On Top of 'Our' World - Fuji-san Hiking Trip 08'

No one among us seems ready enough physically for this hike up to the peak of Mount Fuji (Fuji-san, 富士山) at 3766 metres or 12,388 feet above sea level (Unfit and untrained for a true hiker). But mentally, no doubt that 10 of us possess the highest level of aspiration and self anticipation to conquer the greatest challenge of this summer. I personally just got back from Tokyo while Ashraf from Thailand, both for an oral presentation in a conference, Paee and Yana from Okinawa and nevertheless the rest of us must be tired due to daily laboratory routines from Monday to the departure day itself (Not a holiday week). We started our journey from Kintetsu Takeda Station, Kyoto on Thursday 7th August 2008 at 11.50 pm boarding the Fuji Summit Express. Mr. and Mrs. Azizi (Kak Mc) won in terms of punctuality as both of them stood at the meeting point since 9.30 pm, an outstanding and remarkable record for this always-late pair of Koleq and Kataq (pardon the Qs). Ashraf and Enn (Nur or Sabby) made their way from Katsura while me and Mahendra left our bikes at Marikouji and joined Muji, Paee and Yana to Kyoto Station while Firdaus being Firdaus, will always pops out of nowhere. This is definitely true when we met him at Kintetsu Kyoto Station after boarding the local train as he somehow mistakenly took an express one that bypass Takeda station before.

Before the hike at Base Camp 5 (go gou me, 五合目）

This guided tour costs us 21,700 Yen per person inclusive of round trip bus fare, 4 meals, rental for Motel Huts at Base Camp 8 and a short rest for meal ad bath at Fujiyama Onsen after descending the mountain. I did not knew the exact time that I fell asleep in the bus but when I woke up the next morning, the traffic is not moving. According to Ashraf's prediction as our camp commandant cum penglipur lara, the traffic might occured due to longer waiting time in this official hiking season for the bus to take turns in ascending the road up to Base Camp 5 which later happened just to be a small accident involving a pickup truck. Hihihi...

At Base Camp 6 (Roku gou me, 六合目）

The ascending route from Base Camp 5 to Base Camp 8 (took appr. 6 hours) was an easy zig-zag trail with nice established route and retaining walls for mitigation purposes. As in the pic, a horse could be seen carrying what could probably be an exhausted hiker way back down or a real rich man dare not to risk any of his energy to conquer Mount Fuji. Our 65 year old hiking guide led us steadily up while sometimes yelling 'Ato..ato..' to us who eagerly try to match him and leave the group behind.

HakuunSo Hut where we stayed was a hiking motel situated at 3200 metres above sea level. It offers bunk beds that could cater up to 400 hikers at a time with several kolong as could be seen in P. Ramlee's movie Ibu Mertuaku. We had our meal, slept and rest for 9 hours here. In conjunction with the altitude, the price of things up here also multiplies in great margin (A cup of UCC Coffee 400yen (Normal Price:100Yen for 2), A piece of Kairo, heating pads 200Yen (100Yen for 5), Oxygen tube 1500Yen (700Yen)). This is the time where hard works of carrying foods up here such as Green Curry and Tomato Chilli Tuna, biscuits and 3 in 1 Horlicks and Ovaltine paid off but not lucky enough when a cup of hot water to mix our drinks also cost us 200Yen. However, the motel owner was friendly and all the workers were helpful enough apart from the skyrocketing prices. How about the toilets? As a fair comment, it was among the cleanest along the way with ample supply of water but not to describe the smell when hikers jammed it before the midnight hike and the fact that we guys and girls shared the same facility (Enough description?..huhu).

HakuunSo Hut

View of 1 of the 5 lakes from the top

To reach the peak just before the sunrise (goraikou, ご来光), we had to start our journey up at midnight after resting for approximately 6 hours at the hut. I had absolutely no idea what to expect for the hike up to the peak after this Base Camp 8 as our tour manager had warned us that it will be a rough one after this. She also did warned us after the meal that any attempts to give up after this will cost us a huge amount of money so it is better to decide now. We head for a small discussion and later decide that none of us will give up and will make it to the top at whatever cost it may takes. I had never done any mountain hiking before, but let me tell you, I would never have been able to imagine it could ever be as hard as it was. This was literally the longest most intense 3 hours of my life. I definitely had no clue what a real hiking was until I went through it!

