Sandwiches! I climbed Mt Fuji! And here is my certificate to prove it.
I can't say it was exactly 'easy'... But it was certainly amazing.
I took off on Saturday morning armed with my oxygen can, Japanese map and strange jelly sports 'drink' and up the mountain I headed.
Oh my! The Japanese have the best outfits - the mountain was dotted with bright colourful specks of flammable tracksuits!
No one really tells you, but it's actually a teeny bit tough trekking up in the freezing cold. It also rained on my way up and silly sandwich didn't pack a rain coat. It wasn't long before I started spotting climbers who were either breathing out of oxygen tanks or feeling poorly.
This poor lady threw up a moment after I took this photo :( poor petal!
After four hours of climbing, it's time to rest over night. And the accommodation half way up isn't exactly 'luxury'! ha ha! I have never ever slept in something quite like this. A giant communal bed with pillows the size of laptops, and one giant sleeping bad cover. The beds were triple stacked too so it was, well, let's use the word 'cosy' shall we? ;) For your own comfort, I'll leave out the 'bio' style toilet information, and get on with the trek!
So after a few hours sleep in said communal style beds, it was now time (4am) to rise and shine to continue the trek up to the top of the mountain. Everything that you have been through is worth it for the very moment of seeing the sunrise above the clouds from Mt Fuji! It was AMAZING!
There is nothing quite like being 3700m high and viewing the sunrise!
The other climbers LOVED it too, and in true Japanese style, a million photos were taken by all! The sound was beautiful too, people 'oooooooo'-ing each time the sun peeked out through a cloud. It was a little foggy unfortunately, so probably not the clearest of views :(
After reaching the top, I bought a can of hot green tea to drink with my salmon breakfast bento. It's not everyday that you get to eat breakfast at 3700m high on Mt Fuji!
If you ever have the chance, climbing Mt Fuji is an amazing thing to do. It's so rewarding! The mountain huts are open only two months a year during July and August. There is some more information here. Ah, well now it's back to hot Tokyo and getting some work done :(
Hope you had a lovely weekend!
Love Love
Hello Sando
xoxo
Incredible! And well done for making it!! It looks so beautiful. xo
ReplyDeletewell done ebo-chan! sounds like it was an amazing experience. i actually want to try climbing mt. fuji sometime.
ReplyDeleteand... oh me oh my! those colourful outfits!!! love it. now i know why i love wearing colours... it's all in my genes...
Ha ha Justine, I think it's impossible NOT to make it - unless you got sick or something! but yes, it was rewarding! Hope you are well pretty one!
ReplyDeleteHello Nori!!! How are you lovely? Yes you have to try it sometime. It's pretty popular here now. There were loads of people speaking Kansai-ben too. So it's popular for all of Japan. Ha you would have the cutest hiking outfit too! I'm going to email you a funny video of me climbing now too okay! don't show anyone! hazukashiiiiiii!
Love Love
Hello Sando
xoxo
oh wow, it must be an amazing experience! though i feel so bad looking at those people who got sick though. and the sleeping arrangement looks very cozy indeed. :P
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing. someday when i'm in japan i will definitely try climbing mt.fuji. for now, i can live vicariously through you.
congratulations on making it to the top of fujisan! it sounds like you had a great (if tough) experience. well done you!
ReplyDeleteis there really a post office up there? and many jidohanbaikis? I LOVE your comment about the colourful specks of flammable tracksuits - best comment ever:)
wow how amazing! congratulations for being so cool! and in regards to the moomin thing -subtitles does not matter
ReplyDeleteAmazing photo documentary! It was never in my to-do list to climb Mt Fuji, but your post has definitely inspired me to.
ReplyDeleteLovely blog all around too - just found it out from Yen magazine, been reading everyday since!
Hi Odessa,
ReplyDeleteOh good I am so pleased this has inspired you to climb Mt Fuji one day! I had worried that my cold images would deter people! :)
Ii-ne-kore! Lovely! How are you? Yes there is indeed a post office! I had planned to post a letter to mama-sando and my dad but alas it was too freezing to take my gloves off and write a note. ha ha - yes - gotta love those flammable tracksuits!
Hello Mette! Oh good I will get you some DVDs to send to you! Fuji was indeed amazing! The onsen at the end was the best!
Hello Yuki! So nice of you to pop on over after the Yen magazine feature. I'm so happy you can enjoy Hello Sandwich. So happy also you hope to climb Fuji one day!
Love Love
Hello Sando
xoxo
Great post! I like how you share this amazing experience with shot by shot. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you MerryDay! I am glad you could enjoy the pics - even though they show it was quite foggy when I went!
ReplyDeleteLove Love
Hello Sando
xoxo
Oh, you are such a trooper! One day, after much practise, I will hopefully climb Fuji-san, but now my calves hurt just by looking at the photos ;)
ReplyDeletehi there! i adore your blog and i too am mildly obsessed with all things japanese! i had no idea mt fugi was such a struggle! the big sleeping bags look fun though.. thanks for sharing x
ReplyDeleteWhat an achievement! Congrats on the climb~it was worth all the hard work!
