So Fuji day is here, the plan is to take it easy today as I'll be needing all my energy for tonight. Had to get up early to check out of the hostel by 10, though I am able to stay here all day, in the common room. This is good because there is a lot of room downstairs and so I can open up my rucksack and get my pack ready for tonight. The afternoon is spent with me sleeping and making a list of food to bring in my mind. We had already arranged to leave our rucksacks here when we do Fuji and pick them up after. We are going to put our valuables in a locker in the train station.
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After a couple of hours worth of sleep on the floor in the common room, it was time to head to the 7/11 and get some supplies. I opt for 2 litres of water, butter and jam roll, cheese, beef jerky, chilli peanuts, peppered beef and 3 snickers. I get home and add these to my bag containing long sleeve t-shirt, fleece, coat, headlight, buff, hat and camera. I'm ready to go. Got my feet all taped up, not feeling too bad today but I'd rather just be sure. We nip over to the train station after we leave the hostel to get our tickets and leave the valuables in the locker. Bump in to some Americans I had been speaking to previously, they had done Fuji and looked the worse for it. Christine found some poles in the locker room and decided to 'borrow' them. I had considered buying a wooden stick. They have them for sale every where, about a 5ft pole that you use when you're climbing, you can get it stamped at every station. ¥700, but then what am I going to do with it after? I had thought about posting it home. In the end I decided against it.
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At the station we get something to eat before we go, some horse meat and udon noodles, perfect way to set up. Off to the bus. As we had bought our tickets earlier we were able to skip past people who had to buy them on the bus. Got the disabled seat, plenty of leg room, nice! Bus left early and took about 50mins so we arrive at the 5th station at 8.50 height 2300m. So as not to get altitude sickness we decide to stay here for about an hour. This is where most people start their ascent, it is very busy people running around getting photos taken before the climb! There are a number of shops here where you can buy your last minute essentials obviously at quite the inflated price. There is literally everything you can think of to buy here, all with some vague Fuji stamp or symbol or reference. Toilets have a recommended tip of ¥50, though I nip in when there is no guy there. Easily the worst toilets I have been to in Japan. The smell alone took my breath away, I hear they get even better as you climb, can't wait. It's a lovely 18c at the 5th, I'm wandering around in my T-shirt and linen trousers, just like it's a summers day. Everyone else is wearing coats, hats and full mountain gear. I'm enjoying the coolness. I take the opportunity to just sit down and let the cool breeze blow over me before it is time to go. Glad I didn't buy the stick, ¥200 per stamp, over 11 stations that would have been quite expensive!
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The Plan: It is recommended to take 5 hours when taking the Yoshida Trail from the 5th, so I figure that I'm normally faster than the recommendations, but then I have the additional complexity of climbing at night. Sunrise is around 5, so if we start climbing at 10 that'll give us 7 hours worth of climb time, including breaks and eating. Sorted.

Stage 1: 9.50 time to go. I put my fleece on before I start as the wind is picking up. Have to be sensible with the clothing choices, don't want to be catching anything. I was quite annoyed that I had not packed one of my sports t-shirts, they would have been the ideal choice for this, but I only have an ordinary one. Off we go, headlamps on! A nice wide compacted gravel track, perfect to walk on. It's a glorious night for a climb, not a cloud in the sky. It's not long before we are rewarded with a beautiful view out over the valley and lakes all twinkling below. There are quite a few people in front and behind us at this stage, more people than I thought attempting the night climb. After about 20mins we enter a forested area and the gradient picks up, nothing too serious and we are able to maintain pace and make it to the 6th station in 35mins, recommended time, 1 hour. Pick up an English map, not that it shows much, stations and heights only. Have a drink, take a photo and move on. There are even more people about at the station and when we leave there are decent numbers up ahead. The trail has narrowed but still nothing to taxing. The trail zig-zags up the mountain, with a slope to the left and steps to the right. Some of the sections are in bad need of maintenance with bits of metal jutting out from the ground where supports used to be. At every corner you are greeted by a wall of headlamps where people are taking a rest. Gradient is picking up. We continue to hike for another good hour, maintaining a good pace, then suddenly we stop!

