17 ~ 18 August 2013
#21
Yoshida (5th Station) >> Summit >> Yoshida(5th Station)
[ Thick flat noodles ]
#21
Yoshida (5th Station) >> Summit >> Yoshida(5th Station)
[ Thick flat noodles ]
I had been checking the weekend weather forecast since the start of July and with fingers crossed the weather forecast had remained unchanged in the days leading up to the weekend. So, on Saturday morning with my usual heavy pack I set out for the 5th Station on the Yoshida trail. It took 4 hours by train to get to Kawaguchiko but before heading up the 5th Station I decided to walk down to the lake and eat the local specialty houtou which consists of thick flat noodles and vegetables in a miso soup.
I bought a return bus ticket (2000 yen) to the 5th Station and planned on taking the 18:10 and making a start at around 23:00. The general idea was to hike gently to the weather station and spend a couple of hours on the summit enjoying the night sky, see the sunrise, the Fuji shadow, return back to Kawaguchiko and go to a local onsen (hot spring) to clean up before heading home. This at least was the plan as I stood alone at the bus stop wondering where all the other climbers were because there is usually a long line of people waiting to board the bus. As I waited, I was approached by someone who asked if it was the right stop for 5th Station. The someone in question turned out to be someone called Robert who it turned out was about to do his first Mt. Fuji climb and doing it alone. We chatted only briefly at the bus stop and when we got of at the 5th Station I asked Robert what his plans were. Robert was planning a fairly early start but I suggested spending a little time at the 5th station to acclimatize to the higher altitude. I also suggested that he could walk with me if he wanted to. Robert agreed to tag along with me. I had not expected to have any company but I was happy to help someone enjoy their first Fuji experience. The plan was still to get up to the weather station and then walk around the crater to see the Fuji shadow before heading back to the 5th Station.
The 5th Station was not as crowded as I had expected and most of the people still at the 5th Station seemed to be overseas visitors. Whilst Robert went of to look around and find somewhere to eat something, I sat in one of the large souvenior shops and chatted with a group of young hikers. I've seen many many hikers on my trips to Fuji and this group was no different from the many others I had met on previous trips. They were just like the others I had met and their lack of preparations seemed more than offset by their enthusiasm and high spirits. With the weather looking like it was going to be good I didn't say anything to unduly concern them except to tell them that it might be better to take a little more water than they had.
Robert and I set out just before 21:00. The weather was perfect, virtually no wind and the temperature relatively mild. I encouraged a slow steady pace because after a slightly descending 1km the gradient rapidly steepens. This is when the heat starts to build and you realize that things are not going to be so easy. We continued gently stopping briefly for a rest here and there. As we got higher we came across more and more climbers. With 2 hours gone we were making good steady progress but Robert was beginning to feel the first effects of the higher altitude. By the time we were neared the 8th Station Robert was really starting to feel the effects of the higher altitude so we took longer rests at each of the rest huts.
I expected many more people higher up on the trail so the plan was to diverge of the Yoshida trail and join the Subashiri trail from near the 8th Station. After taking a slightly longer rest outside one of the 8th Station huts we left the Yoshida trail and joined the Subashiri trail. Between the 8th Stations and the summit the Subashiri trail is also the descending trail for those going up either of these two trails. During the climbing season the weekends can be incredibly busy and the Yoshida trail is easily the most crowded. Once you get past the 8th Station it becomes impossible to overtake people so you end up with a long line of climbers waiting to get onto the summit and the wait can take hours. The detour would add a little extra distance but we had a better chance of reaching the summit in time for sunrise.
.
The Subashiri trail from the 8th Station is actually very steep but there is no climbing over rocks and the going is generally speaking much easier. The Subashiri trail was not so crowded but it had several large groups ahead of us. To our right we could see the lights of those snaking up the Yoshida trail. We had about 2 hours or so to make it to the summit from the time we left the Yoshida trail and if we kept a slow steady pace I was sure we would make it to the summit in time for the sunrise. Robert fought hard against all the ill effects of the higher altitude affecting him and with me constantly encouraging him, telling him that we were almost there, we both made it to the summit just before sunrise.
