Fuji san

After finnishing Finals I decided that the best way to get rid of that awful mess and cleer my mind for america was to climb fuji san. Aaron already had and no one else I knew seemed interested so I went alone. I turned in my last asignment and caught the four o'clock bus to 五合目 (gogoume), fifth station, which is about 2,000 m off sea level. Aaron warned me that I would want food, water and warm clothing so I brought a long sleave shirt and bought some bread and watter. He also said to get A stick, so I did. And I'm glad I did, though I cant take it back to america with me. Fuji san is rediculously expensive so be forwarned future travelers. I spent close to fifty dollars and I could easly have spent more.

It was 7:00 when I got there and spent an hour making purchases. You climb at night in order to see the sunrise in the morning fromm atop of mount fuji. I was already tired as I hadn't slept the night before because I had been working on my asignment. I admit this was a bad Idea, but I wanted to clinmb and this was my last chance before I came back. You start by going down, kind of a missnomer, especialy in the dark, but after a while you hit the trail up. This was actualy one of my favorate parts of the trip as I got to actualy walk into a cloud! The clouds hang low round Fuji and touch the sides, hence all the paintings with the clouds in front of Fuji. after this the trail got difficult and I strugled a bit getting up the hills,m but I was finaly doing something I always wanted to do. I just wished it wern't so darn hot... oh foolish me.

The sticks you by have beels attached. These are shinto in nature, as climbing Fuji used to be a somewhat holy experiance. The bells wake the かみ (kami), or spirits and let them hear your prayers, or so I have been told. Of course this is all comercialised and my bells fell off. Anyway I finnaly made it to 六合目 (rokugoume), or sixth station, and rested for a while. Thats where I met the nice girl Amanda who took my picture. The security personele handed out maps to the climbers in english and japanese, 30% of the climbers are forgien anyway. This is when I learned that my climb hadn't begun yet... I had strugled to get to the begining of the hike. It was going to be a long climb.

Well after I caught my breath and rested a little, had a little oishii cheese bread that I had bought, (wish I had some now)I pulled myself up by my boot straps and started the climb. The first part of the hike is a seiries of ramps. I'd say 20 in all, that cut back and forth along Fuji's face. It's a hard climb and I was glad I was alone So that I could go at my own pace. Basicly it means I stoped and rested at about every turn of the ramp. Before long I was soaked to the bone with sweat and half my water was gone. I was sad it was dark and overcast, because you couldn't see anything. Oh well I'll see on the way down.

The ramps ended in what I can only describe as... moutain climbing. You climb up the last bit, finding you way amoung the stones and volcanic ash. This becomes the norm after seventh station. Finaly a stair and you reach the first 七合目(nanagoume), or seventh station. there are people up here who sell to the climbers watter and searings, which are marks burned into your stick that tell where you have been. rest and food and water. next is the longest climb on fuji, the streach between 七合目 and 八合目 (hachigoume), eighth station. This is truely moutain climbing. you use your hands at some points and have to climb up. it's kinda like climbing to the top of the Sears tower using the stairs. I met these two men from the american Airforce base who were here to book it as fast as they could to the top. they were good guy's but soon left me in the dust. It was around here that disaster struck. First my left, then My right thigh pulled. The pain was excruciating and I could hardly move my legs. But I was determined to make it and I set off. Step after painful step I forced my way up the moutain. When my legs got to the point where I simply could not will them on I pulled off the trail and rested till I could. (I sound kinda kool huh? trust me It won't last long)

I pushed my self and made it to the Torigate. Tori gates are used in shinto religion to mark the holy from the un holy. A spiritual barrier if you will. I passed through. I rested here for about a half an hour and my legs rested too. A Japanese tour group passed me on the way up. It's amasing that so many old people make this climb. Some of them have to be in thier sixties! Well pulled my self together for the last streatch. Before now the wind had been still, but now it picked up, and it chilled me to the bone. My couths were soaked through and now they turned to Ice. I didn't know that you needed winter gear for this moutain, and now I wish I had been beter informed. I also would have brought tylonal... This steach was the worst I frose if I stoped and my legs screamed in pain If I continued. I grited my teath and finnaly pulled through. 八合目 at last.

3 more hours to the top. I couldn't move my legs to walk anymore and I was shivering incompolsary. I stoped at a first aid station and they put me up for the night. I'm not happy about that, but I couldn't continue in that state. I might end up like those guys lieing in those beds breathing through tubes. A couple pain relievers, cold pads, and 三千円　later I was in a sleeping bag at hotel fuji. The cots here were kinda like a padded aushwits, kinda steep for thiry bucks, but at least I wasn't freasing anymore and my legs didn't have to walk anymore. The next morning I wasn't fareing much better, but I got to see the sunrise from 3150 meters up, and I have to say It's one of the most beutiful sights you can see. It's no wonder that it's on the Japanese flag.

I took pictures, but I didn't get a searing at 八合目. Which is too bad because the doctor reconmended I head down and I agreed. I went back down the way I came and took pictures. Down is easier, but not by a hole lot. I was hurting again before I reached 六合目 I found out on my way down that there is a seperate way down your suposed to take...woops. oh well.

I was sad I didn't make it to the summit, but, yknow, climbing Fuji san is a life goal, and as soon as I finnish I'll be one step closer to... Death? I guess I'll wait a little. besides It gives me a reason to come back and do it again, and maby I'll climb it with some one. A girl perhaps? I'll be better prepaired and better equiped and the spirits of Fuji San will remember my name. I am Dane!