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Are We There Yet A Pilgrimage To Fuji san
ou are wise to climb Mt. opposed to the traditional saying
Fuji, but a fool to do it I hereby wish to coin a new
twice" - Japanese Proverb
gaijin phrase - "You're a fool to
climb Mt. Fuji, you'll have a
In Japan Mt. Fuji (or Fuji-san) better time in Roppongi". Rather
is regarded with spiritual than tell you the deep meanings
reverence. Most gaijin of Fuji-san, which can be found
(foreigners) staying for any in any other proper travel book,
reasonable amount of time aspire I will just tell you about my
to climb it. Mount Fuji is pilgrimage.
probably Japan's most
recognizable symbol and captures In May I received a call from my
the paradoxical mix of friend Rananda. As she was only
spirituality and consumerism that staying the one year, her sister
is at the very heart of its was coming for a visit before she
modern identity. There are left and did I want to climb
roughly two thousand registered Fuji-san with them next month?
religious organizations based Why not? It was on my ‘to do'
around Mount Fuji along with 117 list, and I would be in the area
golf courses. Complimenting this, that weekend for a retreat
on Mount Fuji's eastern flank, is anyway. As the day approached
a 55-square-kilometre area used Rananda decided to switch the
by both the Japanese and American dates so I was left hanging.
militaries for live-fire Determined still to go I called
exercises. my old mate Todd. Now, anyone
that has spent time backpacking
Every day during the summer or in international company will
climbing season over five know that Canadians and
thousand tourists / pilgrims make Australians tend to bond. If we
their way up the mountain. As knew what was in front of us we
might have chosen not to stretch
those bonds. After a succession of trains and
bus we arrived in Kawaguchiko at
We were going to be climbing in 9pm. Being outside of the
June, two weeks before the climbing season there were no
official start of the climbing buses to the fifth station, the
season. The Japanese social usual starting point, so we
orientation precludes them from approached some drivers at the
climbing anytime between taxi stand. According to the
September 1st and June 30th, so guidebook a taxi ride would cost
we were assured of no crowds. about "¥7,000. The first driver
Little did we know that it would said, "No - too dangerous". The
also assure us of absolutely second said, ""¥12,000 - yen, not
bugger all else. The national dollars", to which we replied
tourist office had advised us something along of the lines of,
that only ‘experienced "Thank you, but your price is a
mountaineers' should attempt the little expensive. Besides, we
climb outside the regular season live in your fine country and
but we regarded this as mere teach English to your wonderful
folly. We started our journey children." Actually it may have
from Niigata-ken at lunchtime. On been something rather more curt,
the way we met Jennifer a fellow but I can't remember. The third
English teacher from Nagano who driver told us "¥10,000, the
asked if we had the right gear fourth "¥8,000. The price was
for climbing. "Yes", we claimed, falling so constantly we thought
"we've got rain gear and warm of staying all night and by
clothes." She replied, "Oh, I morning we'd make a profit.
meant ice picks and crampons."
The furrowed brows of insecurity However we didn't have that much
began to crease. time, so we decided to go for
option four. The driver took us be found, and unfortunately no
as far as the road would allow. sherpas either. I carried to the
In other words, as soon as it top, well almost, of Mt. Fuji
turned to dirt we were turfed about ten kilograms of such
out, relieved of our hard earned useful items as two novels, a
cash, left on a dark road with no walkman and tapes, sandals, spare
idea where we were and nary a underwear and socks, my
tourist centre in sight. We toiletries bag, and a bible to be
shrugged, and started to walk. It used on the retreat.
was 10.30pm, with a supposed four
and a half-hour journey in front Actually as the night wore on the
of us. bible did prove useful. I was
continually dipping into it for
We discovered later in the harsh verses of encouragement like, "In
light of day that we had been despair I look to the mountains
deposited somewhere near the for God...", and "Yea, though I
fourth station. It was at this walk through the valley of the
stage that Todd admitted that shadow of death..." In my state I
he'd forgotten a flashlight. was positive I would meet God
Gradually as the trip wore on he sooner than originally envisaged.
