Bring on Everest.....
We left Sasebo friday afternoon to start the 12 hour drive to the mountain. Along with 33 other people we started the trek to one of the more popular tourist attractions in Japan. We arrived at the bottom of the mountain right around 0600 and I was getting anxious to start the ascent. After changing into our hiking outfits, last check of equipment and gear, and the purchase of our walking sticks we were ready to go. After previous years of losing people on the mountain, MWR made it a requirement to stay as a group all the way up and all the way down. (This will come into play later). The passing of a recent typhoon had cleared the weather and made it almost perfect. We took off at 0704 and started the day long climb. Being on several hikes before and constant cardio training had me well prepared for this task. I wish I could say the same for everyone. In order for the group to stay together we had to travel at the speed of the slowest person, which in our case were two 50 somethings who thought they had something to prove. Not even an hour into the hike and we were already moving at a very slow pace.
Along the trail were several rest stations. At each one were little shops to get some water or food to snack on. Also there were the branding pits where you could get your walking stick branded for a small price. Each station had a different brand. Getting your stick branded at each station was a good souvenir for the trip. The trail up the mountain was in the pattern of a "z" and in some places were very steep. The two at the front made the trip up very slow, taking about 10 steps and then having to break. Of the time spent stopped it gave us a chance to stop and look around and enjoy the view. Many of the pictures I took I put on my website . After several hours of climbing we finally reached station 9, the 2nd to last one. We were currently at 3250 m (9750 ft) and were starting to feel the take of the journey thus far. The top was in site and was ready for our arrival.
The higher we went the steeper the mountain got. And now staring up to the top from the ninth station, it was nothing but straight up. The thin air and bright sun were taking it's toll. After what seemed like ages with the aging thrill seekers at our front, we finally got to the top. While they were crying and embracing each other I passed them at the last torii gate and got to the top thinking it was all over. The top caught the breeze from the other side of the mountain making the summit very windy and cold. I enjoyed a nice bowl of ramen and got my stick branded for the last time. Time 8 hours and 14 minutes.
After several pictures and a bathroom break we started our descent. The path was in the same "Z" pattern of the climb at the lower levels of the mountain. The paths were loose and eroded which made for a quicker climb down. The constant downward steps proved to much for the knees of several of the hikers. And that made for a slow descent. Before we got to the bottom the sun set and had us walking in semi-complete darkness. Having planned for the worse we had been required to bring flashlights so we didnt need to all hold hands. Coming down we saw several hikers going up, climbing all night to see the sunrise in the morning. 4 hours since we left the top we arrived at the bottom, we got onto the bus and headed for the closest bath house and restaurant. After a nice soak in the saunas and a good meal, we got back on the bus and headed back.
Overall it was a good hike and one that I might do again, the last year I'm here. At 12,388 feet it's not a hike I want to do often. I was looking at a chart of the tallest mountains in the world and saw that Fuji-san is about number 64. Mt. Everest is over twice as tall. Maybe someday I'll climb a higher one but for now I need to nurse the calves and tend to a sunburn.
Along the trail were several rest stations. At each one were little shops to get some water or food to snack on. Also there were the branding pits where you could get your walking stick branded for a small price. Each station had a different brand. Getting your stick branded at each station was a good souvenir for the trip. The trail up the mountain was in the pattern of a "z" and in some places were very steep. The two at the front made the trip up very slow, taking about 10 steps and then having to break. Of the time spent stopped it gave us a chance to stop and look around and enjoy the view. Many of the pictures I took I put on my website . After several hours of climbing we finally reached station 9, the 2nd to last one. We were currently at 3250 m (9750 ft) and were starting to feel the take of the journey thus far. The top was in site and was ready for our arrival.
The higher we went the steeper the mountain got. And now staring up to the top from the ninth station, it was nothing but straight up. The thin air and bright sun were taking it's toll. After what seemed like ages with the aging thrill seekers at our front, we finally got to the top. While they were crying and embracing each other I passed them at the last torii gate and got to the top thinking it was all over. The top caught the breeze from the other side of the mountain making the summit very windy and cold. I enjoyed a nice bowl of ramen and got my stick branded for the last time. Time 8 hours and 14 minutes.
After several pictures and a bathroom break we started our descent. The path was in the same "Z" pattern of the climb at the lower levels of the mountain. The paths were loose and eroded which made for a quicker climb down. The constant downward steps proved to much for the knees of several of the hikers. And that made for a slow descent. Before we got to the bottom the sun set and had us walking in semi-complete darkness. Having planned for the worse we had been required to bring flashlights so we didnt need to all hold hands. Coming down we saw several hikers going up, climbing all night to see the sunrise in the morning. 4 hours since we left the top we arrived at the bottom, we got onto the bus and headed for the closest bath house and restaurant. After a nice soak in the saunas and a good meal, we got back on the bus and headed back.
Overall it was a good hike and one that I might do again, the last year I'm here. At 12,388 feet it's not a hike I want to do often. I was looking at a chart of the tallest mountains in the world and saw that Fuji-san is about number 64. Mt. Everest is over twice as tall. Maybe someday I'll climb a higher one but for now I need to nurse the calves and tend to a sunburn.
posted by Nickolaus Kersting at 12:51 PM
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