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Climbing Fuji-san
In 2000, my wife Mandy and I celebrated the new millennium by climbing Mt Fuji, located on the border of Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefecture in central Japan.
When we got back home two days later all the muscles of our body ached, our feet had blisters, and our toes were bruised, but all worth the adventure of climbing the sacred mountain of Japan. Why do it? Well, was not only "because he was there," as the saying goes. It was much more than that, climbing Fuji-san of Japan might experience on a plane more personal, active, "hands-on way," an experience never to forget.
Saying 'Fuji-san "is famous would a gross understatement. It is a highly revered mountain in Japan, therefore, the honorific "san ~." Visit Mount Fuji is a kind of pilgrimage for those interested in Japanese culture. However, most people only go so far as to buy a postcard, or consult with their own eyes from a distance. We wanted to go there and scale.
It has existed for tens of thousands of years, possibly more, and is a currently inactive volcano, last 'blow its peak in 1707, when he came to the streets of Tokyo in volcanic ash. My wife and I first read about Fuji-san, when we were friends studying in the language Japanese together at university in Australia.
Three years later, we were living and working in the small town of Ohito close Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture. Fuji-san is relatively close to the city, and every morning we got up and sat on our front door with a cup of coffee in hand, and look at the majestic snow-covered slopes, always fascinated by how they dominated the landscape.
For those who have not had the pleasure to see Fuji-san, which is 3776 meters high (12,389 feet), with an almost perfect circular base and a typical volcanic cone, the gradient of the hillside is about 45 degrees. It is a huge mountain, majestic appearance which can be seen more than 100 miles from Tokyo in a fine, clear day.
In 2000, lived and worked in the city of Gifu, Japan, where we met a Japanese friend who also wanted to climb the mountain divide. Together they planned and made preparations for our trip there in summer. For mountaineering enthusiasts, like us, it is only safe to climb Fuji-san in the summer months July and August.
We awoke at 5:30 am one morning in mid-August, had a hot breakfast high in protein, and then took the train from Nagoya City, arriving at 7:30 am. In Nagoya, we find our friend, Kyoko, and the three of us enjoy a cup of coffee a coffee before walking to the bus station. We were all very excited as we sat on the bus to Kawaguchi-ko.
The trip by bus from the city of Nagoya to the pretty town of Kawaguchi-ko (Lake Kawaguchi) took four hours. Arriving at Kawaguchi-ko, we got out and had lunch in a small restaurant and picturesque. Soon after, we had to take our seats on the bus the mountain ", which took us on the journey of an hour to the fifth station Monte Fuji. The mountain is divided into levels, with a "rest station" on each level, and nine seasons in total.
The fifth season is quite large, since it is the last station accessible motor vehicles, and that is very popular with tourists keen to see Fuji-san, but do not want to climb it. Therefore there are many souvenir shops, restaurants, bars and even a small hotel. A lot of Japanese climbers unit until this point, your car, and then climb to the top, but 'dedicated climbers "and" purists insist from the base of the mountain.
The day he arrived the fifth season, is immersed in lowland cloud! The entire area seemed to be surrounded by fog, creating a mysterious atmosphere. The fifth station is located at 2306 meters (7565 feet), only 1470 meters from the top! What surprised us was how cool it was, but at this point, a drop in temperature was expected. Even during a hot summer, it would be freezing at the peak, so he had brought the right clothes.
After a bit of tea afternoon, went to the observatory, but was wrapped in white mist, and therefore could not see anything. So we checked our supplies (clothing, food, water, etc), and then began the ascent of the fifth season at 4:30 pm in the afternoon. It was a lovely walk in the first place, the gravel roads clean, with woods on both sides and the white mist everywhere.
However, after about half an hour, it became more difficult. The mist had become more thick, and very rocky terrain. The forest had declined, mostly small trees, with shrubs and plants, and the road had also become much more pronounced.
A man with a horse mountain offers girls a ride to the sixth season, which he accepted with pleasure. Mandy loves horses, and Kyoko had never been on a horse before, so I was very happy to continue hiking in the mountains, as they rode slowly on horseback.
Before leaving the fifth season, we had each bought a "mountain pole (poles on the same level as ourselves) to help us up the mountain, which were useful and safe. In addition to using them support, they became great memories as well, because every time we came to a station, a heated seal burned on them. According to the sixth season of seal, now we were at 2,500 meters (8,200 feet).
It was 5:30 pm when we left the sixth season, we fight together up on the seventh station, located at 2750 meters (9020 feet), and already feel exhausted! We had risen to a point above the clouds, at 7:00 pm and sat and watched the sun sink beneath the clouds beneath us. It was an impressive sight. However, after a ten-minute break and a quick toilet break, we continued on our way to Red Mountain, stony.
There seemed to be many more people now, all very friendly, Japanese and foreigners alike, all sharing the same journey as us. Some of them were old enough to be withdrawn. Look at all of them walk up the mountain, both below and above us, was like seeing a mass exodus of some sort, like a scene from the Bible or a movie Hollywood disaster.
Gradually the road has gone from one track to the foot of a rocky slope, until sometimes had to climb a chain pulling threaded through the old metal poles, nailed to the surface of volcanic rock. Our hearts beat, his face flushed, and we were constantly out of breath, and wondered how much more could go!
Shortly thereafter, we reached a small hut, just a rest stop of truth, where we were told it would be another thirty minutes from the station sessions. The light is fading fast and mercury in the thermometer barely ten degrees Celsius (degrees Fahrenheit fifty).
We did not realize that a mountain with a gradual slope (from a distance anyway) could be so positive, but it was like climb a steep flight of stairs and endless. It was dark, and we stopped and rested there, watching the stars began to appear above.
