This summer, Maxwell and I climbed Mt. Fuji, one of Japan's national treasures. We started at the 5th Station, about 2,300 m. high. We made it to the top (3,776 m. or 12,388 ft. high) in just under 4 hours and 20 minutes. Little did we realize that we had not even hit the most difficult part - the descent! It takes far less time, but that's because you literally slide down the mountain! As we hiked in loose gravel down a lava bed while slipping and falling repeatedly because of the very steep grade, we quickly became covered in a thick coating of dust from head to toe. It didn't take me long to begin wondering why we even decided to make the climb in the first place. Japanese legend says that if you don't climb Fuji while you are in Japan, you will have to return. We decided to knock it out this time around. There is also a well-known Japanese saying suggesting that anybody would be a fool not to climb Mt. Fuji once--but a fool to do so twice. I absolutely agree!
We did it!
Maxwell and Nancy at the summit entrance of Mt. Fuji!
The god of Mt. Fuji
Stuffed toy Fujis - very Japanese with the anime faces!
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