Times:2010.09.18 climbing Mt Fuji
Climbing Mt Fuji on 18 September
Summary
We woke up at 5th station of Subashiri Trail at 3:30am, and were out the door of 5th station by 4:30am. Climbed up to the top by 2:30pm (10 hours). We were up there about an hour before heading down from 3:30pm to 7:30pm (4 hours).
Awesome points:
- we kissed on top of the mountain
- seeing the sunrise on the way up
- seeing 富士山 shadow on the clouds while heading down
- perfect weather
- onsen afterward
- hanging out with Lin all day
We plan to go again next year and every year.
Our conversation on the way up ranged from the nature of god to past lives (the long way around), and on the way down, もう〜ーーやぁだ〜！ as it took seemingly longer to go up than to go down.
Journal Entry:
10:27pm JST Saturday 18 September 2010 (day 14787)
Lin and I have just arrived at 5th Station on Subashiri guchi of Mt Fuji. I'm leaving my computer in the car though.
5:30am JST Monday 20 September 2010 (day 14789)
Back at home. So tired. So happy.
9:05am JST Monday 20 September 2010 (day 14789)
Now I'm at work, and will try to capture some of the climb.
3:30am woke up on Sunday at 5th station lodge and started out at around 4am. Got to the top at 2:30pm, stayed for an hour 20 minutes, then headed down at 3:40pm, reaching the flat pavement of 5th station at 7:30pm.
The daylight weather was bright and sunny, and pretty hot all the way up to the top. It started to get cold and we put on all our warm clothes, but didn't really need them past 9th station or so.
Like the first time I climbed, the route down seemed to take longer than it should have. "Is this some kinda joke????" I kept thinking. We were jokingly saying もうううう, and まだぁぁ？やっだぁぁ！
I enjoyed the gravel covered route down, jump-skipping at high speed toward our destination. Lin couldn't go down quite as quickly, so I waited for her "at that red sign down there," and then "at that white sign, or maybe it's a person." By then, though, it had gotten a bit too dark to skip down the hill, so we went down at Lin's マイペース. I helped her step down some of the steeper root clogged routes, and we just silently trekked down after it became apparent we would never reach the end.
On the way up, we met a couple at 7th station (?) and saw them again at 8th station, and at the top. We got some pictures together.
On the way to 8th station, I had some genki energy and "ran" ahead of Lin. I fell asleep waiting for her (only 30 minutes behind me), and they pointed me out to her, which was good cause she might have thought I went on ahead! eep! I had hung U-Cow over a bench near where I was seated so she'd see him, but he didn't moo or anything useful to attract her attention.
Written with my iPhone:
Food on the way here included quesadillas to go, but I may have been optimistic about my hunger.
Rain reminded me I didn't bring rain coat, so got twin plastic tops and bottoms, just in case.
Chatted and chewed until midnight then slept till 3:30, but I woke up at 3:15 with no alarm.
I have had a bit of a sinus headache since we got to fifth station. It's not too cold outside now.
7:34am Saturday 7th Station subashiri trail, mt Fuji
I was just talking to Marie on my bananaphone, telling her the latest news on peeps we knew in Thailand.
Weather is immaculate. If only we didn't have all this heavy winter gear, it would be perfect. Hahaha
Not sure if we'll finish the whole climb and descent before it gets cold again, but I hope we need the warmth.
janette's quilt, Soness's Mt Fuji staff and Johnny and U-Cow are with us.
Right now there are 15 people at 7th station, including a family with a 8 or 9 year old boy.
Some high school or college kids have an aerosol can apparently full of oxygen, but after they put its nozzle over their mouth and nose, depress the lever, they're like "I don't know if it's doing anything...." ぜんぜんわからないでしょう‼
9:00am
We've reached 8th station, I think, but it might be 7.5th station.
トイレにきゅうけ
Tips:
We don't need to bring so much food.
Not having my computer on the mountain was fine.
The guy in 5th station was cranky
Next time
We should arrive later in the morning, climb to 7th or 8th station, hang out and stay overnight; climb to 10th station and hang out all day, then climb down to 6th or 7th station, stay overnight again, then climb the rest of the way down.
bring more food cause we'll be gone longer
bring my computer on the mountain
