Mount Fuji 6 Day Snow Forecast

Mohamad Reza Pirvaly from Iran, Islamic Republic of writes:

Hi there!
In Aug 1992 while I was working for a constraction company in Tokyo and during the summer vacation week,I tried to climb Mt.Fuji in a tow day trip.At 10am on Friday 13th I first took an expressway bus from Shinjuku-Tokyo to Kawaguchi Station-Yamanashi prefecture and then a mountanin bus to the Fifth Staion'Gogome'.Gogome is the starting point for the most popular route to 'Fuji Yama' and full of shops,restaurants,a rest house and horses to carry you up too!I started the climbing route at 3pm.The route was smooth and full of visitors.Fuje is the highest in japan and at its range is the most visited Mountain in the world.visitors are mostly Japanese but also many from all over the world.After three hours of ascending,I got to the Eight Station'Hachigome'.There are 25 mountain huts centered around 7th and 8th station providing rest and accomodation.I was misty and I decided to stay there for the nihgt.In the hut, I joined a group of three Iranians-led by Mr Davood Khadem who later was a member of the Irananin team who successfully climbed Mt.Everest on May19th,1997-and a young Japanese-Masaki Itoh whom later became a close friend-Joined us,so we made a group of five.Early in the morning,sat 14th,we chllenged to the top.When sunrising we noticed something strange: All japanese visitors stopped climbing and stood still before the sun.Sort of honor or pray?We did the same!After complete sunrise,everyone continued climbing.We passed the wooden gate with stone made lions on the sides and soon we were on the top.Shiny,cool(11 degrees at 7:30am)and Picturesque too!A crowded cofee shop, communal telephone lines,a post office-providing you Mt.Fuji postcards with optional stamps-and such sort of things on one side of the crater and on the other side,the Meterological Observatory instalations.After taking some memorable photoes, we circuled the cater for an houror so and then full of joy and happiness, we descended all the way down.After the vacations and when I came back to work,my boss-Mr.Ishii then a 64 year old man-impressed by my photoes, asked me to help him to climb Fuji in the comming weekend.I agreed and this time we did it together.Though he was a tow pocket smoker and with no experience of doing such a tough job,he made it by willpower.He was very proud of it and so was I.
'10 years later, in Aug 2002,Mr Ishii died of cancer'.
Wishing you all such a lovely visit to 'Fuji Yama' and with my best regards:Pirvaly

PS, I will soon send some of those photoes to the photo gallery.

2004-02-14