Climbing Fuji-san

No. 7 station approx 8,858 feet. The weather was getting nastier as we went and as you will see in later pictures I stopped to put on my rain pants:( Not that the rain gear really helped since I was soaked to the bone by the end of the climb! At least at the moment I was dry and thought it was going to help me out.

These men are branding our Fuji sticks.

This was our first stop for getting out Fuji sticks branded. The Japanese call them stamps. Most stations you come to which are really just shanty huts have brands. A different one saying something in Japanese. Plus they usually have the height you made it to and a symbol or picture. A really awesome souvenir and one that helped you accomplish your feat!

Ok this picture shows you why I refer to the day as climbing! As a precaution the day before the climb I cut all my finger nails down. I did not want to deal with one being shredded back to the quick. Looking at this lava rock formation, I was thrilled I had done so. It was a hands, feet and Fuji stick process getting up!

Two random resting Japanese Fuji climbers.

One book I read said that Fuji is the most climbed mountain in the world. Many sites online as well as the book say that 200,000 people climb Fuji a year with 30% being foreigners. I only spoke with two groups of foreigners who both ended up being French. Believe me there wasn't much talking as you continued to ascend the inhospitable Fuji-san.

Looking back down the way we had come.




As you look at these pathways think about ferocious gusts of wind that threaten to end your visit to dear Ms Fuji. I am not kidding at all! At times I found myself crouching down as quickly as I could while tightening all my muscles making myself a smaller tighter target. Even climbing in a crouch at times with my upper body horizontal to the ground feeling safer that way than standing. There was one time in particular when I thought I was heading over the chain and down down down... I have not been able to find a record of how strong the wind is on Fuji but have no fear I will keep looking.

An opening in the clouds allowed for an neat shot down.

I still have not made it very far up the mountain when this picture was taken which you can tell becasue there is still vegetation. Notice the rocks on the huts roof in the far left corner. Every hut/building on the mountain had to have massive rocks on the roof to keep in from blowing away.Yes that is ice on the top right corner of the picture! I was lead to believe that the snow and ice was gone during open season July and August. Not so much on July 18, 2009!This is my Japanese chocolate friend and I at a rest station.

Let me explain: At many of the stations if not all there is a small area to rest (outside) and a vendor usually has snacks for sale in a small hut. The width of these stations can be anywhere from a person and half to 3 people - not large. But as you know Japanese people can pack it in to small spaces. As Dawn and I arrived one of the stations, for the life of me I can't remember which one, this Japanese man offered us chocolate. Of course I will accept chocolate there aren't a lot of woman who will pass up an offer of free chocolate! It was as you can imagine very tasty - strawberry and chocolate combined.

Later at another station I saw he and his buddy again. This time I was taking a quick break to refuel. I offered the two men some trail mix a normal snack for Americans. The version I had with me included banana chips, cranberries, pineapple, papaya, honey roasted peanuts, cashews, coconut and dark chocolate m&ms. I poured some into each mans hands. My chocolate buddy was wowed big time. The grin on his face after eating some of my trail mix was like a little boy getting a special treat at the candy store. It was too awesome to experience. Then in broken English he told me "New never have, ohh so taste good". I of course then took his hands pulled them flat and poured a second helping. His whole face lit up once again - a nice thing to see when the world around me was gray and menacing. We finally introduced ourselves but for the life of me I can't remember his name. Off we went to continue pushing up the mountain in the driving rain, sleet and occasional hail. We did see him again but that part of the story will come later in the posts just don't forget my chocolate friend. Many of you know that my brain never stops churning, the gears just don't stop turning unless I am asleep. So obviously I was thinking the whole time I was hiking. During the easier terrain I was trying to think of what I was going to say on the blog but as the terrain and weather got more difficult and at times down right dreadful my thoughts were far from blogging.

More than once I looked down at my fingers sticking out of my workout gloves like tiny little white popsicles and wondered what the signs of frostbite were. My finger nails were a strange light blue shade a rather nice color if it weren't for the fact it was my finger nails. I realize this means I wasn't getting enough oxygen but did it also show how cold I was? My right hand seem to be curled into a permanent Fuji stick holding grip. Uh mm frostbite? Thankfully no but I did wonder.

I also thought if Rory even considers asking me to go on vacation where it is cold I would say no. Forget skiing or hiking I am thinking tropical islands and the beach. No more cold!!! I was freezing and the ice felt like bee stings all over my face as it came pelting in sideways under my visor. Yeah that visor was packed for the sun by the way as were the sunglasses that were never removed from my pack!

A couple times my thoughts came out as comments to Dawn my climbing buddy. I thought some were appropriate like: "If we did this every weekend we wouldn't have any cellulite on our glutes!" At that point in time my glutes were on fire. Hey I was really having fun! The challenge and muscle burn was right up my alley! Dawn didn't think it was so cute or funny. I think she even made some comment back about how did she end up climbing with a personal trainer! Ok come on personal trainer and climbing a mountain - I don't train mountain climbers.

Showing the rest area of one of the stations. Almost everyone was a walking, scrambling, climbing rain suit with only a little bit of their face showing

Another view of the same stationOh look they were reassuring us we weren't on the Lost Route - how kind.

So what do you think of the view?

I sound crazy but I was having a great time though really the rain/stinging ice could have been missing! There were times that the ice and cold rain felt like cruel and unusual punishment as my muscles burned from the intense workout and my skin and organs screamed from the cold! I am grateful for the rain for one reason - my sinuses. I heard that one lady a blonde ened up with black hair when she was climbing. It took her two days to scrub the lava ash out of her hair and scalp. That would have done a number on my sinuses.

I am sorry to say that as Fuji-san got 'grumpier and grumpier weather wise' I took less pictures. My fear was the rain and sleet/hail would damage the new camera my honey bought me before sailing away. No worries their are plenty more pictures but the quality isn't always there due to rain drops or due to how quick I tried to take the picture.

Still smiling:)-What a once in a lifetime experience! Do you see the stamps on our Fuji sticks?