Temperature appeared to be decreasing rapidly, and we all took off our backpacks Long coats and put them on. We have our torches out, too, as had turned pitch black.
We were now above 10,000 feet, and none of us felt as if we had a lot of energy left. At that time we heard footsteps coming towards us down the path of gravel. He was an elderly man, who seemed to be in his eighties. He smiled kindly informed us in Japanese that the station was eighth a few minutes more the track. This was most encouraging.
As we walked with the old man informed us that every year since his wife was dead, climbed Fuji-san. She also told us about the famous old saying in Japan saying
"A wise man climbs Fuji-san once, but only a fool climbs it twice." He laughed out loud at this and we all feel a little warmer and stronger in their presence. Soon the lights were visible.
We rounded a steep corner and using the last of our energy to climb a stone staircase, we arrived at the station session. Friendly faces greeted us inside the well-lit interior, and as a man there mark our centers of mountains, elderly companions offer us farewell and continued on up the mountain! The three required to use the chemical basis' ecological toilet and rest a bit before we go any further. He dropped into a wooden fence, opened our bags, had a long drink of water and eaten some of our food.
We still had to continue with the "Yama" goya "(mountain hut) before we could pass night, but I felt a little better after having something to eat, like Mandy and Kyoko.
Looking to ourselves, we gathered our backpacks, polos our mountain, and into the black night with only our torches to light our way. At 9:45 pm, he crawled up a rocky slope end to "Yama-Goya, a large brightly lit hut, watching the sky, not unlike us.
A man checked our names and took us a small table on the tatami floor, mat. Despite the large number of people, we did not wait long before the curry dishes served with hot rice and glasses beer! It seemed too good to be true, and it locks.
A sign on the wall stated in bold that we were in 3450 meters (11,300 feet)! After finishing the meal and change into dry clothes, cool, we feel renewed.
Before hitting the sack, we decided to go out and the use of some of our bottles of water to clean the teeth. The three of us sat in an old wooden plank that was built right on the side of the mountain, with feet dangling over the edge, brush our teeth white.
Suddenly we heard a 'buzz' and were surprised to see our slide bottle water beneath our feet and skimmed milk down the mountain! He was shot down, and then gravity took out. There was nothing we could do what we saw shoot out of sight.
That's when we realized how precarious our position was, and went back out on the table ground level. Luckily we still had another bottle full of water in our backpacks. We walked on and joined other people lined up along the edge, and together we saw a Thunderstorm conducted in the clouds below us. The weather had turned bad then, but above the sky was totally clear, and millions of stars glowing.
It was late and we decided to go to bed. There was a separate room (bedroom) for men and women. Camas was on a thin futon on the tatami, with one blanket to throw over yourself, the futons were side by side, with about 30 in total on the ground, and more emphasis second-level bunk. I was tired and fell asleep within minutes.
Three hours later, at 1:30 am, we were awakened by a soft metal gong, and dressed. Altitude sickness had settled in, and apart from a headache, I felt horribly sick. I then noticed that many the Japanese had small cans, pressurized oxygen.
Outside, Kyoko and Mandy and I ate the last of our sandwiches, sipped our water, and checked the time. It was 2:00 am and if we wanted to see the sunrise from the summit, which had to be out. I groaned and stood up trembling. Then joined a group of slow movement of people and started the final ascent to the summit, as I tried to ignore my nausea.
We saw many shooting stars that night, and I was a blessed distraction from my altitude sickness. Slowly but surely my feelings began to change. My body gradually accustomed a different height, and I could feel my condition improves.
At 3550 meters (11,647 feet), we reached the last level before the summit – the ninth season! Interestingly, the three of us feel good then, maybe our second wind. We were happy talking to people who were no longer strangers but Bonilla. It was then we saw the first sign of light creeping over the horizon. Alba was close!
Kyoko, Mandy and I arrived at the summit of Mount Fuji at 4:30 am, on Friday, August 13, feeling great! We left the long line of fellow hikers, and found a perfect place to hand, from which see "Goraiko" (The first ray of sunlight). We were exhausted, but ecstatic, having finally made it to the top in time for sunrise!
Within minutes, the sun began to appear, with cries of all those gathered to see the first ray of the "rising sun". The spectacular event was almost like a religious experience – that it was for the Japanese, of course, with its belief in Shinto. Mandy and I found that I had tears of joy in his eyes, looking at the dawn heavenly!
We were at 3,600 meters (11,810 feet), the lowest part of the summit and safe. How strange it felt to be as high as a plane without one. We were free, like birds on high in the sky, where eagles fly, and where humans can achieve dreams.
Going up the mountain to test a physical, downhill mountain was so steep and difficult. In order not to lose balance and roll to the bottom had to hold the mountain post in front of you, and dig your feet on the stones and gravel as he made his descent. However, this method also had the effect of interference his fingers against the inside of your shoes, and the creation of blisters on the soles of the feet. I could barely walk the next day! We did it for the mountain in just four hours! weak, humiliated and tired, we finally arrived at the fifth station at about 9:30 am. We enjoy a large bowl of hot noodles, bought some souvenirs, and took some final photos before taking our seats on the bus the mountain. "
Once back in Kawaguchi-ko, transfer to another bus, which was bound for the city of Nagoya. He quickly fell asleep and did not wake up until we heard the bus driver announced that he had arrived in the city of Nagoya. Then we took a train connecting the city of Gifu, which was separated from Kyoko, and walked home. It felt wonderful to have a hot shower and collapse in bed, with images of clouds floating lazily downhill through my mind.
About the Author
Chris Ryall is an Australian school teacher, who has lived in Japan for 14 years with his wife, Mandy. He is a novelist, poet and enjoys writing articles about Japan. His profile can be found on Facebook. E-mail: chrisandamanda2@yahoo.com.au
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