Attacking the highest peak in Japan!
Climbing at night, running to the top of the mountain
After going to bed, because of the thin air in the mountains, plus the bedroom is a closed space, it is a bit difficult to breathe, and everyone snores loudly, and I still can't fall asleep, probably because of the headache, I woke up three times, and then I picked up my cell phone to check the time.
"It's only 1:30 in the morning, but I can't seem to sleep, so what should I do," I said, trying to hold my eyes open.
"What? Are you awake too?" My traveling companion, who was sleeping next to me, suddenly chimed in.
"You scared me. Yeah, I got a headache," I whispered. I whispered.
"Me too, why don't we just keep climbing and wait for the sunrise?" he said. He said.
"Okay, it's decided." When I turned around to wake up the others, the other two were already awake.
"It looks like everyone had a bad night's sleep." Everyone laughed bitterly.
When we returned to the exchange, we found that the boss had already prepared a simple breakfast, and many climbers had finished packing and were enjoying their breakfast. During the conversation, I realized that starting to climb at 2:00 a.m. would give us a higher chance to see the sunrise.
So after breakfast, we put on our headlamps and warm clothes and set out on the trail again.
"2:00 a.m. I've never climbed a mountain at such a strange time in my life. I'll probably be able to brag about it for the rest of my life," I said, cheering myself on.
After turning a corner, I looked back down and realized that everyone was climbing up the mountain with their headlamps on. The lights were moving in the cold wind and the countless headlamps formed a shining "river of stars" winding its way up the mountain, which was a spectacular scene.
"It's too cold!" I shouted.
"What's the temperature now? The wind is too strong." A friend's voice was almost drowned out by the wind.
"When I first came out of the hut, it said 2 degrees." I remembered.
"It's no wonder that Mt. Fuji is only open to the general public during the summer vacation," another teammate complained.
The wind was even colder at night and I had to be careful with every step. I felt a little short of breath, probably due to altitude sickness. I tried to use the oxygen bottle to make myself more comfortable, but it didn't seem to work anymore, so I tried to hold on.
So, we started from our mountain house "Yakame Genjo Room", passed through "Honpakame Fujiyama Hotel", "Honpakame Tomoyakan", "Kamioedoya", and finally rested at "Goraikoukan". The time is 4:00 am.
↓See the map below for details↓
"One more minute and we should be there," my teammate asked.
"Shouldn't I? I'll ask the curator." I went to the store to ask.
However, just as I was about to inquire, I heard a foreign couple coming out.
"Two hours to the summit, really?" The female hiker said in surprise.
"Anyway, let's hurry up or we won't see the sunrise," the male hiker said with a grimace as he organized his backpack and prepared to leave.
"Eh, they said it's going to be two hours, if we don't hurry we might miss the first sunlight." I urged.
"There's nothing we can do. Let's go!" I didn't expect everyone to pull themselves together just to see the legendary sunrise.
Ultimate Beauty, Mt. Fuji Sunrise
Fearing that we would not be able to see the first rays of sunlight, we stopped resting and hurried to reach the summit.
"Finally, what time is it?" asked a teammate, out of breath. a teammate asked, out of breath.
"It's after five, so I should be in time," I responded, also out of breath.
The sunrise hadn't yet appeared, so I was about to take a breather and rest when I saw a large crowd of people waiting for the sunrise along the hilly terrain, so we found a spot to take pictures of the legendary "Orai Kou" (sunrise in Chinese).
By now, the sky in the east was beginning to turn white, and although the cold wind made you shiver, your heart was full of anticipation.
Looking at the misty sky, I couldn't help but worry that the weather was affected by the typhoon and I couldn't see the sunrise.
"Wow! It's beautiful!" The crowd screamed.
When I looked up, I saw the first rays of the sun penetrating through the clouds and coloring the sky red. The golden sunlight reflected on the sea of clouds, and the whole world seemed to be gently awakened. At that moment, my heart was deeply shocked. It turned out that all the hard work and exhaustion had been for this momentary beauty. Standing on the highest peak in Japan, looking at the world beneath my feet, I felt so small and yet so satisfied, and it made me realize that in order to enjoy the sweetness of the fruits of success, one must go through a stormy and rough road.
