Ascent of human biomasses to Mount Fuji-San

Fuji -san (3776m) in Japan – the sacred mountain, the ascent was opened just over a hundred years ago. This is a sleeping volcano with perfect form. It is beautiful always – under the snowy cap, at dawn and at dusk, surrounded by menacing clouds and turned by soft wool of fog. Its last eruption covered the Tokyo by 15 sm layer of ash. Poems, engravings, paintings, photographs, stickers, fridge, candy, fans, kimonos – today it is also Fuji-san.

Every Japanese must make a special  hajj – the ascent to Mount Fuji. It is possible only 2 months during the year – in July and August.

We even could not imagine how it would be …

Firs our plans were braked by a regular typhoon, which destroyed the coast of China, Taiwan  and slightly hooked Japan. For two days in Tokyo fell rainy waters like during the  six months. Even we were lucky with the earthquake – two days  our hotel, skyscraper, rocked and scared,  the refrigerator jumped on the  floor, and  our friend Sasha at night painfully banged his head against the wall, but, following the instructions of our guide, we proudly smiled and didn’t crawled under the table, didn’t hide in the doorways not  to amuse the Japanese.

Fuji was closed for three days. Japanese made ritual suicides. We have too many things  changed. When we get our new plan  of trip in Japan, we  prepared to make seppuku.

So, from 4 am in the morning we moved in the direction to Tokyo, in order to begin our journey to Mount Fuji.

We were six – three adults and three children.

Into the bus loaded about 40 people. We and two other foreigners were taken  to honorable places in the area of the engine and rear wheel. Our sleeping persons should not  flickering too often.

Approaching the fifth station, we have a premonition that something was wrong. Number of buses was great. ! Terribly high!! There were maybe 50, perhaps 150. Nobody knows. Square in front of the fifth station resembled dug anthill. Right on the square, near the bushes, on the steps of cafeterias slept proud climbers and conquerors of Fuji, into the mountains went  fully equipped units of absolutely happy  Japanese and totally happy Japanese  were loaded into buses, remaining rushing to the shops, buying something and constantly chewing. Cleanness in this place was like in the operating room. Rubbish absent. Each wore a bag, crowded leftovers. The Japanese are taught from childhood take all garbage with them. There were no rubbish bins. Above the area sounded information about boarding and landing of individual groups.

Now we are there.

We have free time. Approximately an hour. We sent letters with the image of Fuji-san  to friends and family, bought water, drank some tea. Our itinerary we received on the square. And had been very surprised. We absolutely did not expect almost uninterrupted ascent from 2300 to 3776, and then immediately a continuous descent. We were told that the bus will take us to the shelter, and at 4 am we will go to the top. It turned out quite the opposite.

Appeared the guide. Very small and very executive. Japanese are all very executive.

During  long time  guide said something, explained. Here in Japan it is generally accepted throughout all carefully explained. Undigested material can lead to the collapse of society and the defeat of vital processes in the country. The right hemisphere of the Japanese in their childhood cut off and therefore they just do not know how to think logically.  Highly organized  persons need to explain and clarify what is happening in the world  to less organized majority. Our Japanese often nodded, clapped, they shouted something in unison. Assistant guide translated, that soon we will start.

Then the Japanese made a workout. Absolutely everybody! Besides us, of course …

And so we start. It was 11 am. We were broken up into pairs, made the roll (and these six …)

In Japan, when doing something together, but they always do everything together, otherwise they just do not know how, then adjusted to the weakest person. In our group were elderly people. Well though, not disabled, Lord, forgive! …

Our Japanese biomass track was creeping slowly upwards. We breathed at the back of the same tracks. Towards were already conquered the mountain. All together, only together. Often did halts. Two or three small traverse and a shelter with toilets and cafes.

A long time since we did not have to buy bananas for two dollars apiece and water for five dollars for a pint!! Toilet – dollar. And we had been going uphill all the time and drink water! And everybody all the time needs to use the bathroom. Imagine a Japanese doing something on a mountain slope is equivalent to the spectacle of Queen Elizabeth in a similar position on the Champs Elysees. It is – impossible.

