By Saturday, I already had most of my preparations done for leaving, so I only had to pack up and buy some last minute groceries on my way out. I met up with Arisa as Hachioji and then we started the long commute from Tokyo to Fuji. The first leg of our journey was a train ride from Hachioji through the Japanese countryside. I enjoyed my time in Tokyo, but riding the train through the small villages reminded me that I am not a city boy. I was born and raised in a small town and I will eventually retire there. My career and education will probably lead me to living in a metropolitan area for awhile, but seeing the less modern side of Japan served as a great emotional trigger to bring back the more rural side of my personality.
Back on topic, getting to Mt. Fuji was an annoyingly long experience with lots of trains and buses and waiting, but we eventually reached the starting point of our journey - the 5th Station. Most people start climbing from the 5th Station because the mountain is so wide and it doesn't actually become climbing/hiking until around the 5th station. And even starting from the 5th (of 9) stations, the estimated climb time was over 6 hours. And that estimate doesn't account for resting, only climbing. I just wanted to point that out so no one things I took the easy way out and cheated. =P
The first thing I did after arriving at the 5th station was buy a wooden totem pole as a souvenir. The custom is climbers buy either a small totem or a long walking stick and then have it branded at the various checkpoints along the way to the top - and eternal glory. I would have loved to have a walking stick, but I knew I wouldn't be able to fit it in my suitcase and bring it back with me so I settled on a wooden totem the I could stuff in my backpack. There were plenty of other souvenirs, but I decided to wait to do more shopping until after climbing back down.
We started our journey to the top with very light spirits and heavy backpacks as we started on the flashlight-lit path. In only an hour we had made our way to the first checkpoint - the 6th station. It was only a minor checkpoint though, so we took a swig of water and marched back into the night. Two hours later and we had reached the 7th station - the first checkpoint with a progress brand. It was an exciting moment, and I was taught the word they use for it in Japanese. Sadly, they only refer to it as a stamp (in Japanese it sounds like su-tam-pu) so it wasn't an exciting word, but I at least gained the ability to ask in Japanese.
Instead of the boring details, I'll just give you a rough outline of how climbing Mt. Fuji went. We would climb in hour long intervals and then rest for about 20 minutes to rest, eat, drink, and get my stamps. The terrain was kind of rough, but not as bad as it could have been for climbing a mountain/dormant volcano. I spent a lot of time talking with Arisa, but we also had plenty of other company to enjoy the climb with. And if things had gone wrong, there were plenty of shops and such to buy supplies from. After a few hours of climbing we finally made it to the 8th station, marked with an elevation of 3250 meters. That meant we only had a little over half a kilometer left to climb (you know, if we could climb directly up and reach our target elevation of 3776 meters).
By this point it was quite clear that Mt. Fuji is a really tall mountain. I am fairly in shape and healthy, but it still pushed me to the very edge of my physical endurance to make it to the top without stopping to sleep - especially since we climbed through the night in order to watch the sunrise from the summit. My legs hurt and I was freezing cold but we kept going. Arisa was in even worse shape than me so I had to go a bit slower, but I'm glad she was there. It gave me a cap for my pace and provided me with the company required to maintain my sanity as I climbed my way into the heavens on Japan's most sacred mountain. I was also very impressed that she kept up as well as she did, she was much stronger than I had expected. Still, I hope I didn't push her too hard..
Early on in the climb I had did a quick estimate of our climb time and even then I knew we were pushing it close if we wanted to be at the top when the sun quit being shy, but I was a little off and realized we were half an hour late - we wouldn't make it to the top before the sun rose. Soon the sky started to change colors and it was evident the sun was on its way. So we weren't going to make it in time, it was 4am and the sunrise was scheduled for 4:30am and we were almost an hour away from the top.
I am not sure if Arisa was aware that we weren't going to make it, but either way I turned to her and did my best to explain (oh man, I have forgotten so much since I left. I can't even begin to re-form what I would have told her yet I know I was able to say it quite fluently even after staying up all night to climb that cursed mountain). Instead of trying to rush and ruin the experience, we just shrugged it off and started taking pretty pictures of the beautiful landscape. Even though the sun wasn't up yet, the landscape was already lit by the ambient light and it was quite a sight to behold. Then the sun made its appearance. There weren't any other actors in the play to draw attention away this time though. There were no clouds the share the spotlight, only the morning sun in all of its glory (except when Arisa decided it was picture time =P ).
