I don’t know exactly when the desire kicked in, but one day (when I was hiking up Yeongsil Trail of Mt. Halla in Jeju, South Korea – check out the video as well) I heard myself say out loud: I want to climb Mt. Fuji. I thought it’s going to be one of those things that you think about, resolve to do, then be relegated to the back of your mind, to be pushed off by “more important” things. But then a year later, I found myself planning for a trip where I can actually get to do it.
Yes, the highlight of my two-week trip to Japan is the Mt. Fuji climb. I’m just so glad that my travel buddy Rog was such a trooper and agreed to come along, even if climbing and hiking is not exactly her thing.
Planning for the Adventure
Mt. Fuji’s climbing season is July-August of every year, smack in the middle of their summer. This year (I’m talking 2018), the climbing season ends around the 2nd week of September, and we timed our Japan visit on the last week of August and first week of September. And since we had to prioritize, we chose to dedicate our days 3 and 4 to our Mt. Fuji climb.
(The consequence of that, of course, would be us mostly going around Nara and Kyoto with sore muscles, and lugging hiking sticks around for the rest of the trip, haha!)
While planning for the trip, we had the option of joining established tour groups or climbing groups. But I saw their rates and just thought, “errr….no.” Yep, they were much too steep for me. Besides, since there were just the two of us, I thought it more practical to go at it on our own.
And since it’s the climbing season, there’d be a lot of climbers, and the trail is already established, so getting lost is really the least of our worries.
Since night climbing is discouraged, we decided to stay overnight on the mountain. It’s not like we were adventurous enough to actually climb at night, no. We also wanted to at least be comfortable before our final summit assault, so taking a rest was a given.
We figured that, since we didn’t have to spend on being part of a guided tour, we can spend on a comfortable sleeping quarters instead. So we made earlier reservations online for two persons at the Tomoekan Fuji Mountain Hut. (I’ll be talking about that at length in a future dedicated post.)
We picked the most popular and most climbed trail among the 4 climbing trails: Yoshida Trail, which means our jump-off point would be at the Mt. Fuji 5th Station in Yamanashi Prefecture.
From Tokyo, we rode on a highway bus from the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal in Shinjuku, with Kawaguchiko Station as our final stop.
Off to Kawaguchiko
We checked out of our Kabukicho accommodation real early and, travel luggage in tow, made that long walk across Shinjuku station to the Expressway Bus Terminal building. We already looked for it on our second day in the area, so as to avoid going around in circles on the actual day itself. Sure saves a lot of time, considering how maze-like the area is.
We also made it a point to purchase our bus tickets a couple of days before, and our bus departs at 7:30, so we had to make sure we were there on time.
By the way, the one-way bus ticket for an adult is JPY 1,950 (~Php 910 or ~USD 17.4).
And we were dang early, I tell ya.
Barely 6:20, and we were already at the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal.
We haven’t even had breakfast yet. But there were a couple of kombini inside the Terminal and, Japanese convenience stores truly live up to their names, which meant we were able to buy some bread and beverage to tide us over while waiting.
And we didn’t exactly mind waiting because the place was clean and spacious, with seating for those who are waiting to board their buses, and there was also Wi-Fi huzzah!
It was interesting to see other foreigners who were obviously going on a hike as well. You can tell from their hiking outfit and large backpacks.
Right on the dot, we boarded our designated highway bus and made that almost-two-hour trip to Kawaguchiko Station.
Can I just say highway buses in Japan beats even the best bus experience I’ve had in the Philippines? Yes, deluxe trips included. It just. Does. Not. Compare.
I am no stranger to Kawaguchiko, since I spent a (rainy) day in the area, going around solo, during my first trip to Japan. So it was with a sense of familiarity that I greeted Kawaguchiko Station, where our bus dropped us off, at around 9:30 am.
This is not the jump-off point to the Yoshida Trail, by the way. From Kawaguchiko Station, we still have to travel to the Mt. Fuji 5th Station.
You might be wondering: why stop at Kawaguchiko Station when we could have taken a bus from Shinjuku Station directly the the Mt. Fuji 5th Station?