Before the midnight hike to the peak of Mt. Fuji

I could tell everyone around me was a little nervous because none of us knew what was coming ahead of us. Words cant even begin to describe what this second phase hike felt like, but if I were to sum up the first few laps uphill, it started with bad odors from the toilets choking you for air, feeling a little dizzy in needs of a few pumps of oxygen and before I knew it, it just became harder and harder and harder. The way up seems promising with your heart telling you that it is just a few metres up but later it felt like it was a never-ending hike. Starting off wasn’t so bad, but as it built up my heart started pounding and I was breathing very heavy. I had no idea I was capable of sweating that much! It was probably about 20 minutes that all of us have been separated by thousands of people going up and hundreds of them who rest along the narrow route with a face enough to make you down. Paee and Firdaus had race between each other uphill while me, Ashraf, Enn and Mahendra made our way in pace with the group. I had to put myself in a zone and literally talk to myself to get through it and to keep pushing. For the entire hour, four of us were cheering each other on to keep going and at this time that songs like Menaruh Harapan by Zaiton Sameon, Jangan Bilang Tidak by Raffi Ahmad and Inilah Barisan Kita by Mahendra...hihihi...were sang. Muji and Yana were a few laps behind and Mr. and Mrs. Azizi anchored the group. All I keep saying to everyone was that, “Come on, we can do it…Its just a few laps ahead…8 more...4 more...We can do this!!” (In Malay), and it was that cheer that kept us all going although they knew that my numbers seems not aligned with the laps we were passing through.

As it came closer to the peak, all I could feel were my legs burning, my heart racing, and my arms pulsing. I had never felt like this before. The intensity of this hike to the top was overpowering. I had no idea my body could reach the point of agony that it did. As I reached the final gate representing the last checkpoint, I realized that I made it through till the end, the very last second! I couldn’t believe it! I think it was definitely the high determination in realization of the dream to be on top of the highest mountain in Japan, and literally pushing myself to the limit and giving it everything that I had down to the very last bit. Once we finished I can honestly say that I feel like crying and thankful to God for giving me such a courage to reach the peak. Now I understand when people say that it is mind over matter…That three hours hike definitely tops the charts as the most difficult, most intense and rigorous hour I have ever been through but the view up there was astonishing and the feeling of glory was indispensable. I just couldn’t believe I got through it, but I did it and so did all the others in our team. I was so proud of everyone and surely this will fire up our spirit to overcome all the challenges that lies ahead in years to come!!

Facts about hiking up to the peak of Mt. Fuji

Necessary for emergency: Wet tissues, Oxygen tube (S), Energy Drink (Weider jellify liquid), Yens, A loyal and steady companion (This is the time that Mr. Azizi proved his vows before marriage to Kak Mek that lautan api sanggup kurenangi bersamamu, gunung berapi (Mt. Fuji) sanggup kudaki, denai dan lembah akan kuturuni...having low blood pressure, it was really hard for Kak Mek to overcome the altitude sickness but through her HUGE determination out of her petite body plus the everlasting support from Mr. Azizi to go with her pace, carry all the loads and supply her with each of her needs...This Mt. Fuji is nevertheless a true testing place for love birds and married couples), Sherpa=skilled mountaineers (Definitely in our case it goes to Ashraf where he brought with him long lists of gadgets and stuffs from Tongkat Ali Power Root drinks, Ammeltz YokoYoko to Minyak Urut Hajah XXX in his Deuter backpack...thanks Ashraf for such a well-planned preparations).

Prepare for: Strong winds, Bad odors from toilets, Extreme weather (Temperature drops with increase of altitude), Rude hikers.

Myths: Descending the mountain is an easy job (Try and you'll know!!!), No one queue up during hiking (In Japan, we have to queue up almost everywhere).

Last but not least, enjoy the pics!!!

Hikers eagerly make their way up through the final gate

Goraikou, ご来光 on top of Mt. Fuji!!! The first sunrise in the world for 9th August!

Lalala...

Kyoto Mt. Fuji Hikers 08'

To the crater!!!

Arrival at Kyoto Station

The Certificate!!Yeay Yeay!!!