From Pennies To Yennies

Oh yes, the title says it all. Dan and I, along with 3 other friends, climbed to the summit of Mt. Fuji, Japan’s tallest mountain.

Dan and I were invited to climb Mt. Fuji by our friends the Ammons. I met Christine during training for my current job and we’ve been good friends ever since. They live on the air force base in Fussa, about an hour from us, so I don’t get to see her often. But the base was offering a bus to take you to and from the mountain, and we decided to join them.

Dan and I played hooky took time off work like responsible adults and began our journey Tuesday night. I teach til 9pm, and then I met Dan at Shinjuku station. From there we headed to Yokota Air Force base! It was our first time on military ground, which we both found exciting. There was a commissary with American groceries, American restaurants, and a gas station in USD! I made a mental note to ask my dear friend Christine to do my grocery shopping more often 😉

We got checked into the base and Christine took us to her house where we rested for about an hour. Then at 1am we all met in their dining room where Christine had pasta and cheesecake ready. Gotta carb up! We enjoyed our feast and pretended we weren’t about to climb the country’s tallest mountain. We also signed a bunch of waivers and consent forms.

At 2am we headed out the Recreation Center on base. We checked in and boarded a charter bus. Most people slept. I read for a bit, then tried to sleep, but my body was just too confused! We left the air force base at 2:30am.
ready to go!

We arrived at the 5th Station at 5am. If you were to climb Mt. Fuji from bottom to top, it would take 16+ hours, so most hikers start at the 5th Station, about 2,300 meters above sea level.
Can’t possibly imagine why I’m smiling!

Dan above the clouds


We stopped into a shop and bought walking sticks. There are rest stops along the path to the summit, and locals will brand your walking stick with your progress. We thought it would be a good souvenir, so we got those and post cards to send to our parents from the world’s highest post office!

Yes, we were heading all the way up there.

Christine is ready to go!

Sometime between 5-5:30am, we began our ascent up Mt. Fuji. The first while was very steep pathways. Sometimes dirt, but usually loose rock and gravel. It was hard to walk on. See? 20 minutes in and I’m already complaining! This can’t be good!
Working my way up in the beginning

Our terrain then became steep steps

On these beginning paths, the altitude didn’t hit me yet, but my legs were definitely needing to adjust to the incline. My calves were on fire!
After quite a while, maybe 45 minutes, we reached our first rest station. We got our first branding on our walking sticks! I was proud.

I collapsed on a bench. We hadn’t been at this very long and I was tired. While I didn’t feel sick from the altitude, I was getting out of breath very easily.
My view from the bench. As you can see, you just wind back and forth up the mountain. Back and forth, back and forth…

My view looking up Fuji. I didn’t think we’d need all those rest stations, but really, I wish there were far more!

After our rest break we were back at it. Here’s a glimpse of our terrain

Now, when I heard you could climb Mt. Fuji, in my head I was thinking a steep hike. I did not think I would literally be on my hands and knees and feet climbing up boulders and rocks. It was madness. There were all sorts of people around me: children, adults, elderly. I thought it was so hard, and there were people of all ages attempting this!
Progress, and clouds!

Another rest station. Getting our sticks branded

At this point, I was feeling the altitude a bit. I felt constantly out of breath, my stomach wasn’t sick, but didn’t feel right. I also had the threat of a headache, but never an actual headache. All these feelings while I’m climbing a giant mountain. It was a lot to handle!

Unfortunately, I had to turn my attention to the task at hand, and settle down with my picture taking. So here is Dan and I at one of the rest stops that had a torii gate.

195 minutes to go, aka 3 hours and 15 minutes. Did I mention we’d already been climbing for hours at this point?!

Nothing but clouds over the ledge

We trudged on. This is, no doubt, the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I was hungry but my stomach couldn’t handle food. I didn’t want to drink but forced myself. It was really cold. I was sleepy and my muscles burned and were tired. I had to bargain with myself over and over for hours: 10 feet, and you can rest. Yes, I could only climb for about 5-10 seconds before I collapsed on a rock, completely out of breath. I had no idea I’d have so much trouble adjusting to the altitude!

Sometimes I was in front of Dan, sometimes he led us. But we kept going. I’m honestly not sure how, but we did!
Getting closer!