Yep, we could have done that, and it would have meant cheaper bus fare. But we also had to consider our luggage. There was no certainty that there’d be an area at the Mt. Fuji 5th Station where we can leave our luggage. At least, in Kawaguchiko, we’ve read that there were even inns and guesthouses that let you leave your stuff for a fee.
But we didn’t have to do that because, luckily, when we arrived at Kawaguchiko Station, there were still some empty coin lockers that were big enough to accommodate our travel carriers. So we took only the stuff we’d need for the hike and secured the rest of our belongings in the coin lockers.
(Yeah, coin lockers in subway and train stations are a convenience that I truly appreciated whenever I came to Japan.)
All set, we purchased bus tickets from a vending machine (again another convenience I much appreciated!) for our ride from Kawaguchiko Station to the Mt. Fuji 5th Station. Since we were heading back here the next day, we decided to purchase round trip tickets, because you can save close to JPY 800 that way. (One round trip ticket for adults is JPY 2,300.)
Then we went to the bus waiting area for our ride. At exactly 10:10, we boarded.
At exactly 11:00, we arrived at the Mt. Fuji 5th Station or, to be more precise, the Mt. Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station. And no, it’s not a train station.
To say that the place was frenetic and buzzing with energy would be an understatement. There were a lot of highway buses and tour buses dispensing groups of hikers. There were also a lot of tourists and locals alike who were there to simply check out the area, even if they aren’t going to hike or climb.
I won’t blame them, though, because the view is already great even in this area. After all, it’s basically at the halfway point of the Yoshida Trail.
FYI, there are 4 climbing trails for Mt. Fuji, but Yoshida Trail is definitely the most popular one.
And there are several reasons why it is the trail mostly chosen by climbers (yeah, it also tends to be the more congested one).
For starters, it is the most accessible for those coming from Tokyo and the Fuji Five Lakes area. A drive up the Subaru Line road is quite scenic, too, which meant there were a lot to see during the bus ride from Kawaguchiko Station.
It is also the most developed trail among the four, with mountain huts along the way.
And, considering that there are large crowds of hikers in this trail, you can easily go at it even without being part of a guided group.
At the Mt. Fuji 5th Station, there were many shops selling everything from food to souvenirs and even hiking gear. I think there are some areas where you can rent gear, including shoes and clothes.
As I was walking around, surrounded by people of various nationalities, speaking various languages, all preparing to go up Mt. Fuji while some have already arrived from the climb, I felt excitement rising within me.
Yep. Soooo ready….!
(The summit is shrouded by clouds behind me, though, but that didn’t dampen my excitement. Not one bit.)
But, of course, we had to make sure we got some nourishment first, because the bread that we consumed back in Shinjuku and the small snacks we had during the trip won’t cut it for our hike ahead.
You see, Yoshida Trail is an estimated 5 to 7 hours’ hike to the summit. Since we are stopping for the night at the 8th station, we’re still looking at roughly 6 hours of hiking. We had to eat something substantial. So we went up to one of the restaurants and had our fill of some carbs.
While reading through several blogs of people who have climbed Mt. Fuji, some of them suggested getting a walking stick as a souvenir, and also for support along the trail.
In my previous hikes and climbs, I was never really a walking stick person. I kinda preferred having my hands free because that way, I can break my fall far easier with my hands than when I am holding on a stick.
That perception changed during this adventure, particularly the next day when we had to make our descent.
So Rog and I purchased a wooden walking stick each (JPY 2,000 or ~Php 450), and I had resolved to have it “stamped” along the trail, and then bring it back home to the Philippines with me A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER. (Wish me luck.)
After lunch, we casually loitered around the area, putting our stomachs at ease and just acclimatizing ourselves. Looking at maps, annd checking out where we are headed.
By the way, there were no fees to be paid, but we did pay JPY 1,000 as some sort of an environmental fee, or donation for maintenance. I’m not quite sure if it is compulsory, because we did see others just go past without paying. Well, we got a small wooden tablet engraved with “2018 Fuji-san”, though, and it hangs in my backpack even today.
‘This is it’, I thought, overwhelmed despite myself. It occurred to me that those things that involved a lot of planning usually do not push through, while those ideas that seem to come out of thin air, that seem like they’re crazy, are the ones that, more often than not, push through. This was one of them.
And, at 11:50, we started walking.
(To be continued. See ya in the next one!)
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