Japan Nuggets

It’s cold. It rains. In fact, it pours.

Your rain pants are dripping, your boots are soaked, your backpack is completely wet.

You have 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) of elevation gain ahead of you starting from the 5^th station. Overnight is at the 8^th station.

The ascent is consistently steep.

Very steep.

Yes, you are climbing a volcano. It’s Mount Fuji on a bad weather day.

What seemed like a great idea now gives you pause. But turning back is not an option, so you push through. One step in front of the other. One meter of elevation gain at a time.

The 6^th station offers water, toilets, and a warm bowl of soup. But there’s no inside place to warm up. You eat outside in the rain and the cold, imagining how nice it would be to sit at the wooden tables and benches on a beautiful day.

Not today.

There are four more stations to pass before you reach the original 8^th station. The way is the aim. It’s spiritual. That’s what you tell yourself while pushing on.

At some point, the forest ends. Now there’s only volcanic soil, open terrain, and increasingly cold winds. No views. Only clouds and fog.

After five hours you make it.

The wooden accommodation is simple but cozy. The food very basic. Some hikers feel the altitude. Two huge sleeping areas offer bunk beds for about 100 people each.

But it’s warm under two big blankets. Outside, the temperature is around 0°C (32°F).

You dream of a shower, but there’s no water. You can’t even wash your hands. But you have sanitizer – yes!

Brushing your teeth? Forget about it.

Toilets? In a separate building outside. Better bundle up.

Then you begin to realize where you are.

This is Fuji-san! You made it – and it’s amazing.

Bouts of excitement ripple through your body.

Bedtime is right after dinner, around 6 p.m. Somehow you sleep amazingly well amongst all the other hikers. No snorers. Just silent whispers and rain on the roof.

The wakeup call comes at 2 a.m. It’s time for the summit. Another 90 minutes of steep ascent. It’s still cold. Still raining. Very windy.

There’s no view, let alone a sunrise. What about that prime spiritual moment?

Just then the clouds open up. It’s a true silver lining.

Breathtaking in unexpected ways.

Beautiful.

Magic.

Unique.

At 3,776 meters (12,389 feet) you feel close to the gods – if they exist.

Then comes the descent. It feels even steeper than the ascent. Your legs are tested as you slide down the volcanic soil. They turn to jelly while your heart makes happy little jumps.

The rain has stopped. It clears up. And suddenly, the views are spectacular.

What an adventure!

Would I do it again? Maybe.

Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Did you know:

• There’s a post office near the summit of Mount Fuji. So, hikers can send postcards stamped from one of Japan’s most unusual post offices.
• You can buy a wooden hiking stick and collect stamps that are branded onto it at every station. A very nice souvenir!
• The summit has its own weather system. Temperatures can be dramatically lower and winds much stronger. So, a sunny day in Tokyo doesn’t necessarily mean pleasant conditions on Fuji.

Also read: Can you love a mountain?