Fifth Station

wpid9884-2013-06-29-101627-063.jpgAlthough I am in Japan for business, I have added two days of vacation so that I can fulfill a life long aspiration to climb Mount Fuji. A 7:40AM bus from Shinjuku Station has me to the Fifth Station of the Yoshida trail by 10:30AM. This is the most common starting point for the climb and sits at an altitude of 7,500 feet, roughly 5,000 feet below the 12,388 foot summit. Technically, the 2 month climbing season does not begin for another 2 days but as is evidenced by the photo, there are nearly one hundred other climbers that I will be sharing the trail with today. During peak times, as many as 10,000 people attempt the climb each day.

The photo below was taken with the camera level and shows the effects of massive winter avalanches on the vegetation on the lower part of the trail.

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As is common at this time of year, much of the ascent is through a layer of clouds which renders visibility quite limited. With only one stop for lunch, I made a continuous climb of about 6 hours before reaching my destination for the evening, a mountain hut at the 8th station. I prefer a slow steady pace with no stopping to greater speed and frequent breaks (which other hikers seem to favor). I must admit that the climbing was harder than I anticipated and with limited visibility it was also quite unrewarding photographically speaking. The trail is an unrelenting ascent. If not for the numerous mountain huts starting after the seventh station there would not be a scintilla of level ground to be found anywhere.

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The Japanese custom is to pause at one of the mountain huts for dinner and a few hours of rest before leaving early in the morning so as to time your arrival at the summit with the rising of the sun. A typical mountain hut includes a small dining area with tables and a common sleeping room. I had a reservation for space number 24 and it was as comfortable as a five star hotel’s bed after the day’s climb.

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