Climbing Fuji

8/6/2013 - Gotemba, Japan 

Today was the most strenuous physical activity I have planned for the trip: climbing Mt. Fuji. We started the climb just after 4:00 p.m. on the Subashiri trail, hiked for 5 hours, then stopped at a station to sleep for 4 hours before moving to the top.

Every hour of the hike provided new scenery: we started in the woods, then moved into the open air to see the clouds roll off the mountain top. Our next station coincided with sundown, which occurred as the clouds moved off the view of the city. Then, our last phase before bed was a starscape over the mountain.

Pictured: The clouds move off Mt Fuji.