One time me and my friend were exchanging wild ideas. We come into the discussion of what to do if ever we have already climbed all the mountains here in the Philippines. Should we retire? Should we turn international? Is Everest also our ultimate goal, given the money of course, even if we really hated extreme cold temperatures? Eventually, the final point we have concluded is that we climb not to conquer heights but to commune with nature, so we hope we could still continue to climb as long as our legs permit even at the same mountain over and over again.

* * *

Turning international was also a wild idea that we believe would eventually come true still few years away. Mt. Kinabalu in Malaysia was the most logical one to first conquer due to its proximity and significance. But to my surprise, my first out of the country climb was on Mt. Fuji in Japan. Thanks to my company who have sent me there for training, I was able to do it without having to spent for my air fare.

* * *

In every place that I have been, the first thing I ask is if there is somewhere to climb or hike in that place. So when I was asked to go to Japan, my mind was already set to Mt. Fuji since the very first day I have arrived there. I was willing to sacrifice even Disneyland if I have to. But because my opportunity to climb is still 3 months after I have arrived, I had a lot of time to research about the climb. I went to the library, called their tourism office and other institutions that can help me prepare "my first out of the country climb!" I also started buying winter clothes knowing that by October, the time I will climb, it’s already winter.

To my surprise, Japanese were very rigid in their laws and traditions that Mt. Fuji should only be climbed during July and August of every year, which is the safe period. They kept on warning me not to climb. But I said to myself, I would climb Mt. Fuji whatever it may take! By October, after setting foot in Tokyo, I bought my bus ticket to Mt. Fuji. After reaching the foot of the mountain, I was surprise to see bustling resorts with many tourists enjoying the place. Temperature was below 10 degrees Celsius. After seeing Americans climbing, it bolstered my idea of climbing even though there are already snows up the summit, From there I started my hike.

Mt. Fuji’s trail is very easy compared with the mountains here. It has a wide trail about 2 meters, and the entirety is divided into 10 stations (called steps). In between there are concrete stores, and inns up to few meters within the summit. The slopes are barren with just loose volcanic rocks. But below the slopes, the trees are wonderful to look at, displaying their coats of autumn leaves, gold and yellow.

The perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone of Mt. Fuji is the most familiar symbol of Japan. This is the highest mountain in this country and stands 3776 meters. Being loved so much my the Japanese, it’s character has been the inspiration for many works of Japanese arts such as poetry and wood block prints. Although Mt. Fuji is classified by geologists as an active volcano, it has been silent since the last eruption in 1707 when the streets in Tokyo, some 100 km away, were covered by volcanic ash. Regarded as a center of pilgrimage, the climbing of Mt. Fuji started as a religious practice by the priests of Mountain Buddhism. In the 19^th century, a large number of Fujiko, a sect which combines both Shinto and Buddhism elements were formed among the people living in Edo (old Tokyo) to worship Mt. Fuji. Climbers from these groups originated the customs of dividing routes to the summit into 10 "go" stations or stages. The official climbing season for Mt. Fuji begins July 1 and ends on August 31. The mountain huts and services found along the trails to Fuji’s peak are open only then, and hikers are advised to pick this period to make the tour to the top. Nowadays, some 200,000 people make the trek to the peak during the climbing season. There are 5 main trails; among them, the Kawaguchi Trail is the most popular route upward. It takes 8 hours to climb and 2 hours to descend.