Fuji-san

Image from wikkipedia It was too cloudy to be able to see the whole mountain. From the bottom you just saw clouds.

The first stop was the shrine where pilgrims traditionally pray before climbing Fuji-san. It is surrounded by dense forest, and the path leading to the shrine is lined by hundreds of lanterns. We also saw them making a samurai movie in the forest! (Erin's prayer: "Please don't let me die, please don't let me die!")

Since the experience of climbing mount fuji is absolutely inexpressable through pictures, I've posted some that would give you a feeling of the walk on the way up.

There were many signs all over the mountain. I especially like the "Don't walk straight!" signs and this "watch your step" sign.


Way above the clouds I found this weather vane. It was bent a little from the strong winds near the top. We were incredibly lucky and had marvelous weather. Actually, it was truly idea for climbing: cloudy near the top, warm, and almost windless. But the clouds prevented the great view, from which you're supposed to be able to see Tokyo on a clear day!

Here you can see the team at the summit. From left to right: Yuka, Me, Erin, and Taija.

This is a panorama showing the crater. On the opposite side, you can see the weather station. The colours of the rocks varied from each past explosion. Some were black, others red, and yet others were this sky blue colour.

This is me posing in front of the 8th station on the way down. Way above the clouds. You forget how tall the mountain is because you can only see so far through the clouds.

All in all, it was a great experience — never climbed a volcano before! And the colours were magical through the mists. Also, when you got near the top, climbing on the volcanic stones was like walking on wind-chimes.