Visiting the Roof of Japan
Mount Fuji is one of the iconic landmarks of Japan and last year I took plenty of images from ground level. This year, along with my FIA WEC colleague Lisa Crampton, we stopped at the mountain on our way down to Suzuka from Tokyo airport to get a closer look at Fuji-San and attempt to climb the 3775 metre (12389 ft) volcano.
Driving up to the 5th station at 2440 metres the Fujinomiya Trail to the top is clearly marked and well worn. The climb is not difficult but it is tiring and takes 3-4 hours on average. We arrived at 2:30pm and with the sunset due at 5:20pm we decided to see how far we could get up the trail.
The trail is marked with ropes and the path covered with loose rocks and shale from the volcano. There are parts that are steeper than others but it is never a need to be a mountaineer. That said warm closes, plenty of drink, choclate and sturdy boots are a must as at 12,000 feet it gets very cold.
As we climbed higher the wind started to gust quite strongly and we had to be careful when walking parallel to the wind direction as I nearly got blown over several times, it was that strong.
While Lisa managed to reach the 9th station near the summit of Fuji-San I only managed to get myself up to the 8th station, 200 metres below the summit, such was my level of fitness and the fact the sun was starting to set. The climb might be a fairly easy one but you do need a level of fitness due to the terrain and the altitude. However this didn't stop me enjoying the fantastic view above teh clouds and the approaching sunset.
After the sunset we had to get ourselves back down the mountain to the car park and again a bit of forward planning was needed in the form of a torch to light our way back. we also discovered a 4x4 track that snaked back down which was easier to walk on than the rock strewn walking trail. We did the homeward trip in about 90 minutes but had to watch our footing on the loose shale, which caused us both to slip over on several occassions.
A fantastic experience and a great way to start our 10 days in Japan for the Formula One and World Endurance Championship race weekends in the Land of the Rising Sun.
ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION
Driving up to the 5th station at 2440 metres the Fujinomiya Trail to the top is clearly marked and well worn. The climb is not difficult but it is tiring and takes 3-4 hours on average. We arrived at 2:30pm and with the sunset due at 5:20pm we decided to see how far we could get up the trail.
The trail is marked with ropes and the path covered with loose rocks and shale from the volcano. There are parts that are steeper than others but it is never a need to be a mountaineer. That said warm closes, plenty of drink, choclate and sturdy boots are a must as at 12,000 feet it gets very cold.
As we climbed higher the wind started to gust quite strongly and we had to be careful when walking parallel to the wind direction as I nearly got blown over several times, it was that strong.
While Lisa managed to reach the 9th station near the summit of Fuji-San I only managed to get myself up to the 8th station, 200 metres below the summit, such was my level of fitness and the fact the sun was starting to set. The climb might be a fairly easy one but you do need a level of fitness due to the terrain and the altitude. However this didn't stop me enjoying the fantastic view above teh clouds and the approaching sunset.
After the sunset we had to get ourselves back down the mountain to the car park and again a bit of forward planning was needed in the form of a torch to light our way back. we also discovered a 4x4 track that snaked back down which was easier to walk on than the rock strewn walking trail. We did the homeward trip in about 90 minutes but had to watch our footing on the loose shale, which caused us both to slip over on several occassions.
A fantastic experience and a great way to start our 10 days in Japan for the Formula One and World Endurance Championship race weekends in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Images taken on a Nikon D800 and Nikon 17-35mm f2.8 AF-S and a Fujifilm Finepix X100 and 19mm f2 Fujinon lens (WCL-X100 fitted)
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ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION
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