Stage 2: We have joined a queue, the whole trail is full of people. I'm not sure what the issue is, after waiting in a slow moving line it becomes clear, a nearly vertical face of jagged volcanic rock lay in front. It was a case of climbing poles and hands to scramble up over the top. With no particular route laid out, it is just a case of get yourself up. This is made more difficult by the number of people around you. You can't progress up until the person in front has and you don't want to go straight after them in case they fall back. Quite the challenge. These tough sections continue all the way to the 7th station, moving at a snails pace, surrounded by people. Super busy, I'm hoping that after the station the bottle neck clears and we can pick up the pace once more. We stop at the 7th, 2700m, and have something to eat, butter and jam roll and some beef jerky. Yum yum. Beef jerky never tasted so good! Even better view down over the valley, I get out my camera and fire off a few snaps. The station is spread over a few levels, different huts and places to buy food and drink, prices are starting to rise along with the altitude, ¥300 for 500ml of water, about £2.50, I'm glad I brought what I'll need. After we leave the 7th the queues continue, we are literally gaining 50m in altitude an hour in some parts. I am starting to get concerned as to our summit time. My head is getting sore where the head lamp is, so I move it down to my neck, does the same job just a different angle. It's difficult to covey just how challenging these climbing sections are and just how many people are here. When we make it to the 8th, 3020m, it is about 3am, some more water, beef jerky and a snickers. There are lights at each station but on the rest of the trail it is pitch black, apart from all the headlamps. At this stage I am starting to tire of the queues, I am getting incredibly frustrated at trying to climb only to have to stop every 2 seconds. It was literally that packed. Now, I had known that the night climb was busy and I was prepared for the potential of queues, however I was not prepared for this! It is a different scale of busy. We continue to climb, stopping periodically to take on water. I am really starting to get agitated. I don't understand why it is so busy. I don't understand why the trail is not wider. I don't understand why Japan has not got this sorted! My climb experience is descending in to monotony, climb, stop, two steps, stop! I fear my moaning to Christine is not having a positive effect. Decided to nip in to the toilet, a box to put your ¥200, I ignored and rocked on in. I will go in to no detail as to the state of the place, it wasn't good. As we leave the 8th the wind is picking up, time for the coat. It is so cold that I have to take my buff from my neck and turn it in to a hat because my ears are so cold I put my hiker hat on top to prevent my losing heat through my head. My combination of ankle socks and my Adidas Kanadia shoes had bode well at the start, though by this stage my hand and feet were very cold, I go for long periods with my hands in my pockets in an attempt to warm them up. Not normally recommended as you climb a mountain, but as we are moving so slowly I take my chances. As I look up all I can see are headlamps snaking up the mountain, as I look down, I see the same. These queues are the worst I have ever seen. Worse than Disney Land, worse than Oxegen, worse than the queue to get out of Punchestown after the AC/DC gig! All this for a mountain?! It is very cold now, my hiker hat is not doing the job, it is relegated to the bag and my hood is promoted from my collar to my head. Much better. My feet and hands are numb. I recall the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, though there I was in bare feet. I try wiggling them to stimulate movement, it's no good. I look forward to the heat of the sun.

