Wolfgang Krueger conquered Japan’s most beloved natural icon and, despite the extreme physical exertion, is now considering a second round.
I have been on many flights from Tokyo when minutes after take-off, the captain comes on, instructing all those sitting on the right side of the plane to look out their window at Mount Fuji, one of Japan’s most recognisable icons.
Recently on one flight, gazing upon that perfectly cone-shaped mass rising out of the earth, I wondered what it would be like to stand on top of it and how cold it would be.
I now have the answers to those questions.
It started a few weeks ago at one of the usual long-winded business meetings with Japanese associates when suddenly, I thought of a good ice-breaker: “Who has been to the top of Mount Fuji?”
The query earned me blank stares and shaking of heads, and finally, everyone pointed to the end of the table, where a rather unassuming Japanese gentleman sat. He looked me straight in the eyes and said: “Very tough.”
As the meeting progressed, my mind continued to wander back and forth to the slopes of “Fuji-san”, as the mountain is affectionately referred to by the Japanese people.
Formed several 100,000 years ago through three generations of volcanic activity, Fuji-san is designated a national park in Japan and has been nominated to join the ranks of Unesco heritage sites. This means that restrictions are placed on trekking and camping activities the higher one goes. Contrary to common belief, the volcano is still classified as dormant and its last recorded eruption was in December 1707. Part of the Fuji-Hakone Izu National Park, it sits seemingly apart from any of the ranges in the area. Seen from the shinkansen (bullet train) travelling between Tokyo and Osaka, it appears so majestic and much higher than its officially recorded height of 3,776m.
Ask people what the name Fuji-san means and one will get a variety of answers. The origins of the word appear unclear, but what is certain is that it is considered sacred and trekking to the top is considered a pilgrimage. The slopes are dotted with torii (traditional Japanese gates) reflecting the importance of Fuji-san in the Shinto religion. Along with the growth of Buddhism in Japan was an increase in mountain worship as Buddhists equate mountain climbing with spiritual enlightenment.
As one would expect in the highly organised Japanese society, there is an official climbing season, which begins on July 1 and ends around August 27, the opening of such landing as front-page headline news. Mountain huts and safety stations are closed outside the official season.
There are four ascending routes of varying degrees of difficulty – from the most popular Kawaguchiko 5th station route on the north side starting at 2,305m, to the shortest Fujinomiya route on the south side starting at the Fujinomiya 5th station or 2,380m. This route is also very steep. The two longest treks lead across the Gotemba (southeast side) and Subashiri (east side) routes starting at 1,440m and 1,980m respectively.
So it was with great surprise some time after that meeting that I received a telephone call – literally out of the blue – from the gentleman at the end of the table. He was inviting me to join him on his second ascent on Fuji-san. On his last attempt, weather conditions were not ideal, and he had not been able to experience a proper sunrise.
After assessing my physical abilities (I am also a certified PADI dive master), I decided to accept the challenge, and also managed to coax two of my office colleagues to join the adventure. Twenty-six days after the official announcement of the climbing season, I found myself part of a group that decided to make it up to the summit via the Fujinomiya route.
After a two-hour bus ride to the southwest of Tokyo, we arrived at the Fujinomiya 5th station. Judging by the sizeable crowds, it was obvious that climbing Fuji-san was not only an act of devotion but also a hugely popular tourist activity.
Was the common saying, “He who climbs Mount Fuji is a wise man, he who climbs it twice is a fool”, perhaps coined because most people setting out to conquer the slopes were not professional mountaineers, thus finding it so much more arduous to reach the top?
I was shortly to discover the wisdom behind that proverb, but that day while studying all those people with their wooden hiking sticks, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of respect for the mountain and for the challenge ahead.
Our group also bought hiking sticks, each costing ¥1,000 (US$9), for which a stamp was given out. Hikers accumulated more stamps as they made it to the various stations up the slope, the most important being the one received at the summit. Those were fun souvenirs and proof that a person had accomplished the mission. Another hot item being sold at the shops at the 5th station were oxygen canisters, however, pride prevented my team members and me from buying such travel aides.
It was a mostly clear day when our team started off from the 5th station, but even then, I was already awd by the gravelly landscape stretching before me and the hordes of people of all ages cheerfully marching out with such enthusiasm as if they were sure of conquering the world and not just one peak. One of the main reasons for the excitement was the prospect of viewing the sunrise, which got my adrenalin going. After all, was I not living in the Land of the Rising Sun?
Hikers have a choice of climbing times. Those who want to avoid staying overnight in one of those mountain huts, choose to ascend at 9pm in time to reach the summit around 4am. Our band chose to begin at 10am, which allowed us to enjoy increasingly stunning scenery as we made our way up. Rocks were clearly marked so there was very little possibility of getting lost.
While no Mount Everest or K-2, Fuji-san is no Sunday stroll either, but rather is a tough hike (as the Japanese gentleman in the meeting that started this all had warned) where my four litres of water came in handy and my meal of onigiri (a Japanese rice snack in a round or triangular shape, often filled with hot smoked salmon or other little morsels and wrapped in seaweed) tasted wonderfully delicious. We arrived in time to savour a fiery sunset. I thought this alone was ample compensation for the physical exertion. At 7pm, we headed toward our alpine retreat for a meal of rice and curry that was, probably, due to the logistics of getting the ingredients up to that altitude, responsible for the whopping price.
Now, sleeping on the top of Mount Fuji might have conjured visions of a roaring fireplace and romantic ambience, but unfortunately, these were very far from reality.
Twenty-six people in one room, sleeping on floor mats and blankets provided by the hut owner, makes for an interesting story to relate during dinner parties. But at the time, all I could think about, besides resting my aching body, was how often these bed linens had been washed – if they had been washed at all. It reached a point when some of us fled for the outdoors, and bundled up in all our gear, sat under the stars, watching the moving pinpricks of light – the sunrise hikers – make their way up to the summit.
We made it down safely the next day, though I must admit that downhill was much more difficult than the journey up. Fuji-san is special for sure, and I have yet to decide whether to be a wise man or a fool.
WHERE TO STAY
Most lodges open from July 1 to the last Sunday of August. An overnight stay starts from ¥5,000 to ¥5,500 (US$45-50), and from ¥6,500 to ¥7,500 (US$59-68) with dinner (usually curry) and breakfast included. Sancho Fuji-kan lodge (pictured) is one of the very few located on the summit. For more information, visit www.fujisanchou.com or www.fuji-toyokan.jp
Marcus Bauder
HIKING TIPS
• Do a bit of hiking before attempting to climb Mount Fuji. A person with average fitness is eligible. However, the tougher part is on the way down.
• Be warned that the temperature decreases by 0.6ºC around every 100m on the way up. It is therefore important to take appropriate clothing, and layer to adjust to the changing climate. Temperatures can fall below freezing even during summer.
• It is recommended not to wear anything made from 100 percent cotton as this gets wet easily and dries slowly, making you feel uncomfortable. Use special clothes available in hiking shops.
• Other necessary aids: proper hiking shoes to navigate the rocky terrain, water (what’s sold along the way is expensive), money for using the toilets (which is ¥200/US$2 each use), a torch, sunblock lotion as you get burnt easily up there, sunglasses and a plastic bag to collect your own trash.
Marcus Bauder