The final hour of our ascent was hard because we could see the mountain’s summit. It looked close and impossibly far all at the same time. We would try to press on and get far, but altitude caught us and left us panting. In the end we reached the top together. A nice couple asked Dan to take a picture of him with his wife, and Dan said sure. After, the man asked if he could do the same for us. Dan, out of breath, said no thank you, we didn’t have the energy to dig our camera out. I agreed, then paused. Wait, we’re at the top of Mt. Fuji, I can find the strength! “Wait!” I called out, out of breath. With all my strength I pulled off my backpack and heaved my camera out and handed it to the man. He got our picture, and I am so glad he did. This was a once in a lifetime moment!

Honestly, after he took the picture, I didn’t know if I even had the strength to descend a few steps to get my backpack. But of course I did, and Dan and I proceeded to take in the view.

Wow.

I felt like I was on top of the world. I couldn’t believe my eyes. We had done it. It took us 6.5 hours to reach the top. So much pain and work! But it was amazing!

We found our friends and sat down in a sheltered area to order food. I just wasn’t up to eating. I knew I should have, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m on top of Mt. Fuji and what do I do? I took a nap!

A half hour later I woke up freezing, and we decided to walk by the crater before heading down. I was actually looking forward to heading down. Warmth! Oxygen!
Dan and I at the crater

Mr. Workaholic, checking his work email, on top of Mt. Fuji. I have half a mind to send this to his boss! 😉

One more before heading down

I should also note: the altitude made my hands bloat painfully huge. I couldn’t make a fist! If my mother is reading this, I apologize if my post card is illegible!

And down the mountain we went.

I don’t have any pictures of our descent. Why? Because I was miserable the whole time.

Before we headed down, I managed to eat and keep down a Nature Valley granola bar. That, plus walking down, lifted my spirits. I wasn’t even too bothered by the loose gravel we were trekking down on.

An hour went by. Just as we came up, we were going back and forth, back and forth down the mountain (different path). An hour in my lungs felt dramatically better, my head was fine and my stomach was ok. I was sick of walking on the loose gravel and rocks though. It was that kind of pathway that’s perfect for your feet to slip out from underneath you. Or to twist an ankle. Both of which I had multiple near-misses. The guys went ahead, and Christine and I stuck together. It was tough. The downward trek had my toenails bumping the toebox of my hiking boots repeatedly, and after an hour or two my toes were aching. My feet ached in general from all the hiking and climbing, and I was just tired.

When we thought we were making really good progress, one of the tour guides came to check on us. They didn’t guide us up the mountain, but kept a head count all day. We asked him how much longer, and I was truly expecting him to say about 40 minutes. Well, he said if we hurried, an hour and a half! What?! No way!

We went on and on, back and forth, down and down. Later we ran into Dan who waited for us at a lower rest station. It was good to see him. We trekked on.

Eventually we made it to 5th Station. I could see our bus! I wanted to cry I was so happy. I was covered in fine dirt soot, and when I moved I made clouds, like Pigpen on Peanuts. I got on the bus and took off my hiking boots and socks. I slipped on my squishy Reef sandals and it felt like heaven.

Christine and I took a wet wipe bath to get some dirt off our legs and faces. And then, I crashed. I was out. I don’t even remember the bus leaving the 5th Station. We left the mountain around 5pm I think. It took us about 4 hours to come down.

I woke up an hour into the bus ride. Soon after we hit a rest stop where I freshened up in the bathroom and Dan and I had a quick dinner. Then back on the road, sitting in traffic. We eventually made it back to the air force base, and Christine’s house. We gathered our things, had some water, and thanked them for being crazy enough to join us. Christine had a wonderful goodie bag fr me too: American food! She bought us Pop Tarts, Cheez-Its, Milk Duds, Full Throttle energy drinks, Gatorade and Skittles. I could have kissed her, but you know, we were covered in dirt!

She drove us to the train station, and Dan and I began our hour long commute home, on 4 trains, with all our hiking gear, filthy as ever.

I will never forget this climb. I don’t think I’ll ever climb it again, but then again I said I’d never run a half marathon again, and I’m signed up for multiple full marathons right now! It was difficult, there isn’t any perfect way to prepare, but what an experience! Most importantly, I think about how there was no way I could have done this at a heavier weight last year. I’ve come so far in my health and exercise, I’m truly proud of myself!

Check out all those brandings on my walking stick, that means I made it to the top!!