Stage 3: It's 4.20 the sky is starting to get brighter. From my quick recon I decide that there is no way we will make it to the top before sunrise. This angers me. If I had known the extent of the queues I would have left earlier. There is some sort of music playing from the summit, with a man speaking Japanese in between each jingle. The happy tone irritates me as I imagine the man to be saying 'come on guys, nearly at the top, the view is great. You can do it!' We are on the Yamanashi Prefecture so we will see the sunrise from any point on our Yoshida Trail. I had wanted to experience it from the summit of Mt Fuji, this was now not going to happen. Breaking the news to Christine did not go well, she wanted to continue with another few turns. I was somewhat forceful about stopping here to enjoy the sky changing colour and seeing the sunrise from a seated position rather than the over crowded trail. We jumped over the rope to the left of the trail and shimmied in between some people who were already sitting. My position on the volcanic rock was far from comfortable, still it was nice to be sitting and have an unobscured view down over the valley. My hands and feet are now sore with the cold but I know it won't be too long before the sun is up and I start to thaw. I try to dispel my anger about the climb, and forget the pain in my hands and feet so I can enjoy the sunrise I have come to see. Operating my camera is very difficult with my hands, but I am able to balance it on my bag to steady it. Watching the sky change over the next 40mins was ceremonious. Every second the colours would change and a new factor would come in to view. I got to watch as clouds formed, one in particular over the lake in the valley. I sat in admiration as the yellow and orange filled the sky after the retreating midnight blue. The mountains below coming in to view blanketed with a misty low level haze. The lakes and ocean so still, like a mirror, reflecting the sky. Then beams of light extending from the horizon up in to the sky, piercing the midnight blue. Then shortly after 5 the sun peaks above the clouds on the horizon. A silence filled the mountain, the wind had stopped. Wow. It was majestic. As the sun rose and came in to full view a cheer went up across the mountain face. Everyone had got to experience the sunrise. This is what we hiked through the night for. This is why we endured the queues. This is why there are so many people here. Was it worth it? Absolutely. No doubt in my mind, one of natures great spectacles experienced atop one of natures great viewing platforms. I got to bathe in the warming light and truly appreciate the power of the sun. We had been sitting for about an hour, the trail was a little clearer. It was time for the final advance to the summit.

Stage 4: The final climb took a further hour. It was completely different climbing in the daylight, your view was extended more than 1ft in front of you, illuminated by headlamp. You could see across the mountain face. As we got higher I could witness the sea of multicoloured coats snaking down the mountain and it was clear how many people were involved. At a conservative estimate 10k. We passed people just lying to the side enjoying the sun, one person even had a little stove, brewing up some green tea. As we got to the top I could see the torii gate, signifying the top of the crater. I had made it! 3776m Fuji-San conquered! Now this place was busy. It was like a town, various shops, a ramen bar, places to get your stick stamped and of course a 50m queue to the toilet. Took 15mins and ¥300, which I only paid because we asked the girl in front how much it was, then got that ready. When you get close to the door, everyone puts money in the unmanned box. Everyone! So in it went. Another thrilling toilet experience. We walk down to look in to the crater, it was massive. Sit down an have something to eat. I am really tired now. I am struggling big time. Christine wants to walk round the crater, I'd rather go home. Then I'm only going to be here once, so I pick myself up and we walk around. The crater mouth is massive, it takes us about an hour to walk the perimeter which wasn't flat, ups and downs. The early morning views from different locations are sublime. Such a good day for the climb, no clouds early morning, perfect for the views. Half way round the crater and we stop for a drink. I fall asleep. Ha. Before we head down I look out over the trail, still packed. 8.45 the descent begins on a different trail.

Stage 5: The descent! Horrible! 6.9km of zig-zagging down steep tracks comprised of loose rocks and dust. Of course some people run down, that's going to end in disaster. They presumably have to have separate descent routes because of the volume of people, there is no way you would get down the same way. The descent is busy, but no queues, people falling in every section. I am not thrilled by the fall potential, not in my state. I am aware of my ankles and knees and what a fall might do to me. Little bit of fear. I have to concentrate so hard to stay upright. Every step, your feet skid as the rocks give way under your weight. As we descend I am alerted to my feet. I can feel my toes rubbing against the top of my shoes, it feels like they have already been skinned, it's a case of damage limitation. I think to myself that I should have taped them up like I did with my blisters. Dick! You think I would learn. We continue down the long and arduous path for 3 hours before we reach the bottom. Got to pass through a cloud, which kept me cool but reduced visibility to zero! By the time we got back to 5th station it was about 12, we were just in time for a bus back to Kawaguchiko, though it was chaos trying to find where to go. On the bus and straight to sleep, kept falling over in to the guy beside me, he was understanding. Get back and Christine leaves the poles back and we head over to the hostel. Ask about using the onsen, ¥300 cause we are not staying, no bother, done! Best onsen ever! I was so dirty, dust everywhere from the descent. Feet held up well, only minor additional injury after the mountain. After the onsen, work out where we are going and onto a train. Feeling pretty tired, can't wait to sleep.