I cannot even describe how amazing today was. I for reals climbed to the top of Mt. Fuji! When we first got there after the two and a half hour ride, I wasn't even tired despite my lack of sleep because of my adrenaline . I was so incredibly pumped. The night before I didn't sleep well even though I went to bed at like eight forty five. I just kept having really weird dreams. But still. For having to be ready to leave at 4am, I got a pretty sufficient amount of sleep. When we first got there we all bought walking sticks. Because we went through the Single Sailor program, the six of us camp A people who went got a free walking stick. What could be cooler than that! ? It saved me like twelve dollars. The walking stick was made of wood, and then I chose one with a Japanese flag / picture of Mt. Fuji on it. It looks pretty cool, I think I'm going to hang it on my wall at home. Finally after everyone used the restroom and we had our sticks we all headed out. I'm glad I used the restroom on the bus before we left because at all the restrooms actually at Fuji, you had to pay like 200 yen (2 dollars) to use it. Pretty lame, but I guess its like a respect thing or something. Idk. So the trail at station 5 where we were starts out pretty ok. It wasn't terribly steep at first, and I was like, Ya ok. I can totally do this. But then of course after we actually got to station six and got our maps and stuff everything changed. There wasn't really a like cut out path at a lot of places. It was awesome ! There were just tons of huge huge rocks you had to climb up over and step up on top of. That part of it was my favorite part. I liked it a lot better than when there was a path or steps because one, how BA is climbing up a stinking rock, and 2, steps are super hard on my leg. Would much rather step up a rock than a lame old step. Thank goodness for my walking stick though, because there is no way I would have been able to keep balance on everything without it. About when we got to the rocks, the rest of my group of six wasn't going as fast as I wanted and they were going at their own pace, so I peaced out. I was pretty much booking it up that mountain. I was just so excited! I totally left everyone else behind. At one point they started catching up a little, and I thought to myself no. Rock this mountain Caryssa, be the first one up. (That's me, always competitive even when its just with myself) At each of the stations, and at some places in between the stations, you can get stamps for your walking stick. These aren't normal sticky stamps, they are like stamps that are burned into the wood so they never come off. Coolest thing ever. I got every single one! My favorite one is one that looks like a cute baby tiger. But my plan was to pretty much keep going and not really stop and take breaks except for at the stations while I was waiting for my stamps. The stamp places were the longest I stopped, which was for like a minute maybe, grab some water, grab a granola bar, and go. I am so glad I brought so much water with me, because they charged like 5 dollars a bottle at the stations on the way up. That would have cost me so much money. I drank six water bottles on the way up, two around the crater, and one on the way down. Pretty much just sweated it all away though. Anyways, inbetween each of the stations, I only stopped if I absolutely had to in order to catch my breath, and that was only for about ten seconds each time. So I made really really good time and was feeling awesome. Then off course station eight hit. After station eight, there weren't as many rocks to climb up and it was all paths with loose rocks. On top of that, it was getting really high up the mountain so the air was getting thinner and thinner. It super sucked that each time I would take about two steps it was only really the equivalent of one because of all the loose falling little rocks. The altitude thing was definitely killer though. It was so hard to catch my breath, and my heart would start beating really really fast, and I couldn't do anything except stop for a little while to make it slow down. Plus if I went for too long I would get light headed. The last two stations, 9 and the top, took way way longer than the rest of the climb because my body was moving slower and because I had to stop more often. At least it wasn't just that way with me though. It was like that for everyone. But despite being incredibly tired and worn out I just said, Caryssa, you can do it! You are almost there! So I would pick myself up and keep going no matter what. The feeling when I saw the gates at the top though was one I wil
l definitely never ever forget. It was like wow. I have just climbed a mountain, but not just any mountain, Mt. Fugi! In 4 hours and 45 minutes. Wow, wow, wow. The stamp they give you at the very top gives the altitude and proves you were one the top of the mountain, so none of ya'll can question my awesomeness in this matter.: p. When I was at the top I was exhausted so I ate lunch that I brought and looked around at the shops for a little while. I sat next to these two Japanese guys and they shared their chocolate candy with me. Yum. I'm glad they were nice. Also, and this is more odd, some random Japanese guy who really really didn't speak English tapped me on the shoulder and gave me his email address. It was weird and I'm not quite sure what that was about. After I felt rested I started trekking around the crater. The top of Mt. Fuji is not an actual top, but a crater since it was once an active volcano. It took me an hour and 20 minutes to get around it, which isn't bad. It was a lot of uphill and downhill climbs, but I'm so glad I did it. There were some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen, there were shrines everywhere, and the best views into the entirety of the crater. The weather tower that had the observation deck though was hard to get to. There was an extremely