lighting was playing in the clouds. I didn’t get a chance to look around in the dark (I took this photo the next day).
After quickly changing into some warm clothes and eating a cold pasta dinner I started the 6 hour trek up the mountain. The lower parts of the trail zigzag up the side of the mountain and are covered with loose, broken, volcanic rocks which was a bit like walking on sand. The second half of the trail was clambering up rocky “steps” through volcanic features.
There was an almost full moon and, until it disappeared behind the mountain and the terrain became more complex, it was pleasant to climb just in the moon light. About 1 am, at the 8th station, it started to get really cold with gloves and a beanie (tuque) needed. A thermometer on the side of one of the huts showed that the temperature was around 3 degrees with the wind whistling around the buildings making the temperature even lower.
Arriving at the top of Mount Fuji (3776 metres) around 3:00 am I was in for an hour and a half wait for the sun to begin rising. After putting on all of the clothes I had bought with me I settled in to wait watching the snaking line of ascending headlights rising up the trail below me. Around 4:15 am the sky began to lighten and then the sunrise began.
