Climb to the summit of Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan and has a special place in Japanese tradition. It is also the 2^nd highest island peak in the continent of Asia. A dormant Volcano which last erupted in the year 1707. At the height of 3776 meters, it witnesses the most beautiful sunrise in the world.

The shape of the mountain is a symmetrical cone. The upper portion of the mountain is usually covered in snow, which gives an artistic view. It is one of the “Three Holy Mountains” in Japan has a special significance in the Japanese tradition. It is a major tourist attraction. People from all over the world attempt to climb the mountain during the Obon Week in the mid of August.

Exploring the beauty of Honshu and the Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is located on Honshu Island, which is the largest and most populous island in the country. We were in Japan in the early days of August enjoying the fast-paced life of Tokyo and other Japanese cities. In the mid of August every year in Japan, Obon week is commemorate. It is an official holiday season in the country.

A great number of people attempt to climb Mount Fuji during these days, which gives us the motivation to come to Honshu Island. We came here early in order to enjoy the beauty of this place before the start of the Obon week hike to the summit of the mountain. Honshu is one of the most beautiful places in Japan with traditional restaurants and historic places. We spend a few days traveling across the island and enjoying the traditional lifestyle of this place.

Hiking to the Summit of Mount Fuji

As the Obon week started, we booked a hotel near the mountain and started planning our hike. Even though the hike at the mountain Fuji is not extremely difficult, hiking with many people makes it much easier. We hired the services of a guide in order to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.

Mount Fuji is divided into ten different stations. The first station is the base of the mountain and the tenth station being its peak. There are various fifth station trails from where the hikers start their climb. All lead to the summit of the mountain passing through various stations.

We chose the Yoshida Trail for our hike, which is the most popular trail here. The facilities along the path are well established which ease the burden of the hike. There are mountain huts along this path where the hikers can either stay overnight or spend a few hours resting. They can also get something to eat and regain their energy for continuing the hike.

We reached a mountain hut closed to the summit at night and spent a few hours here. We were planning to reach the top of the mountain just before the sunrise in order to enjoy the beauty of the sun rising from the horizon. After a few hours’ sleep, we started our climb again and reached the top around 5 AM. The sunrise was right in front of us. It proved to be one of the best experiences of our lives.

We spent a few hours at the top enjoying the scenes before we started our descent to the base of the mountain.

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