After the initial shock and awe, we turned and finished the climb to the top. Yeah we were miserably tired, but we were only a few hundred meters from the top and I wasn't about to quite just because the sun wasn't willing to cooperate with our schedule. Shortly thereafter, we were at the top - the summit of Mt. Fuji. 3776 meters above sea level. Bathed in the glory of an unfiltered sun facing both the burning rays and freezing cold air yet managing to find a peaceful tranquility while gazing on the rolling clouds sporadically broken by the lesser mountains surrounding Fuji. If I had the foresight to make a list of things I want to do before I die already, that moment would have been the first time I could cross something off.
This is the point of the journey where I realized I am mildly susceptible to altitude sickness. It hadn't been a problem before reaching the summit, but then it hit me. It was quite embarrassing, especially since Arisa was there. Not only that, the descent was rendered completely miserable. Still, the scenery was pretty. By far the most scenic place I've ever been sick...
Given the unpleasantness of the six hour descent, I'll skip ahead to when we returned to the 5th station. I was feeling better by then so I took my last opportunity to buy souvenirs. I bought a few things for some family, but I also wanted to get something for me and Arisa since we just spent a full grueling day of climbing and suffering to witness one of the most beautiful sunrises this world has to offer (can you notice the love-hate I have for Fuji?). After looking around I found the perfect souvenir: a yin-yang with Mt. Fuji on a cell phone strap.
The trip from Fuji back to my dorm was long, but I slept for almost the entire thing. I have never been that thoroughly exhausted before, and I've never slept to deeply on a train (or bus). I can't remember when, but we did manage to get a final picture at some point during the ride. Then I had to say goodbye and switch trains...
That was my final day in Japan. The rest of my story only consists of me packing, going to the airport, and leaving so I'll skip those boring parts and spare you.
It is hard to believe that I was in Japan less than two months ago. Two months ago I was living in Tokyo, on the other side of the world from my family, friends, all everything I've ever found familiar. And since then I mentored Summer Institute at Mudd after a week of being home and now the new freshman class has arrived on campus. I'm thinking about the different emotional states I've been through within these past two months and I am in awe of how quickly life can change. It seems I am beginning the most exciting part of my life, so I can't wait to see where this next year takes me. Until then, though, I am done with this blog. I can't express how much I appreciate that I have had so many people read my posts and tell me that they enjoyed them. I'll resurrect this blog if I go abroad to Japan again, but no matter what I'll always be thankful for all those that read my stories.
Best regards,
David "Legen" Derry
The first thing I did after arriving at the 5th station was buy a wooden totem pole as a souvenir. The custom is climbers buy either a small totem or a long walking stick and then have it branded at the various checkpoints along the way to the top - and eternal glory. I would have loved to have a walking stick, but I knew I wouldn't be able to fit it in my suitcase and bring it back with me so I settled on a wooden totem the I could stuff in my backpack. There were plenty of other souvenirs, but I decided to wait to do more shopping until after climbing back down.
We started our journey to the top with very light spirits and heavy backpacks as we started on the flashlight-lit path. In only an hour we had made our way to the first checkpoint - the 6th station. It was only a minor checkpoint though, so we took a swig of water and marched back into the night. Two hours later and we had reached the 7th station - the first checkpoint with a progress brand. It was an exciting moment, and I was taught the word they use for it in Japanese. Sadly, they only refer to it as a stamp (in Japanese it sounds like su-tam-pu) so it wasn't an exciting word, but I at least gained the ability to ask in Japanese.
Instead of the boring details, I'll just give you a rough outline of how climbing Mt. Fuji went. We would climb in hour long intervals and then rest for about 20 minutes to rest, eat, drink, and get my stamps. The terrain was kind of rough, but not as bad as it could have been for climbing a mountain/dormant volcano. I spent a lot of time talking with Arisa, but we also had plenty of other company to enjoy the climb with. And if things had gone wrong, there were plenty of shops and such to buy supplies from. After a few hours of climbing we finally made it to the 8th station, marked with an elevation of 3250 meters. That meant we only had a little over half a kilometer left to climb (you know, if we could climb directly up and reach our target elevation of 3776 meters).
