So yesterday I couldn’t post my blog, because I spent more than 24 hours on Mount Fuji!
It was an epic adventure but completely exhausting.
6am, leave to catch Shinkansen
10am arrive in Fujinomiya, meet guide
11am drive up to the 5th station on the mountain, where most climbers begin their ascent.
12.30 Bento lunchbox
1pm begin climb
Tough stuff! Good weather and conditions but even with regular breaks, it was full on heavy cardio.
6pm stop for night at 9th station, curry rice for dinner (actually I bought a second “Hamburg Set” I was so hungry and depleted). Oh the Japanese think a meat patty or rissole by itself is called a hamburg.
9pm try to sleep. Key word try. As cool as it was to feel like one of The Lost Boys from Peter Pan in our little wooden hut, six to a bunk bed sleeping arrangements, the novelty wore off fast when the 6 degree temperature kept dropping, the wood beneath my back started to hurt my bones and a couple of my neighbours were snoring.
I sound precious but I didn’t sleep well the night before and after 6 hours of uphill, I needed my rest.
Incredible views though and a once in a lifetime experience, for sure.
Each time I decide to embark on one of these endurance testing physically challenges, I regret it one eighth of the way in – it’s frikkin hard! But extremely rewarding. Such a mental game. Even more so when you’re doing it with Japanese friends and a Japanese guide. Yeah unless my little Sachi translates, I miss the facts, directions and jokes unless their visual. That sucked more than I expected, sadly. Would have been nice to share it with some I could easily communicate with. But I’m being precious again. Feel terrible for having these thoughts when so much has been done for me but it’s very isolating and frustrating to not say as you think in your normal language for 36 hours straight. Oh we’re not up to today yet. Next blog.
same frog, new pond 