Monday, July 16th
Hello again! My name is Matthew Quigley and I will be blogging for today.
After arriving the day prior, we were given a free day to relax and explore the wonderful city of Nagoya. Each person in the group spent their day shopping and visiting Aquariums, Museums, or sampling some more Japanese Cuisine. My group, and the activity this blog will be talking about, decided to climb Mt. Fuji.
Mt. Fuji is the largest mountain in all of Japan – standing over 3,776 meters tall. It is currently an active volcano and one of the 3 Holy Mountains of Japan. In Shinto Mythology, Mt. Fuji’s soil was said to have given life to 2 gods, one which still resides on the mountain to this day. It’s climbing season is only 3 months long. Immediately after hearing of the free day, our group decided this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and too good to pass up. That night we made travel arrangements, picked out the trail we would take, and began to prepare our supplies for the coming journey.
In the end we selected the Fujinomiya Trail, which had an average ascent time of 4-7 hours, and an average descent time of 2-4 hours. We took 2 hours worth of trains and a 1 hour bus ride to the 5th Station of Mt. Fuji.
We began our ascent at 12:00 pm. Slowly moving our way up the mountain taking breaks routinely for water, and avoiding altitude sickness.
As we progressed further up, the temperature continued to drop; eventually dropping below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather wasn’t exactly ideal, with high precipitation that created a thick mist, and slippery ground. However, on the bright side I did answer my question of what its like to be in a rain cloud. The answer… wet.
Despite the less then favorable conditions, the group remained in high spirits. Plunging headlong into clouds of mist with bright smiles.
There are over 12 stations in total on the mountain; each station serving as a rest stop for weary travelers (And very expensive shops). Helpful facts for any of you who are thinking of climbing Mount Fuji, it costs 200 yen to use the bathroom, and there is a ramen stand at the 9th station.
As I mentioned before, Mt. Fuji holds great significance in the Shinto and Buddhist religions. Scattered across the mountain are a number of shrines and sights of worship.
The summit of Mt. Fuji was an awe inspiring sight where you truly feel the weight of your accomplishment. Tragically we were not able to see the full majesty of the mountain due to the heavy clouds that surrounded the top, but all in all it was still amazing.
One of the main purposes of this trip was experiencing the culture and atmosphere of Japan. While I can’t speak for everyone, I really feel as though today I was able to take a big step towards that goal. I am eternally grateful to my instructors for giving me this opportunity.
-Matthew Quigley
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