ReplyDeleteOh wow this looks like such an amazing experience, if I'm ever lucky enough to go to Japan this is something I would LOVE to do xoxo
ReplyDeleteOh wow otsukare-sama ebo-chan! The sunrise shots look awesome even though it wasn't very clear! Sugoi!!
ReplyDeleteI think the heat of tokyo this week is even more extreme but it feels worse coming back from the cool weather doesn't it! Oh well...
Lets definitely go exploring Asagaya later this month, I will let you know when i know which day I will be having my meeting ;)
Unbelievable! What a major accomplishment... this is a story to tell for the rest of your life.
ReplyDeletewow, what an achievement! congratulations!
ReplyDeleteYour photo documentary is so lovely, I love all the brightly coloured people climbing the mountain. Very inspiring post, I hope to be able to climb mt Fuji myself one day too. Well done!!
ReplyDeletewow!!! 登頂おめでとう！！
ReplyDeleteit is really rewarding to be on the top of mountain!!!
i did once but i was one of people who had to lay down on the side of the path.
beautiful photos!!!
What a great article!! Lovely pics and great info. Thanks a lot. It looks like it really deserves the effort.
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness - it looks so incredibly rough!! And a communal bed how funny! Congratulations on making it Sandwich - so proud of you! Gosh it puts my walking round the flat Bay Run to shame!
ReplyDeleteX
Wauw, congrats on your persistence! I once did a hiking on a volcano in Bali but it wasn't half as tough as this I think. :) very nice!
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how much I love your blog, it's like a free candy bar every time my rss feed signals me you've posted something!
keep doing what you're doing!
wow :D that is defnitely something on my "life to-do list" amazinggggg!
ReplyDeletewaw, what a crazy expedition! congratulations for making it up so high, without a raincoat and still feeling ok.
ReplyDeleteWowee, nice work Ebony! Sure does look like hard going. Looks like Mars in some of those shots :)
ReplyDeleteHello Annemarie! Oh ha ha I think anyone could climb Mt Fuji! It's just I was a bit of a whinger! And the rain didn't help!
ReplyDeleteHello Little Bird Big Chip! Thank you for your kind words about Hello Sando! I'm happy you could enjoy the Fuji post. :)
Hi Lavender playground - Thanks lovely one!
Hello Cate! I hope you can come to Tokyo and also climb Mt Fuji one day. You would have the best time!
Hello Hiki-chan! Luckily it's cooled down a bit these past couple of days ne! It's such lovely weather now, so pleasant. See you soon dear. xoxo
Hi Jennifer, Oooo I may have over exaggerated slightly! But yes, it was absolutely a once in a life time experience (because there is no way on earth you will get my walking up that Mountain again! ha ha!) xxx
Hello Josephine, thank you for popping by Hello Sando and leaving such a lovely comment!
Hi Siobhan! Hello! How are you? I can't wait till you come to visit! Come soon please!
Riyo! Arigatou! Oh no you poor possum! did you get altitude sickness? The oxygen can helped me I think!
Hello Clunk, thank you for your kind comment and for stopping by Hello Sando. :)
Sonya! ha ha I miss our bay runs! It's so pretty there ne! We should do it in October when I am back in Sydney!
Hello Kiki-chan! You're so sweet to say so! :) Comments like that are what keep Hello Sandwich going! Arigatou!
Hello The Notebook doodles, Thank you for popping over to Hello Sando! I hope you will get to climb it one day soon!
Hi Jokemijn, ha ha if anyone saw me with my drenched hair at the top of the mountain it wouldn't have been a pretty site! ha ha.
Hello Nook! How are you lovely one? How are the Sandwich guides going in your shop? Ooooo yes, it looked kind of like Mars ne!
Love Love
Hello (omote)Sando
xoxo
This looks and sounds like such an incredible experience; you described it so well, I'd really love to do it. I think the big communal bed actually looks amazing. Like a big cosy sleepover! But with strangers. And aching legs. So yes, I can see that in reality it's not so appealing. Well done to you for achieving this, you should feel proud.
ReplyDeleteSo amazing! It's unbelievable! Haahaa! You make climbing Mt Fuji soooo awesome! I'm not sure (if I ever get to Japan), I would ever climb it though. I would love to and see the view. But I'm not too sure. Acrophobia! >.<"
ReplyDeletehi^^
ReplyDeletewow what a great mt.fuji^^ its so amazing!
i hear its not easy to climb mt. fuji, and i ever saw one of the japanesse show (cartoon kat-tun), where one of the actor climb and almost fainted but finally they make it in the end^^
i just realize, your photos is so clear. its amazing how you keep your balance, walking and still taking the piture^^ so great!
Go sando go! I didn't even know that I wanted to climb Mt. Fuji, but now I do, so there you go.
ReplyDeleteすごい！！おめでとう！！
ReplyDeletemy friend could not climb all the way too, she got much to sick and had to go back down :-(