Departure by shinkansen a little after 6:30am from Kyoto Station, arriving at Mishima at 9:20. Then we take a bus to Mizugatsuka Park. There’s a large parking lot, already fairly full, a souvenir shop that also serves as a cafeteria, and, most importantly, the station for the shuttle buses that go up to 2400m. We wait a few minutes and board. At the top, there’s another parking lot and a cluster of temporary buildings housing various services: gear rental, a café, lockers, and so on.
We begin the ascent on a fairly simple path with a gentle slope. The last clouds at this altitude obscure the sun, but we can see the slopes leading to the summit. We take a break at the first station for lunch. There’s a station every 250m of elevation, offering food, drinks, and restrooms. Most also provide accommodations with prior reservations.
We’re expected at the 8th station (3250m), which we reach around 4:30pm. We have a meal and enjoy the view, then lights out around 8pm. Jasper, the creator of Surmount, is settled in right next to me, and we chat a bit before trying to sleep. In the end, I barely sleep for an hour—the sleeping bag on an ultra-thin foam mat is incredibly uncomfortable, and the day’s exhaustion isn’t enough to knock me out.
Finally, it’s 2am, and the dormitory comes to life. We get ready and resume the climb. It’s cold. We can see the city lights far below. Higher up the slope, a string of headlamps sparkles slowly. We pass the 9th station, then the 9.5. The trail is crowded, and progress is slow. We don’t overtake unless invited to.
We reach the summit (3770m) around 4:15am. The first light of day is already visible. We circle the crater toward the west to get the best view possible. We bundle up as much as we can and sit. The scenery is incredible, the sunrise magnificent. A few clouds adorn the sky—how lucky! We originally planned to climb a week earlier, but a typhoon forced us to postpone at the last minute. It was a close call.
Once dazzled (in every sense of the word), we complete the circuit around the crater. After a quick breakfast break, we begin the descent. The heat returns quickly. The slope is steady. We count down the stations, but it still feels long. As we go, the rocks give way to gravel, and we have to be careful not to slip. It’s exhausting. Passing above the 8th station, we spot sleeping bags basking in the sun on the roof (there are no washing machines up here).
Back at 2400m by late morning, we rest a bit, and the shuttle takes us back to Mizugatsuka Park. We don’t have the energy to wait three hours for the next bus, so we opt for a taxi to Shin-Fuji Station. From there, it’s a shinkansen ride back to Kyoto.