So...to get to the point; I climbed to the top of Fuji this weekend, and feel pretty proud of myself. A few things seemed to try and stop me though.
First of all, I got to Shin-Fuji station, after darting around various schools, arranging things for my now imminent departure. This meant that I got there little later than planned, and unfortunately the buses to the 5th station of Fuji had stopped running. That is, a reduced bus schedule was in opperation because of the fact theat the route I had chosen to climb was, by all accounts, closed.
So...I was in a train station some 3 hours from home, and still about an hour`s drive from the point at which I intended to start the climb. I wasn't too worried. I decided I would get myself to the 5th station and there would be some other people there about to depart. I had been reliably informed by friends and internet alike that many many people departed at the same time as I was planning to, in order to catch the sunrise.
There was only one solution. I hailed a taxi. I decided that as long as I could get to the mountain for cheaper than a hotel for the night, I wasn't really losing anything since these were about my only 2 options.
So...I arrived at the 5th station. Photos on the internet depicted a coulpe of hotels, some coffee shops and tourist tat merchants. I knew I was probably on a different route to the photos, but I wan't expecting to reach an unlit plateau featuring one, closed caravan and a wooden sign saying `5th Station.` I thanked my driver, and set about putting on my headlamp, since I couldn't see anything.
The quietness was soon explained. The inhabitants of the only other car present showed me a sign, informing would-be summiters such as myself that the 8th station was as high as it was possible to climb, because of lingering snow. I was distraught, 5 hours walk from civilisation if I went downwards and about 5 hours from a top that seemed, thanks to snow, unreachable. There were no hotels or restaurants, no people and the only building was a public toilet.
At this point I was a bit annoyed (I didn't travel to Fuji in order to spend the night on the toilet). As grim as it sounds, I had plenty of food and drink, and I had enough clothes to keep warm. I considered my options, and decided that I may as well start climbing, simply because there was nothing else to do. I would get as high as possible and then return.
I climbed for an hour. I passed noone. Noone passed me, either up or down. I could see a light ahead, and I thought it was people coming down but, maybe half an hour later, I caught up to them at the 7th station. It was a party of 3 Japanese guys. 2 about my age and one slightly older person. They were making a summit attempt, and I decided at t hat moment that I was staying with them, whether they liked it or not! As it happened, they seemed quite pleased to make their group `international,` and we set off together.
They travelled more slowly than I had been, which was nice, because I had been a little out of breath. At their pace I was both comfortable, and had the added reassurance that they were sticking to a carefully planned schedule, which seemed to result in us reaching the peak bang on time for sunrise. I was really happy- they were funny guys, relaxed and kind, and we had a good laugh on the way to the 8th station. At which point the road was closed. This is where my solo journey would have come to a crushing end,but...
We sidestepped the no entry signs, just to scout out how bad the conditions were. They weren't bad at all- just a bit of ice that needed to be bypassed. My new friends had come prepared and rigged up a rope to get past the ice. Anyone who can hold themselves up with their arms could have got across, so it really didn't feel like a challenge. Also, the potential fall was no more than sliding down a dirt-track for a few meters. Noone fell, and we re-joined the route after maybe 30 mins of ice negotiation. Happy days.
Having lost a bit of time, the more sprightly Japanese climber and mysely set about pushing for the peak as quickly as possible. We weren't going to miss sunrise on Fuji. And miss it we didn't. We were in a great viewing spot a good 10 minutes before the sun popped up. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. That and the infinitely more populated and touristy Tokyo side of the mountain that I then walked to in order to pick up souvenirs.
The walk down was boring but easier than ascending. The train journey back to Gifu was torture- but it is all over now!
