By Jamie
I've lived in Japan since May of this year, and already I've had so many experiences that are so difficult to relate. I am from a White House, Tennessee, a small town about 45 mins north of Nashville. It's the type of town where everything is always the same, and noone ever seems to do anything out of the ordinary. I guess I got away from that with the many experiences that I've had a chance to accomplish since I've been here.
About 2 months ago, I decided to climb Fuji. When I went, it was a rash decision. I had planned on going next year once I had a chance to get in better shape. But, I figured since I just finished Basic Training, I'd be alright. So, a few of my friends and I decided to go. A big group of us (2 buses full) from Yokota AB piled in a bus to begin one of the most difficult days of our lives.
We started our climb around 5:30 in the morning. We'd been hiking about an hour when we realized the full extent of this hike. Imagine looking up a mountain that you cannot see the top of. And we had less than 6 hours to make it to the top. About 5 1/2 hours in, my partner and I began wondering if we were going to make it to the top. We had to catch a bus to make it back to base that night. So, we decided that if we didn't make it to the top by noon that we would take our time and just stay in one of the huts overnight.
In about an hour after we had made that decision, we made it to the top. It was the most amazing sight I've ever seen. It is not even something that one can describe. I remember looking out from this mountain amazed at what I saw. Our stay at the top was short, so that we could make it to the 5th station so we could rest and get some food before our journey back to base. It only took us 2 hours to make it back down the mountain.
Here's a tip for anyone who climbs fuji: On your way back down, don't walk or run down. Slide your feet down and you'll make it down much faster. At the starting point of this hike (the 5th station), there are souvenier stations w/ food and all kinds of goodies. Remember though that for a climb this rigourous, you'll need a lot of rest beforehand and also afterwards. If you ever get the chance, climb Fuji! It's the experience of a lifetime.
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