富士山（Mt. Fuji）

Made it!  There were some unexpected happenings, but we started climbing on the 3^rd and reached the top and came back on the 4^th.

This was the third time for me.  “The third” might lead you to believe it was an “easy job” to do, but this was the toughest climb comparing to the last two times.

My bad knee caused a problem when I climbed Mt. Fuji 11 years ago.  This time, I had another problem with my ankle injured from a motorcycle accident.  I prepared joint braces, cold spray, pain killers… and stretched time to time while climbing.

You know what happened?  The heaviest rain and thunder this year... (according to the accommodation staff who kindly responded to the sudden weather change for us) Yes, of course, but paying too much attention to my leg lead to paying less attention to the weather.  My rainwear was more than 10 years old.  Did you know that an old rainwear absorb water unbelievably? 

Although we had to go through some trouble, mainly me, I’m glad we all came back safely.  Even though I had to walk backwards from 8^th station on the way back because of my ankle pain, fortunately, my son was still willing to climb with my condition.  By the next time, I should work on my weight and leg, and maybe try some lower mountains. Even so, still, it motivates me to go back...

<Note> There are 4 courses to climb Mt. Fuji.  Yoshida, Subashiri, Fujinomiya, and Gotemba.  Each course has a different characteristic, so you may want to study if you are interested.  Don’t forget to spend some time at the 5^th station before climbing to adjust the oxygen level to reduce the risk of altitude sickness. 

Good Luck!