July 2006: 富士山 (Mount Fuji, Japan)

富士山 is pronounced Fuji-san (and not Fuji-yama). This was my first time at 富士山 (Mount Fuji), and we had a terrible weather. The 13 of us started from 五合目 (the fifth station), climbed until we reached a shelter, had dinner there, and slept a few hours. The plan was to arrive at the top of the mountain just in time to see the sunrise. Rain, wind, and rocks falling slowed us down considerably. Anyway, fog (clouds?) prevented us from seeing anything more than a diffuse light. One of us got hurt a few minutes before reaching the summit: a fist-size rock fell onto the back of his head. In the end he just got a big bump, and we did not have to worry much. At least, we enjoyed hot drinks at the top, then the scenery while descending. After this experience, we were glad to relax at a luxurious hot spring...

If you want more information about the area, please check the guide page for 富士山 (Mount Fuji).