12 ~ 13 September, 2011
15
Yoshida (5th Station) >> Summit >> Yoshida (5th Station)
[Sunset and sunrise from the summit and the Fuji shadow for the first time]
15
Yoshida (5th Station) >> Summit >> Yoshida (5th Station)
[Sunset and sunrise from the summit and the Fuji shadow for the first time]
This was going to be my 6th and final climb for 2011, a few weeks before I would leave for Shikoku to walk the 88 temple Shikoku Pilgrimage.
This was a Monday / Tuesday climb and with it already being out of season there were very few people on Mt. Fuji. I took a bus to the 5th station and set out early afternoon. The plan was simple, climb to the top and watch the sunset, then descend to about 3000m, sleep in my sleeping bag outside one of the huts and then head back up in the morning to watch the sunrise and see the shadow just after sunrise.
The hike up was fairly straightforward. I stopped a few times to enjoy the views. The sky in particular was very nice, above me it ws completely blue but starting to take on the sunset colours, below thee was cloud stretching away to the horizon. A I got close to the summit I could see the sunset shadow slowly spreading out across the clouds towards the east. I'd seen photo other people had taken of the morning shadow so seeing the shadow at sunset was an added bonus.
I arrived on the summit just as the sun was starting to go down on the west side of Mt. Fuji. The summit was almost deserted there were a handful of people and they didn't seem to stay very long. Across on the other side of Fuji the sky was a brilliant mix of colours. Through my telephoto lenses I could make out the shape of a lone climber heading in the direction of the weather station which is at the very highest point on Mt. Fuji. He probably had an amazing view of the sun disappearing behind the horizon. For me, it was the view looking back towards Tokyo that had me absolutely captivated.
The shadow spread out all the way to the horizon and because of the cloud it seemed to creat the effect that I was actually looking at Mt. Fuji itself. Added to this was a full harvest moon and the amazing colours in the sky. I had my tripod set up and was happily snapping, continuing until I started to feel the cold in my fingers. By the time I decided to head back down I was probably the only person left on the Yoshida side of the summit. I could no longer see where the lone climber on the far side of the summit had gone.
There was still enough light to head down without the aid of a headlight but it soon got dark and much much colder. I put on a few more layers and got my headlight on and headed down to the point where the descending trail passes very close to a series of huts around the 8th station. I had decided I would sleep near one of the huts there. I had noticed that one of the 2 huts had appeared to be still open even though the it was now past the official climbing season. Just outside one of the huts was a bench where I stopped once or twice before so I got my sleeping mat and sleeping bag and made myself as comfortable as I could.
It was not easy to fall asleep. It was extremely cold and there were some very boisterous noisy young hikers having a bit too much fun coming in and out of the hut that was still open. I seemed to drift in and out of sleep but on the whole it was impossible to sleep so I just watched the sky and let my mind wander. Around 3:30 or so I decided to head back up towards the summit and walk around the crater to the weather station. I very slowly hiked back up to the summit in the dark. There was a bright full moon in a clear night sky and practically no one other than myself. When I reached the summit I saw several people already there, some were just waiting, some were in sleeping bags and one or two had set up tents.
It was still dark and very cold. I decided to head towards the weather station which is on the other side. It involves a 30 minute walk around the crater. I left the area where everyone normally gathers to watch the sunrise and headed anti-clockwise around the summit. It's a bit of an undulating trail around the summit and whilst there are no real dangers I was spooked a little by how quiet it was and the fact that I could see absolutely no other lights from other climbers. I pressed on and arrived at the point where the weather station is and waited.
As the sky started to change I could make out more people on the far side of the summit from where I had come. I also heard the sounds of chatter and was soon joined by other climbers who assembled in same small area just below the weather station. It was then just a matter of waiting for the sun to come up. Once the sun appeared from behind the horizon I retraced my steps back around the summit and stopped at just the right spot to see the Fuji shadow. The sunrise is spectacular but to see this absolutely enormous shadow spread out across the land in a perfect Mt. Fuji shape is something I think you can only appreciate with your own eyes. The cold and tiredness I had been experiencing just evaporated in an instant.
I returned back to the main viewing area on the Yoshida side of the summit and after resting in the warm sunshine, I headed back towards the descending trail and slowly made my way back down. There were more climbers than I had expected to see but they were soon gone. The sky as clear and the morning sunshine nice and warm. Before long I was unlayered and back down to a single top. I headed all the way back to the 5th Station without too many breaks and after a short wait for a bus, I was heading back towards Tokyo.
