Mount Fuji

Did the main thing I wanted to do here in Japan over the weekend- climb Mount Fuji. Easily one of the most inspirational things I have ever done! Something really needs to be said about the spirit and drive of the Japanese people. In the morning when I was coming down off the mountain, I passed a few senior citizens who couldn't have been younger than 70 years old with their backs hunched over climbing the mountain. There were also many young kids too- not sure if they made it to the top but their spirit was quite moving.

As for the trip itself, I started around the 5th station (maybe 6 or 7,000. In total, Mt Fuji is about 12,388 ft) at about 9:45pm and reached the top a little after 4:00am. Along the way there are several rest points spaced out in 45-60 min intervals. The weather became increasingly cooler at each station, however, it was not as cold as I had anticipated. It did not bother me until dawn when I was standing still waiting for the sunrise. I think the temperature was probably about 15 degrees Fahrenheit at the very top.

Descending the mountain was the most difficult part. I stood completely mesmerized by the sunrise for about 25 minutes, drank a small bottle of umeshu (Japanese liquor made from "ume" fruits) and made my way down the mountain. By that point, I knew I had seen all I really wanted to see and really just wanted to go to sleep by that point- but I had a 3 hour hike to get off the mountain. Because it is so steep and gravelly you are constantly slipping all over the place occasionally pausing to remove gravel from your shoes. Still, an unbelievable experience that reconfirms how miraculous and astounding our everyday surroundings really are. I cannot describe it, so just check out the pictures.