The summit proper was crowded with people and many were spilling back down towards the start of the descending trail. We had stopped in a clear spot and settled down to wait for the sun to come up. There were patches of clouds down below us and cloud stretching out to the horizon. As the sun starting coming up the colours started changing and we both just sat and enjoyed the spectacle. Robert still looked exhausted but I wanted to show him the Fuji shadow before the sun got too high so we continued on to the summit and pushed our way through the crowds and continued anti-clockwise around the summit and stopped at a spot which gave a slightly obstructed view of the Fuji shadow. I would have liked to have continued around a little more but there was another short sharp ascent and I was conscious that I had been gently pushing Robert for the past few hours so we enjoyed the shadow from where we were. Even from where we stood it looked an impressive sight. With the sunrise and the shadow ticked off we headed back towards the summit rest huts. Robert got his walked stick stamped and we joined the steady stream of people heading back down the descending trail. People typically all start leaving as soon as they have finished watching the sunrise and at that time the descending trail is completely full of people. Our slight detour to see the shadow meant that when we started our descent the trail with many of the crowds already gone.
It wasn't long before we had to stop and start removing our extra layers. I was in 6 layers on the summit and that was down to 2 and not soon after down to a short sleeved top. It was going to be a very warm morning. We stopped a few times but we continued at a nice steady pace all the way back to the 5th Station and arrived just after 10:00. The 5th Station was already overflowing with people and the heat compared to the cooler temperatures higher up felt quite intense. I spotted 2 of the young hikers who I had spoken to the previous evening lying on the floor, both looking exhausted. One was just too tired to talk but the other told me they had all made it up and that he was now waiting for everyone to return. His shoes he told me had taken a real battering with the sole of one of the shoes held on with thick tape which a Japanese climber had kindly given him.
My plan, had I been on my own was to get back down to Kawaguchiko, go to an onsen and then get some more of the thick local noodles for lunch. Robert was too tired for all this so I changed my plan and we decided to head down, grab something to eat and head back towards Tokyo. We cleaned ourselves up as best we could and took the 10:55 bus back into Kawaguchiko. I would have preferred to go to a small houtou shop about 15 minutes walk away but decided to revisit Hotou Fudo which was directly opposite Kawaguchiko station. I had had some yesterday before heading up on the bus, and like yesterday I managed to eat almost everything from the huge bowl of noodles they served. With noodles done, we got on the 13:19 train to Otsuki. The 7 or 8 people sat on the long bench opposite were all soon fast asleep. Robert and I didn't talk much but I remember swaying about and falling asleep and waking or possibly being nudged awake again and again. At Otsuki Robert and I split and took our respective trains home and another 3 or so hours later I was finally home.
With climb 21 done I am already looking forward to the next opportunity. Robert I suspect will need a little more convincing but he had made a great climbing companion and helped to make the whole experience much more interesting.
I bought a return bus ticket (2000 yen) to the 5th Station and planned on taking the 18:10 and making a start at around 23:00. The general idea was to hike gently to the weather station and spend a couple of hours on the summit enjoying the night sky, see the sunrise, the Fuji shadow, return back to Kawaguchiko and go to a local onsen (hot spring) to clean up before heading home. This at least was the plan as I stood alone at the bus stop wondering where all the other climbers were because there is usually a long line of people waiting to board the bus. As I waited, I was approached by someone who asked if it was the right stop for 5th Station. The someone in question turned out to be someone called Robert who it turned out was about to do his first Mt. Fuji climb and doing it alone. We chatted only briefly at the bus stop and when we got of at the 5th Station I asked Robert what his plans were. Robert was planning a fairly early start but I suggested spending a little time at the 5th station to acclimatize to the higher altitude. I also suggested that he could walk with me if he wanted to. Robert agreed to tag along with me. I had not expected to have any company but I was happy to help someone enjoy their first Fuji experience. The plan was still to get up to the weather station and then walk around the crater to see the Fuji shadow before heading back to the 5th Station.
The 5th Station was not as crowded as I had expected and most of the people still at the 5th Station seemed to be overseas visitors. Whilst Robert went of to look around and find somewhere to eat something, I sat in one of the large souvenior shops and chatted with a group of young hikers. I've seen many many hikers on my trips to Fuji and this group was no different from the many others I had met on previous trips. They were just like the others I had met and their lack of preparations seemed more than offset by their enthusiasm and high spirits. With the weather looking like it was going to be good I didn't say anything to unduly concern them except to tell them that it might be better to take a little more water than they had.
