Watch Out Fuji, Here I Come!

This coming weekend is one that I've been looking forward to for a long time: I'm hiking Mount Fuji. At 3776 meters (about 12, 338 feet) it is the highest point in Japan. The hiking season runs from July 1 through August 31. This time of year, the weather is variable and we're expecting rain on Saturday, but I have rain gear and I'm not about to be thwarted by precipitation. I'm going with three other women. The plan is to hike up on Saturday, spend the night in an over-crowded mountain hut (it will be similar to my Tanzawa traverse experience last May, I'm sure), and be on the summit for sunrise on Sunday morning (about 4:30 am). It's quite a bit of elevation gain, 1500 meters (5000 feet). I'm going prepared with knee bandages and a walking stick to make the descent easier on my knees. The best part, I'm sure, will be soaking in hotsprings when we're finished on Sunday afternoon. I'll take photos and report back on how it went.