I am the world's worst mountain climber

Notice how the wind is blowing....up.

There are three things you should never do in Japan:

1. Assume that just because you want to transfer from a rapid train to a local train that they will run on either side of the same platform.

2. Agree to go out for all-you-can-eat pizza at lunch when you already have early dinner plans at an okonomiyaki (translation = big pizza like cabbage omelet thing stuffed with meat and noodles) restaurant.

3. Never should you attempt to climb Mt. Fuji completely unprepared to climb Mt. Fuji.

So I climbed Mt. Fuji the other weekend. I was under the impression that it was a relatively easy climb (for a path up a mountain anyway) that "anyone in normal physical condition shouldnt have a problem with" (Metropolis Magazine). I mean, why else would they allow just anyone to climb it? Ok first, let me explain the concept of climbing Mt. Fuji. The idea is to see the sunrise from the top...you know, Japan "land of the rising sun" and all. In order to do this of course, you need to begin your six or seven hour hike at around 9:30pm the night before, arrive at the top around 3:30 am or so and wait for the sunrise around 4:30 or 5:00. I had a well-stocked backpack: sunscreen (for the four hour hike down during the day), flashlight, tuna snacks, sweatshirt, 1000 yen (about $10)....I was good to go. That is, until I actually started climbing. I maintain that the people I went with were intent on being the FIRST PEOPLE up to the top because they practically RAN the whole way. I was the slowest, whatever. I had anticipated a pretty steep path (the final altitude is 3,776 m...not quite 12,400 feet) but there was actual hands and knees climbing involved. What no one mentions is that while the altitude does in fact make you nauseous, more importantly, it makes your muscles and joints not work anymore. After about an hour, my legs were so oxygen deprived that it hurt to bend my knees, thus making the climb a bit more difficult. Also people forget to mention that things are freaking expensive at the rest stations on the mountain and that only cash is accepted. The use of a toilet was $2, I bought a packet of miso soup for $4, just to enter a shelter was $10, and to stay an hour was $30. (Remember how I said that I only had $10? Yeah, I owed a lot of people a lot of money when all was said and done.) Even so, things were going just fine until the wind kicked up and started blowing people over. (Honestly, you or the person in front of you would get caught in a gust and the next thing you know, you're on your knees) Then the rain started. And the lightning. And the thunder. Turns out we were hiking in the collision of TWO typhoons. Yes, there were typhoon winds and pouring rain, and I was wearing only a sweatshirt and jeans while most other people were dressed in what I can only describe as astronaut suits. When we FINALLY got to the top we were greeted by a crowd of people streaming past us going back down the mountain. Just as we arrived, the park rangers were closing the top of the mountain because of the typhoons. After all that, NO SUNRISE! The one thing that had kept me going was not to be. I may never see the sunrise from the top of Mt. Fuji.

So overall, I will say it was a good, yet mildly harrowing experience. Honestly, next time I think I'll just run a marathon uphill while holding my breath. If you ask if I'd ever do it again I must quote the famous Japanese proverb: He who climbs Mt. Fuji once is wise, he who climbs it twice is a fool. I think I'll try to stay in the "wise" category for a little while at least.