After each trip, I always think the climb was maybe one of the best so far, this one really was one of the best because I had not imagined the amazing setting for the sunset or the spectacular shadow after sunrise. It had been an awesome trip to Mt. Fuji.
This was a Monday / Tuesday climb and with it already being out of season there were very few people on Mt. Fuji. I took a bus to the 5th station and set out early afternoon. The plan was simple, climb to the top and watch the sunset, then descend to about 3000m, sleep in my sleeping bag outside one of the huts and then head back up in the morning to watch the sunrise and see the shadow just after sunrise.
The hike up was fairly straightforward. I stopped a few times to enjoy the views. The sky in particular was very nice, above me it ws completely blue but starting to take on the sunset colours, below thee was cloud stretching away to the horizon. A I got close to the summit I could see the sunset shadow slowly spreading out across the clouds towards the east. I'd seen photo other people had taken of the morning shadow so seeing the shadow at sunset was an added bonus.
I arrived on the summit just as the sun was starting to go down on the west side of Mt. Fuji. The summit was almost deserted there were a handful of people and they didn't seem to stay very long. Across on the other side of Fuji the sky was a brilliant mix of colours. Through my telephoto lenses I could make out the shape of a lone climber heading in the direction of the weather station which is at the very highest point on Mt. Fuji. He probably had an amazing view of the sun disappearing behind the horizon. For me, it was the view looking back towards Tokyo that had me absolutely captivated.
The shadow spread out all the way to the horizon and because of the cloud it seemed to creat the effect that I was actually looking at Mt. Fuji itself. Added to this was a full harvest moon and the amazing colours in the sky. I had my tripod set up and was happily snapping, continuing until I started to feel the cold in my fingers. By the time I decided to head back down I was probably the only person left on the Yoshida side of the summit. I could no longer see where the lone climber on the far side of the summit had gone.
There was still enough light to head down without the aid of a headlight but it soon got dark and much much colder. I put on a few more layers and got my headlight on and headed down to the point where the descending trail passes very close to a series of huts around the 8th station. I had decided I would sleep near one of the huts there. I had noticed that one of the 2 huts had appeared to be still open even though the it was now past the official climbing season. Just outside one of the huts was a bench where I stopped once or twice before so I got my sleeping mat and sleeping bag and made myself as comfortable as I could.
It was not easy to fall asleep. It was extremely cold and there were some very boisterous noisy young hikers having a bit too much fun coming in and out of the hut that was still open. I seemed to drift in and out of sleep but on the whole it was impossible to sleep so I just watched the sky and let my mind wander. Around 3:30 or so I decided to head back up towards the summit and walk around the crater to the weather station. I very slowly hiked back up to the summit in the dark. There was a bright full moon in a clear night sky and practically no one other than myself. When I reached the summit I saw several people already there, some were just waiting, some were in sleeping bags and one or two had set up tents.
It was still dark and very cold. I decided to head towards the weather station which is on the other side. It involves a 30 minute walk around the crater. I left the area where everyone normally gathers to watch the sunrise and headed anti-clockwise around the summit. It's a bit of an undulating trail around the summit and whilst there are no real dangers I was spooked a little by how quiet it was and the fact that I could see absolutely no other lights from other climbers. I pressed on and arrived at the point where the weather station is and waited.
As the sky started to change I could make out more people on the far side of the summit from where I had come. I also heard the sounds of chatter and was soon joined by other climbers who assembled in same small area just below the weather station. It was then just a matter of waiting for the sun to come up. Once the sun appeared from behind the horizon I retraced my steps back around the summit and stopped at just the right spot to see the Fuji shadow. The sunrise is spectacular but to see this absolutely enormous shadow spread out across the land in a perfect Mt. Fuji shape is something I think you can only appreciate with your own eyes. The cold and tiredness I had been experiencing just evaporated in an instant.
I returned back to the main viewing area on the Yoshida side of the summit and after resting in the warm sunshine, I headed back towards the descending trail and slowly made my way back down. There were more climbers than I had expected to see but they were soon gone. The sky as clear and the morning sunshine nice and warm. Before long I was unlayered and back down to a single top. I headed all the way back to the 5th Station without too many breaks and after a short wait for a bus, I was heading back towards Tokyo.
After each trip, I always think the climb was maybe one of the best so far, this one really was one of the best because I had not imagined the amazing setting for the sunset or the spectacular shadow after sunrise. It had been an awesome trip to Mt. Fuji.