In this article I will talk about my first time trying to climb Mt. Fuji, and how I epically failed.
Obon Week 2016
It was Obon week in 2016, my first year in Japan. At the time, I had a friend who was living in Shizuoka. She invited me to stay with her for a few days, and then we would go to climb Mt
Fuji with her and some of her friends.
My First Night in Shizuoka
On my first night in Shizuoka, we went to see Hanabi, aka fireworks. We then went to my friend's friend house later to drink. It was a mess... It was my first time to meet these people, so I didn't know what to expect. My friend let's call her Jackie, she herself was a little crazy. She moved to Japan from Canada and had already decide she was going to spend only one year in Japan. She liked her friend, John, but she thought that he might be gay. So that night when we went to drink at her friend's house, she decided to make out with John's friend. John's friend was strange. He became angry and started telling. He and my friend Jackie argued over something, and I think he choked her a bit. It was all a very strange night. John was nice, but his friends, and that night, were a bit off.
My Second Night in Shizuoka
On my second night, we decided to go out again. This time we stayed near Jackie's house because she was located in the city. We went out for a night of dancing and drinks. It was fun, but I was completely exhausted. I thought the next day that we would rest, and they would forget about going to climb Mt. Fuji...I was wrong.
Are We Going? Please NOO
Jackie and her friends STILL wanted to climb the mountain. So, I tried to keep it together and tried to stay positive, even though I was dead tired. We drove there in the afternoon. They wanted to climb at night in order to see the sunrise. We got sleeping bags prepared and everything. It was my first time to EVER be on a mountain. I had no idea what to expect.
We've Arrived!!
We got to the mountain at night. It was very cold and very rainy. I noticed people with hiking boots, walking sticks. Oh and FLASHLIGHTS. There were five of us, but not one of us thought to bring a flashlight!!
I was so stressed. On the bus ride up the mountain, I started to feel extremely sick. I didn't know what was wrong with me because I had never experienced anything like that. On the bus, they said to be careful of altitude sickness. If you feel that you are getting sick because of the altitude, you should rest a few hours before continuing. When we finally arrived up the mountain, I thought I was going to puke. But my friends wanted to keep going. With the rain, my sickness, and having to literally climb on my hands and feet up the mountain, I quit ten minutes in. I told them I needed to go back down.
My Nauseating Ride Back Down
I took a taxi down, and I slowly started to feel better. As I stated, it was raining heavily. Out of five of us, only one made it to the top. The others were drenched by the rain, but they stayed in a camp on the mountain. I stayed in a tent thing, outside, and waited for them ALL night. It was pretty boring. But in the morning, it was an extremely beautiful sight.
I only saw Mt Fuji that up close again when I went to Fuji Q, an amusement park in Japan. It's beautiful to watch, but I would never dare try to climb Mt. Fuji again. I also take responsibility for my bad decision. Since then, I try not to say yes when I don’t want to do something. It’ll ruin everyone else’s time.
Side note: After that trip, Jackie and I weren't really friends. I felt Jackie was morally wrong in other areas of her life, but she tried to give me life advice that I didn't ask for. That will happen a lot in Japan. A lot of crazy people do come to Japan, but they also go quickly as well. Don't force yourself to be friends with someone you would never think of hanging out with in your own country.
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