富士登山

レジデンス７ヶ月と１２日目

早くレジデンス日記を書きたいところですがまだ日本にいます。
昨日は富士山頂まで登山してきました。
台風１１号による雨で登山は無理、というのが大方の予想でしたが、実際周りは雨に降られて「これから先は大変ですよー」という登山者がたくさんいて、７合目の山小屋で１泊している間はとても頂上までは無理だろうという大雨でしたが、私たちが登っている間は太陽がついて歩いてきているかのようにタイミングよく雨に降られず頂上まで登山することができました。
私は日本ついてからずっと風邪で体調が優れず、鼻水＋咳止まらず＋頭痛＋おまけに生理痛という、今年最悪のコンディションでしたが登山を決行、（ご存知の通り富士山は酸素が薄いので健康でも登山は苦しい。呼吸器系が不調だととっても苦しい）今後体調が優れないときでも富士山に登るぐらいは出来る、という大きな励みとなりました。ほんとは登らない方がいいんだけど。酸素が薄くてどんなに疲れていてもよく眠れない、といわれている山小屋で１２時間爆睡したのがよかったのね、きっと。
火山を歩くというのは異世界を歩いているようでとても変わった風景です。夜間登山して頂上で御来光（日の出）を拝む、という方も多いですが、風景がとても美しいので私は登山、下山とも昼間をお勧めします。でも日焼けには注意ね。うっかり日焼け止めを塗り忘れた私は日焼けで顔じゅう腫れ上がりました。　

August 25, 2005 1:05 PM

Climbing Mt. Fuji

I’d like to resume my residence diary as soon as possible... but I am still in Japan.
Yesterday, I went on a climb to Mt. Fuji.
Most people said that climbing is not possible because of the typhoon no. 11 and rain. Indeed, while I was staying in the lodge in the seventh station, it was pouring so hard; I met quite a number of people who were climbing in the rain, and they said ‘Ummm, it will be very difficult from here to the top.’ Fortunately, however, we made it to the top, and while we were climbing, the sun was always out, as though it was one of our companies.
Actually I was not very well since I arrived in Japan; running nose, cough, headache plus cramps... My condition was the worst I could think of (as you know, climbing Mt. Fuji is not an easy job even for healthy people because the air is thin – it is even harder if you are suffering from respiratory affections) but anyway I tried, and I made it to the top. The fact that I could do something like climbing Mt. Fuji even when I am not very well gave me confidence – although if you could prevent it, maybe you should not climb. Sleeping for 12 hours on a mountain lodge must have been good – it is generally acknowledged that taking a decent sleep is impossible in the mountain lodge, because of the high altitude.
The scenery of the volcanic mountain was something new to me – I felt as though I was walking on a different planet. Many people climb during the night in order to worship the rising sun at the top, but I do recommend both climbing up and down during the day because the view and the scenery is superb. But you do need a sun screen, which I forgot. My face is all very swollen now...

August 25, 2005 1:05 PM

△TOP