would also admit to forgetting A few years ago I climbed the
food, a map, and sunglasses in tallest mountain in Australia -
the bright morning that was to Mt. Kosciusko. This involved a
follow. He was also only wearing ride on a chairlift and a casual,
his sturdy track shoes, backed up only slightly strenuous,
with rubber boots - standard three-hour walk to the summit. I
Japanese baby blue and yellow knew Fuji-san would be tougher,
issue. I was over prepared, but never in my wildest
having to cart my huge backpack imagination imagined I would wish
because there were no lockers to to be reborn as Sir Edmund
Hillary. Or maybe not born at all get some moisture back into our
- just stay as a twinkle in my system, even if it did include
father's eye. some grit. I decided the view was
good enough for me right there.
Altitude, dehydration, a heavy The view being some fields,
pack, and lack of sleep soon all towns, and lakes in the distance,
began to take their toll. I was mainly obscured by cloud. I found
sometimes stopping every twenty a nice piece of dirt outside a
metres or so to get my breath. closed hut, as they all were, and
Todd - much more young and settled down for a kip. These
sprightly than me - was forever mountain huts are rest stops that
prodding me as I lay gasping on are usually operated by local
the path with encouraging families. Many climbers (well,
comments like, "Wake up!", "Get those actually climbing at the
going you lazy bastard" and, "I'm right time of year) mark their
glad I revived you, your heart feat by having attendants brand
stopped beating". The sunrise the name of a particular hut and
that was meant to be so its elevation on their walking
spectacular, happened behind a sticks. I didn't particular care
bank of cloud at 4.15am. By this for any branding or for what
point we had already well passed elevation I may be at. I just
the expected four and a half-hour wanted to sleep. Todd pressed on
journey time and seemed no closer to the top and returned two and a
to the top. half hours later with pieces of
volcanic rock, plus stories of
By 6am we reached what we fog and hyperventilation. We
presumed was the 9th station, or could now start down, but the
was it the 8th? We had hit the journey was far from over.
snowline, and I had hit a brick
wall. At least with the snow we The supposed two and a half hour
trip down ended up more like get home, but Todd fared worse.
four. We finally started seeing He slept the night in the
other people on their way up, Minamiotari eki after taking the
some of whom were wearing ski wrong train. At least the station
boots and carrying their skis. attendant felt sorry for him and
There was snow - but not quite lent him some blankets. At a
that much snow! We asked some of later date, when our wives were
them for directions to the fifth both expecting at the same time,
station and ended up in a he sent me an email expressing
workman's camp where we manage to his first piece of sound parental
purchase a few expensive small advice, "Looks like our kids will
cans of ‘Pocari Sweat' - a graduate together. When they're
drink that could be loosely old enough to understand we can
described as a Japanese warn them about the dangers of
alternative to Gatorade. Mr. climbing Mt.Fuji and ordering the
Pocari must obviously sweat quite entire menu at Mexican
a bit, or maybe it's the whole restaurants in Kobe."
family. Anyway, from the camp we
were redirected to the fifth Later that weekend as I related
station which meant we had to my experience most people said,
walk back UP for awhile. "Well, if you'd asked me
first..." As for Rananda, she and
While waiting for the bus we her sister abandoned the idea of
stashed away some of the climbing and just ended up taking
obligatory omiyage (gifts) which photos from the base. Smart
is a useful tool for sucking up ladies. My recommendation is that
to your ‘higher ups'. We had unless you have a masochistic
lunch back in Kawaguchiko and streak you do exactly that. And
parted ways at the eki. The next while you're there Fujiyoshida
day it took ten hours for me to has one of the biggest and
fastest rollercoasters in the world...
About the Author:
Nicholas Klar is a writer and teacher from Adelaide, Australia. His most recent incarnation is as Senior Head of House at a private international college in Shanghai, China where he lives with his family. Apart from his recent book, his only real claim to fame at this time is being the only person in the whole of Shanghai without a mobile phone.
Source: www.isnare.com
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