Mount Fuji: Land of the Rising Sun

Reaching our final altitude of 3800m, the experience could not have been more rewarding. The sunrise at the top was truly one of the most breathtaking views.

Climbing Mount Fuji was so much more than I expected, and likely one of the most unique hikes I’ll ever do. We ascended in complete darkness, and descended in a landscape completely different than that comprised of ash and volcanic rock.

The climb itself was fairly steep, which was good as it enabled us to gain height quickly and stay warm quite easily (I can’t imagine how hot those snowboarders must have been). The only downside was when we stopped to eat: the cold set in quickly and the few mountain huts we came across were not entirely friendly to us visiting (even if you bought one of their extravagantly priced meals). Even toilets cost $2-5 to use!

The trail we chose was also great because it was fairly empty until we reached the top. At that point, several trails merged together and you could follow a string of lights snaking up the mountain as the the other climbers trudged forward. It was a neat sight.

After watching the most beautiful sunrise, we walked around the volcano’s crater before beginning our descent.

We took such a fun trail down. Instead of descending for 4-6 hours via our uphill trail, we found a sand/ash sloped trail that goes straight down the mountain. These sandy slopes are so soft that they enable you to take big leaping steps and run all the way down. We made it in a quick two hours!