For clarification of the story we were hiking with Jeff, Taren and John. Jeff and Taren are married and good friends. All of the guys work in the same LSSS section.
So in the last post I left you all as we were transferring from trains to a bus to get to station 5. We arrived at station 5 around 8:50ish. This is a few hours behind when I wanted to start hiking, but it was the last bus out to the station.
Now one might think that since we were hiking at night we might be alone and the mountain deserted. Wrong! It was packed. Thousands of people were hiking at night.
We stopped for one last bathroom break before beginning our assent. On the mountain you had to pay ¥200 to 300 to use the facilities. The initial beginning was down hill. I was convinced we were headed in the wrong direction. But all the signage pointed this way. We passed the security station where we picked up a map. And away we went.
We started at a really fast pace. We were all excited and eager to get to the top. The first part of the hike was deceivingly easy. I thought, if it is like this the whole way, we will be at the top in no time.
And then the incline increased. I could not keep up with the 3 Marines. I nearly had an asthma attack and we hadn't even really started the hike. Bill and I had made an agreement that he would not leave me and I could set the pace. Jeff and John headed off to literally run up the mountain. Taren, Bill and I were going to hike at a more reasonable pace. We would see the other two at the top.
As we progressively went up, breathing became more difficult. But we marched at a steady pace. As we went up we rose above the clouds and could see the last of the daylight disappear. It was beautiful. The temp was in the 60s. I was cold in the beginning but soon warmed up. I hiked in pants and a t-shirt.
Our goal was to make it to each rest station. I lived for the next station. We began with hiking with no stops till we got to the station. Bill and I had purchased wooden hiking sticks that could be branded at each rest station. By the time we got to the 3rd station on the mountain we had caught up with a lot of people. It began getting crowded.
We ha a system, I would rest and drink and Bill would get stamps. It was great resting. At about 3hrs into the hike, my lungs were on fire, my feet hurt, my body ached at the exertion of climbing. We were only at station 7. There are 10 stations on the mountain, we started at 5 and knew station 8 was half way up.
The path was steep, slippery, covers in gravel, ash and large rocks. We were constantly passing people and navigation the easiest path. I cursed the whole way up. I was not sure I was going to make it. I like climbing the stairs better than the gravel path. Mainly because it worked a different set of muscles. But they were also very tall. Sometimes I would use my knees to get up and then stand up. My favorite part was the large rock climbing area. Where you were scaling boulders. If it was like that the whole time, I think it would have been ok.
It really became a mind of matter club. We could not see the top, but we could see bobbing head lamps go for a long time into the abyss above.
I was quiet and Bill and Taren would be concerned. I would reply, " I am breathing, I am moving, I am ok!".
In between station 7 and 8 we meet up with Nick and Stephanie, our neighbors who were also climbing. They were not fairing too well. We stopped an talked to them awhile and then pushed on.
I apologized the whole way up. I am sorry for going slow, for stopping so much, for having Bill hold the walking stick, for cursing, for being tired, etc. we were stopping more now. Some were forced stops because it was contested and single file. Some was because I hurt or could not breath.
It was becoming apparent we were not going to make it to the top by sunrise. We pushed on as fast as we could. But between station 9 and 10(the summit) the lines were so long and slow. Sometimes we would push pass, but mostly we waited. I liked waiting. I could breath and close my eyes a little. I know Bill and I both hiked portions with our eyes closed.
We were a few hundred meters from the top. When everyone came to a stop. Turned around and watched the sunrise. This was about 5am. At this point we had been hiking for 8 straight hours. And we were still not to the top.
The sunrise was gorgeous. But I was exhausted. The hike is 6.2 miles up with an elevation of 2 miles.
The last bit was not to bad. I got my second wind and was determine to make it to the top.
We got to the top and walked to a section of the mountain where you could see the volcanic crater and the sunrise view. We sat down and we both fell asleep.
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