Climbing Fuji San!

This past weekend I made the trek up Mount Fuji. I have to say it was one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life! We took the Subashiri route which is one of the most beautiful but difficult trails! We bought walking sticks at the bottom of the mountain and you can get them stamped as you arrive at each station. We were so exhausted that we ended up getting them on the way back.

We began our hike up the mountain at 3:30 pm on Sunday afternoon. When we arrived at what we thought was the sixth station, we thought we were making great time! That was until we realized that we were at the new sixth station and the old sixth was still an hour away. It was here that we met Koji, Satoshi and Yuuki who we would end up hiking with all the way up and down the mountain! When we arrived at the seventh station I thought I wasn't going to make it. The elevation was making it difficult to breathe and I had a headache and was not feeling very good. My friends encouraged me to take a rest, eat something, take some oxygen and keep going! We arrived at the eighth station at 9:30 pm where we slept (not really) for about three hours.

At 2:00 am we rose to begin the hike up to the top. The winds were strong, the trail was slippery and it was freezing! We were not in the best of moods that's for sure. I really didn't think I was going to make it. It was so difficult. It was kind of eerie to see the city lights miles below and the stream of headlamps and flashlights swaying up the mountain along with us. Everyone was encouraging each other to keep going. There were hundreds of people making the trek up the mountain. I cannot even imagine climbing during August, the peak season!

At 2:00 am we began the final climb to the top to see the sunrise. I thought it was the most difficult part of the trek. It wasn't fatigue that affected me, it was the lack of oxygen. It was extremely difficult to breath and we were all taking oxygen on the way up. It doesn't seem like it is very high from the pictures but Fuji is actually over three thousand meters high! In the end we made it just in time for sunrise at 4:00 am. Phew!

When we got to the top we enjoyed some ramen noodles and hot chocolate! It was the best food I ever ate, of course! The sunrise was magnificent. There were hundreds of people at the top admiring the beautiful sight. We couldn't believe that we actually made it! I really couldn't believe I made it! Our hike down the mountain only took about four hours and we got our Fuji hiking sticks stamped at the stations along the way. We enjoyed soft ice cream and bought omiyage for our co-workers and families at the fifth station. It was a truly wonderful experience and now that it is over, I realize how many great memories we made. I survived Mount Fuji!!

The fiftth station-Beginning.

Tiffany, Makensie, Me and Leah.

Fuji-San

An amazing cloud.

Sunrise.

Me at sunrise. Four in the morning..ugh!

Tiffany, Koji, Satoshi, Yuuki, Leah, Makensie and Me!

Everyone trying to capture the moment.

Wonder and amazement.

On the way down.

There were many coins inserted
into this Tori. Many many wishes.
I made one too!