Climbing Mt. Fuji

Well, I clearly fell off the blogging bandwagon.  This post is a few weeks belated, but everything is belated at this point.  Somehow I didn't get the pictures from our Thailand trip up, and then the closet perfectionist in me (who would have known, right?) just couldn't post out of order.  So... I have let go of that need, and hopefully I'll be catching up soon.

Last month, we set out with three other families to climb the famous Mt. Fuji.  One of those things on our bucket list for Japan.  With all the families having young children, we came up with a brilliant plan:  two sets of parents hike one day while the other parents watch the kids, and then switch the next day.  We booked hotel rooms on Lake Kawaguchiko near the base of the mountain, drove the few hours, and hoped for the best (weather, kids, you name it).

The view from our room.  It was so neat to show the kids where we'd be while gone.

Adam and I got to hike the first day, and we were very blessed to have some gorgeous weather.  Some hikers (the purists, probably) start at the base of the mountain, but most people start halfway up at the fifth station.  The mountain is divided into "stations," the first being at the base and the tenth at the summit.  Early in the morning (about 5:30) we snuck out of our rooms before the kids woke and drove up to the fifth station.  Pulling up, we passed through what looked like hundreds of Japanese soldiers and we knew who would be our hiking buddies for the morning.  

Can you see all the soldiers winding their way up the switchbacks?

In some places we were literally climbing up boulders.

Shortly after we started ascending, the trail became either enormous rocks or red mountain gravel, and it really gave the otherworldly feeling of walking on the moon.  The hike up was physically hard at times because of the steep grade and the elevation, but it was simultaneously leisurely because of the forced slow pace of our fellow hikers.  We didn't want to get altitude sickness either, so none of us were complaining.  

One of the many huts strewn along the trail. 

All the Japanese hikers looked at Adam like he was crazy
for hiking in shorts, but he insisted it wasn't cold.  Typical Adam.

Our soldier friends.

Right after I took this picture, one of the soldiers asked to take a photo with me and Nadine.
The mutual fascination was entertaining.  :)

Another view of the busy trail.  The hiking season for Mt. Fuji is only a couple months long,
so it is very packed during that time.

The torii gate at the summit.  We made it!
We were shrouded in fog at this point, but the sun broke later on top
for some gorgeous views.

It took us 4 hours to climb up.  I later learned that the trail is only about 3.6 miles, so it gives you some idea of the steep grade that our time is on the faster end.  I'm glad I didn't know that number during the hike, though, I just enjoyed the time while we counted the meter markers passing by (still terrible at conversions).

A map of the trail around the summit crater,
it took about an hour to circumnavigate.

The "moon village" (my name),
those are actually the huts right at the summit of the trail.

View into the crater

You might have noticed Ted and Nadine's walking sticks.
People traditionally buy these Fuji sticks and have stamps burned into them
at each station, to commemorate the trip all the way to the top.
Adam decided instead to pick up the biggest stick he could find and haul
it all the way up the mountain.  Again, standard Adam. 

Can't have an adventure with out a shot like this.

A post office all the way at the top of Mt. Fuji!!

It was so windy in some places,
it felt like we'd get blown off the mountain!

A view of the summit torii gate after the sun came out.

Hikers winding their way up.
You can see Lake Kawaguchiko just below the clouds on the right side,
we gave a little wave to the kids.  :)

Enjoying a bowl of ramen on the summit.

Here Ted is getting the final stamp on his Fuji stick.

On the way down!
The trail down was a different route, longer with more switchbacks because it was less steep,
but the 4.3 miles only took about 2.5 hours.  We were jogging most of the way.
We didn't mind it much, but most people complain about the hike
for the way down- the trail is dusty, thick gravel that shoes just sink into,
and can be hard on the knees.  We were definitely covered in several layers of grime
by the end!

All of the bathrooms on the mountain required a donation,
so it was important to remember some money for the trip.

A beautiful view to welcome us back.
It was hard to believe we hiked up to 12,388ft and were back for dinner!

The next day we got kid duty.  Not all pictured here, nine total.

They all did well, but it did leave me pondering:

which is harder, watching the kids or climbing a mountain?

It's a close call...

:)

One of the kids was throwing up on our morning, though,
so of course since children are a walking petri dish we were all sharing
that for the next week and a half.  Still... worth the hike.

On the third day we all split up as families headed back home.  A few stopped by a Thomas the train theme park,
but we headed to an all-you-can-pick blueberry farm.  Yum!
 It was an adventure in itself finding the place, but we certainly ate our fill.

An ever-expressive Madeleine

Our cowgirl put her hat to good use.  :)

Later we had some blueberry ice-cream
and enjoyed some country/Americana music.
That was our first time seeing cowboys in Japan.
Who would have known Elena would be so appropriately dressed?  :)

It took me a while to figure out why Madeleine was bowing the whole time, and then I realized that she was replying to Elena's 'bend down to get my hat' bows.  The things they pick up in Japan!