Countdown to Mt Fuji Japan Trekking

Written by Jayne Aw

Each day as I flip through my calendar, I can’t help but counting the remaining days to 26 July 2010; for that will be the fateful day when I will make my way to the land of rising sun with 12 others who love to indulge in pains and suffering to climb the sacred Fuji-san.

Standing at 3,776 meters, Fuji-san is the highest mountain in Japan. There are all together 10 stations along the trail to the summit. Our plan is to ascend to Station 8 and put up a night there, follow by an early morning trek the next day to catch sunrise before descending to the base. Since we are not back-trekking, we have to carry all our stuff with us.

Never have I been so nervous since I started mountain trekking in 2008. My worries rest with the backpack that I have to carry up the mountain. It is not just a day-pack but a week-full load of clothing and stuff. I want to travel lightly but the problem is the backpack itself already weighs a hefty 2.1 kilos before loading. Then what about the drinking water? We were suppose to bring 4 litres supply for our 2-day trekking (a litre of water weighs a kilo……..) coz that little bird told us that water and food are very expensive in Fuji-san, as the huts only open for business during the official trekking season (July to August).

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For a start, I have lugged along my 6-kg loaded backpack during the trekking at Gunung Ledang on 30 May 2010. That was like tying a premature piglet onto my back, with me ended up with sour legs, sour shoulder and sour back after the 7.5 hour trekking. Luckily it didn’t break my willowy waist. What more to expect when the piglet grows to an 8-10 kg monster by end July 2010. I am already missing my “tall, dark and handsome” personal porter “Takur” of the EBC trekking in Nepal.

Nevertheless, my training plan is to increase the load progressively over the remaining days and hope by then I will get use to the weight and have enough strength and stamina to complete the 10-hour up and 10-hour down Fuji-san. Otherwise just have to pray hard for Yee Choi (our Fuji-san captain) to change his plan to back-trek so that we can leave the unnecessary stuff at the base station ... or may be bring along more Japanese Yen and never mind the pricy tags ... Er, looks like I will settle for the latter.

Note by KC:
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(a) Team members for this Mount Fuji Japan trekking are as follows with Yee Choi being the Team Lead:
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Yee Choi (ABC, EBC, Kilimanjaro, Mt Fuji);

Alexis (EBC);

Jayne Aw (Sikkim, EBC);

Sharon Tan (EBC);

Tan Pei Ling (EBC);

PK Chan (ABC, EBC);

WongFK (EBC);

Chiew Hong (ABC);

Weng (ABC);

Joseph Yong (EBC);

ChooTS - marathon runner;

Gary Chin - marathon runner;

Yours truly KC Leong (Cho La Pass, ABC, EBC) - Annapurna Base Camp, Mount Everest Base Camp, Nepal.

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(b). Takur is a personal Nepalese porter for Jayne during the Mount Everest Base Camp from 4 October 2010. Together with other porters for the 13-member team, we made it and returned safely. Click here for previous postings on EBC

(c). The Mount Fuji Japan trekking team went for a weight-carrying training trip by trekking up Gunung Nuang on Saturday 3 July 2010. click here. In this trip, we have trekkers from the Mount Kinabalu Climbathon team and also those experienced trekker friends totaling 35 members.

(d). There will be another training this Saturday 10 July 2010 by running up to Camp Pacat of Gunung Nuang (via Ulu Langat way). A few of the Mount Fuji trekkers will trek up Gunung Kutu of KKB (Kuala Kubu Baru). click here
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Click here for Annapurna Base Camp trip.

Jayne Aw
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Posted by KC

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