River of people was endless! We began to think that all Japanese this day decided to climb!  In fact, we were not far from the truth – the terrible coincidence of the weekend, the end of the revered in Japan, parent Days (something like vacation for the whole country for 2 weeks) and  of  course August, almost the only possible time for the ascent.

Any attempt to overtake the group stopped by the most categorical way. A small guide began to lose his temper! All in a line – he shouted. By the mountain, pull over to the mountain! And woe to those, to us, who didn’t listen him!

Even before the start, we bought a special wooden staffs. If you go up and reach the top, you can put on them about 15 different stamps. All stamps are different. Very unusual and beautiful. However, for each stamp you need to pay about 2 dollars. But what a rarity you get!

When we stopped for the application of another brand, then we cannot get the mainstream of the Japanese! They are pathologically afraid of letting us into your system. Hind, quite instinctively began to strain at the front, the eyes appear dully-panicked expression. When we squeezed at least someone from our own, so hard-working ants of the East found a way of overtaking and wedging us, followed by extrusion of us down. Strangers in the flow  not allowed! Sometimes, when we managed to break the vicious chain, behind could hear hysterical screams. Someone is getting ready for a breakthrough and then stupidly, completely without emotion, made his way towards his kinsmen through us. And that someone could be men, women and children. Everybody!

Tired of the endless stops, traffic jams, congestion on the narrow rocky trail, we finally went to our shelter in 2900.

Anthill speaks, ate and lay down on the bunk. Number of places on  the sleeping shelves were exactly two times more than in any European hut. All designed for the Japanese, but not for fat and plump Ukrainians. We immediately fell asleep. I could not sleep. I drank tea, cocoa and enjoy the sight of the dying Japanese – they sat on the street near the shelter and breathed out oxygen canisters.

At 11 pm we were again in a long line of willing to climb Fuji-san. We slowly flow upward. Children freezes. Sometimes we come across the pale shadow thrust through by mountain sickness. Many were lying on the road and slept. We fell into the rhythm of Zen and rhythmically followed up. Mount was like reminiscent of a huge Christmas tree with garland. Thousands of blinking and crawled up headlamp between us, flashed red and blue markings guides. Painting fascinated.

Finally, quite suddenly appeared the edge of the crater. On the slope, like on the  stadium sat tight Japanese. Expected sunrise. We felt a wave of real happiness – we came, all together in a crowd of quite abnormal programmed  Japanese! We also sat on the slope. It was cold. In the sky appeared a thin gold stripe. It widened and grew suffused with red and yellow. And then came the edge of the sun. The ranks of the Japanese swept groan. Just a couple of minutes – and the sun shone all the rays. By series sounded calm and discordant Bonsai … And it was all just great! Really cool!

.As a flash-mob …

We did not put a stamp on our work-worn stick at the top – the Japanese died in hundreds near the wizard with a seal. We were unable to go to the toilet –three ringed queue hovered around the crater and lost in morning twilight. Alas, we were not able to walk around the crater, as little nasty Japanese had already begun to show  to our enchanted Japanese, how to bend the legs . We watched with  horror  this picture.

And then we went down. We were amazingly lucky – there were almost no clouds, in the distance glittered Tokyo, the mountains were covered with a gentle morning mist.

Our team was led by a guide and crawled down. It became quite obvious to me that I have now a big problem. It was big possibility not to reach the toilet … With the popular gestures I told Sensei that I am  ready to sit right on the trail. He opened his eyes. As his eyes took the old form, I was able to escape down. It was a real victory! The others were less fortunate. A runaway Dmitriy was fished out by backpack and a strong arm inserted  him into the line, Xenia was putted also in line and with men guide  just spoke like men  with men. But I did … I ran to the 9th Station, stood in a queue for 10 minutes, waited for our further 15 minutes.  I liked the faces of my friends  at the meeting!

Till the 5th station we walked another 2 hours. During this time because of  from 2 unsleped nights,  ascent and descent, we completely overborne. Sore feet.   Terrible Sunshine. Biomass flowed down. When we came to the area and saw a shop with ice cream, then suddenly we realized that we did it! And it was great! And we were absolutely happy with all the Japanese people!