After witnessing the legendary "Goraikou", I wonder if there is really "Ten Thousand Years of Snow" on the summit of Mount Fuji.1The landscape or the "permafrost" (Chinese: 永凍土).2However, the closer we got to the crater, the stronger the wind became, so strong that we could hardly open our eyes, and we could only see some white spots on the red soil through the hazy fog.
I also wanted to finish the "Mt. Fuji Obameguri (Circle Peak Walking Route)", but because of the strong winds and heavy fog, I turned back after climbing to "Kengamine".
"It's almost seven o'clock! The bus won't come in time!" One of the teammates shouted.
"Okay, okay, we're going down," I responded.
After paying a visit to the "Oku Shrine on top of Mt. Fuji" to thank for the safe journey, we were ready to go down the mountain.
The way down is full of memories
After enjoying the magnificent sunrise, we started our journey down the mountain. The way down seemed more difficult than the way up. The path was monotonous, full of red volcanic rubble and lack of vegetation. The steep gradient made it easy to slip and fall, so we proceeded cautiously. Although physically exhausted, everyone remained in a happy mood. Chatting along the way, we recalled the moments of our journey up the mountain, filled with a sense of accomplishment.
Finally, we got back to Gokoku-me in the afternoon and caught the reserved bus. Sitting on the bus, I looked at Mt. Fuji, which was fading away, and said, "I really don't want to climb it again. I said goodbye to Mt. Fuji in my heart.
Conclusion
When we got back to Tokyo, we met up for a barbecue to celebrate the successful summit.
"So, would you like to climb Mt. Fuji again?" my friends asked. friends asked.
"Anyone who doesn't climb Mt. Fuji is a fool, and anyone who climbs it a second time is also a fool." I laughed and responded with that old Japanese saying.
When I think back, the process of climbing Mt. Fuji was full of difficulties and challenges, but when I stood on the summit and saw the magnificent sunrise, all the exhaustion and difficulties were turned into a great sense of achievement. This climbing experience not only enriched my life experience, but also made me love this beautiful mountain even more.
Perhaps that's the beauty of Mount Fuji. It makes people challenge themselves and feel the greatness of nature. At the same time, it also makes people realize that they should not have the mentality of "coming back anyway"; once you miss it, you will probably miss it for the rest of your life, and it is most important to cherish every moment of the moment.
Annotation Area
- Wannian snow (Chinese: 万年雪): Wannian snow refers to a state in which snow remains unmelted throughout the year, mainly in cold regions such as high mountains or polar regions. This phenomenon is particularly common in Japan's Northern Alps (Japanese: The northern Japanese alps) and in mountainous regions such as Mount Fuji, where snow may remain even in summer. As they are susceptible to climate change, there is a concern that they are shrinking in size as a result of warming. Mannisnow also appears in Japanese culture and literature, symbolizing the magnificence and severity of nature. ︎
- Permafrost (Chinese: 永凍土): Permafrost is a state in which the soil or rock layer remains below zero degrees Celsius for at least two years. It is mainly found in cold regions such as the Arctic Circle and alpine highlands. It is made up of a mixture of soil, ice and rock, and is characterized by its high ice content. It is hard, frozen at the surface, restricting plant growth, and may lead to subsidence of the earth's strata when it melts. Melting due to global warming may increase the emission of greenhouse gases such as methane, causing problems such as subsidence and damage to infrastructure, as well as having a significant impact on the ecosystem. In addition, changes in the unique flora and fauna that live in permafrost are also a cause for concern. ︎
Related Resources
- Map number: Mannixue
- Is Mt. Fuji's appearance changing due to global warming? Implications of suspense
- Mt. Fuji Kara Ten Thousand Years of Snow is no longer available or when to leave? Yawari Warming and Related Relationships?
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