steep climb up. I was like, awe man. I thought I was done with all this climbing business. But it was still awesome and very worth it. After the tower, I tried to go the rest of the way around the crater, but the path was closed due to snow. Some people were still doing it at their own risk so I joined them. That was probably the scariest thing of my life. It was like no path, and a bunch of us just trekking through other people's footprints on a sort of slanted not really path thing. I thought for sure I was going to slide down into the center of the crater, and if it wasn't for my walking stick I probably would have. But because I did it I got to go actually all the way legitimately around the crater. Totally worth the risk! Glad the big guy was watching out for me. After I went all the way around and took tons of pictures and just reflected on how awesome it was, an old guy tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to another walking stick that was like 10 feet off the path on the mountain. He spoke English pretty well and told me to go get it. I was like, I can have this? And he said for me to take it. I was like ok. So now I have two free walking sticks! Woot!!!! It was nice to have two walking sticks for going down the mountain because I basically skied on the dirt the whole way down . I was booking it. It usually takes 3 hours and I did it in two! I ended up passing Randi on the way down who had started back before me because she didn't go all the way around the crater. She laughed at me as I continued skiing throu
gh the dirt. That sure hurt my knees though. If it wasn't so fun, it definitely probably would have been a good idea to stop. I did a number on my shoes though. They are dirty, and there were rocks stuck everywhere in them. Not to mention in my socks. I wore two pairs of socks so I wouldn't get blisters, and they were both incredibly dirty and my feet were like black. Worth it though completely. When I finally got back down I just felt so accomplished and awesome. I still can't believe that I was blessed enough to climb up Mt. Fuji! Best day ever! The thing is too, I would totally go back tomorrow and do it, even though I can barely walk because my joints hurt in my hips, knees, hands, feet, etc. That's how awesome it was!
l definitely never ever forget. It was like wow. I have just climbed a mountain, but not just any mountain, Mt. Fugi! In 4 hours and 45 minutes. Wow, wow, wow. The stamp they give you at the very top gives the altitude and proves you were one the top of the mountain, so none of ya'll can question my awesomeness in this matter.: p. When I was at the top I was exhausted so I ate lunch that I brought and looked around at the shops for a little while. I sat next to these two Japanese guys and they shared their chocolate candy with me. Yum. I'm glad they were nice. Also, and this is more odd, some random Japanese guy who really really didn't speak English tapped me on the shoulder and gave me his email address. It was weird and I'm not quite sure what that was about. After I felt rested I started trekking around the crater. The top of Mt. Fuji is not an actual top, but a crater since it was once an active volcano. It took me an hour and 20 minutes to get around it, which isn't bad. It was a lot of uphill and downhill climbs, but I'm so glad I did it. There were some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen, there were shrines everywhere, and the best views into the entirety of the crater. The weather tower that had the observation deck though was hard to get to. There was an extremely steep climb up. I was like, awe man. I thought I was done with all this climbing business. But it was still awesome and very worth it. After the tower, I tried to go the rest of the way around the crater, but the path was closed due to snow. Some people were still doing it at their own risk so I joined them. That was probably the scariest thing of my life. It was like no path, and a bunch of us just trekking through other people's footprints on a sort of slanted not really path thing. I thought for sure I was going to slide down into the center of the crater, and if it wasn't for my walking stick I probably would have. But because I did it I got to go actually all the way legitimately around the crater. Totally worth the risk! Glad the big guy was watching out for me. After I went all the way around and took tons of pictures and just reflected on how awesome it was, an old guy tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to another walking stick that was like 10 feet off the path on the mountain. He spoke English pretty well and told me to go get it. I was like, I can have this? And he said for me to take it. I was like ok. So now I have two free walking sticks! Woot!!!! It was nice to have two walking sticks for going down the mountain because I basically skied on the dirt the whole way down . I was booking it. It usually takes 3 hours and I did it in two! I ended up passing Randi on the way down who had started back before me because she didn't go all the way around the crater. She laughed at me as I continued skiing through the dirt. That sure hurt my knees though. If it wasn't so fun, it definitely probably would have been a good idea to stop. I did a number on my shoes though. They are dirty, and there were rocks stuck everywhere in them. Not to mention in my socks. I wore two pairs of socks so I wouldn't get blisters, and they were both incredibly dirty and my feet were like black. Worth it though completely. When I finally got back down I just felt so accomplished and awesome. I still can't believe that I was blessed enough to climb up Mt. Fuji! Best day ever! The thing is too, I would totally go back tomorrow and do it, even though I can barely walk because my joints hurt in my hips, knees, hands, feet, etc. That's how awesome it was!
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