Robert and I set out just before 21:00. The weather was perfect, virtually no wind and the temperature relatively mild. I encouraged a slow steady pace because after a slightly descending 1km the gradient rapidly steepens. This is when the heat starts to build and you realize that things are not going to be so easy. We continued gently stopping briefly for a rest here and there. As we got higher we came across more and more climbers. With 2 hours gone we were making good steady progress but Robert was beginning to feel the first effects of the higher altitude. By the time we were neared the 8th Station Robert was really starting to feel the effects of the higher altitude so we took longer rests at each of the rest huts.
I expected many more people higher up on the trail so the plan was to diverge of the Yoshida trail and join the Subashiri trail from near the 8th Station. After taking a slightly longer rest outside one of the 8th Station huts we left the Yoshida trail and joined the Subashiri trail. Between the 8th Stations and the summit the Subashiri trail is also the descending trail for those going up either of these two trails. During the climbing season the weekends can be incredibly busy and the Yoshida trail is easily the most crowded. Once you get past the 8th Station it becomes impossible to overtake people so you end up with a long line of climbers waiting to get onto the summit and the wait can take hours. The detour would add a little extra distance but we had a better chance of reaching the summit in time for sunrise.
.
The Subashiri trail from the 8th Station is actually very steep but there is no climbing over rocks and the going is generally speaking much easier. The Subashiri trail was not so crowded but it had several large groups ahead of us. To our right we could see the lights of those snaking up the Yoshida trail. We had about 2 hours or so to make it to the summit from the time we left the Yoshida trail and if we kept a slow steady pace I was sure we would make it to the summit in time for the sunrise. Robert fought hard against all the ill effects of the higher altitude affecting him and with me constantly encouraging him, telling him that we were almost there, we both made it to the summit just before sunrise.
The summit proper was crowded with people and many were spilling back down towards the start of the descending trail. We had stopped in a clear spot and settled down to wait for the sun to come up. There were patches of clouds down below us and cloud stretching out to the horizon. As the sun starting coming up the colours started changing and we both just sat and enjoyed the spectacle. Robert still looked exhausted but I wanted to show him the Fuji shadow before the sun got too high so we continued on to the summit and pushed our way through the crowds and continued anti-clockwise around the summit and stopped at a spot which gave a slightly obstructed view of the Fuji shadow. I would have liked to have continued around a little more but there was another short sharp ascent and I was conscious that I had been gently pushing Robert for the past few hours so we enjoyed the shadow from where we were. Even from where we stood it looked an impressive sight. With the sunrise and the shadow ticked off we headed back towards the summit rest huts. Robert got his walked stick stamped and we joined the steady stream of people heading back down the descending trail. People typically all start leaving as soon as they have finished watching the sunrise and at that time the descending trail is completely full of people. Our slight detour to see the shadow meant that when we started our descent the trail with many of the crowds already gone.
It wasn't long before we had to stop and start removing our extra layers. I was in 6 layers on the summit and that was down to 2 and not soon after down to a short sleeved top. It was going to be a very warm morning. We stopped a few times but we continued at a nice steady pace all the way back to the 5th Station and arrived just after 10:00. The 5th Station was already overflowing with people and the heat compared to the cooler temperatures higher up felt quite intense. I spotted 2 of the young hikers who I had spoken to the previous evening lying on the floor, both looking exhausted. One was just too tired to talk but the other told me they had all made it up and that he was now waiting for everyone to return. His shoes he told me had taken a real battering with the sole of one of the shoes held on with thick tape which a Japanese climber had kindly given him.
My plan, had I been on my own was to get back down to Kawaguchiko, go to an onsen and then get some more of the thick local noodles for lunch. Robert was too tired for all this so I changed my plan and we decided to head down, grab something to eat and head back towards Tokyo. We cleaned ourselves up as best we could and took the 10:55 bus back into Kawaguchiko. I would have preferred to go to a small houtou shop about 15 minutes walk away but decided to revisit Hotou Fudo which was directly opposite Kawaguchiko station. I had had some yesterday before heading up on the bus, and like yesterday I managed to eat almost everything from the huge bowl of noodles they served. With noodles done, we got on the 13:19 train to Otsuki. The 7 or 8 people sat on the long bench opposite were all soon fast asleep. Robert and I didn't talk much but I remember swaying about and falling asleep and waking or possibly being nudged awake again and again. At Otsuki Robert and I split and took our respective trains home and another 3 or so hours later I was finally home.
With climb 21 done I am already looking forward to the next opportunity. Robert I suspect will need a little more convincing but he had made a great climbing companion and helped to make the whole experience much more interesting.