By this point it was quite clear that Mt. Fuji is a really tall mountain. I am fairly in shape and healthy, but it still pushed me to the very edge of my physical endurance to make it to the top without stopping to sleep - especially since we climbed through the night in order to watch the sunrise from the summit. My legs hurt and I was freezing cold but we kept going. Arisa was in even worse shape than me so I had to go a bit slower, but I'm glad she was there. It gave me a cap for my pace and provided me with the company required to maintain my sanity as I climbed my way into the heavens on Japan's most sacred mountain. I was also very impressed that she kept up as well as she did, she was much stronger than I had expected. Still, I hope I didn't push her too hard..
Early on in the climb I had did a quick estimate of our climb time and even then I knew we were pushing it close if we wanted to be at the top when the sun quit being shy, but I was a little off and realized we were half an hour late - we wouldn't make it to the top before the sun rose. Soon the sky started to change colors and it was evident the sun was on its way. So we weren't going to make it in time, it was 4am and the sunrise was scheduled for 4:30am and we were almost an hour away from the top.
I am not sure if Arisa was aware that we weren't going to make it, but either way I turned to her and did my best to explain (oh man, I have forgotten so much since I left. I can't even begin to re-form what I would have told her yet I know I was able to say it quite fluently even after staying up all night to climb that cursed mountain). Instead of trying to rush and ruin the experience, we just shrugged it off and started taking pretty pictures of the beautiful landscape. Even though the sun wasn't up yet, the landscape was already lit by the ambient light and it was quite a sight to behold. Then the sun made its appearance. There weren't any other actors in the play to draw attention away this time though. There were no clouds the share the spotlight, only the morning sun in all of its glory (except when Arisa decided it was picture time =P ).
After the initial shock and awe, we turned and finished the climb to the top. Yeah we were miserably tired, but we were only a few hundred meters from the top and I wasn't about to quite just because the sun wasn't willing to cooperate with our schedule. Shortly thereafter, we were at the top - the summit of Mt. Fuji. 3776 meters above sea level. Bathed in the glory of an unfiltered sun facing both the burning rays and freezing cold air yet managing to find a peaceful tranquility while gazing on the rolling clouds sporadically broken by the lesser mountains surrounding Fuji. If I had the foresight to make a list of things I want to do before I die already, that moment would have been the first time I could cross something off.
This is the point of the journey where I realized I am mildly susceptible to altitude sickness. It hadn't been a problem before reaching the summit, but then it hit me. It was quite embarrassing, especially since Arisa was there. Not only that, the descent was rendered completely miserable. Still, the scenery was pretty. By far the most scenic place I've ever been sick...
Given the unpleasantness of the six hour descent, I'll skip ahead to when we returned to the 5th station. I was feeling better by then so I took my last opportunity to buy souvenirs. I bought a few things for some family, but I also wanted to get something for me and Arisa since we just spent a full grueling day of climbing and suffering to witness one of the most beautiful sunrises this world has to offer (can you notice the love-hate I have for Fuji?). After looking around I found the perfect souvenir: a yin-yang with Mt. Fuji on a cell phone strap.
The trip from Fuji back to my dorm was long, but I slept for almost the entire thing. I have never been that thoroughly exhausted before, and I've never slept to deeply on a train (or bus). I can't remember when, but we did manage to get a final picture at some point during the ride. Then I had to say goodbye and switch trains...
That was my final day in Japan. The rest of my story only consists of me packing, going to the airport, and leaving so I'll skip those boring parts and spare you.
It is hard to believe that I was in Japan less than two months ago. Two months ago I was living in Tokyo, on the other side of the world from my family, friends, all everything I've ever found familiar. And since then I mentored Summer Institute at Mudd after a week of being home and now the new freshman class has arrived on campus. I'm thinking about the different emotional states I've been through within these past two months and I am in awe of how quickly life can change. It seems I am beginning the most exciting part of my life, so I can't wait to see where this next year takes me. Until then, though, I am done with this blog. I can't express how much I appreciate that I have had so many people read my posts and tell me that they enjoyed them. I'll resurrect this blog if I go abroad to Japan again, but no matter what I'll always be thankful for all those that read my stories.
Best regards,
David "Legen" Derry
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