FUJI SAN
Yoshidaguchi CT, winter conditions
Date Climbed: Apr 15, 2006
H.H., G.M. and myself had planned an ascent of Fuji on one of the days off during a Japan tour in April 2006, and we had packed the necessary gear for a winter-conditions gig along with us. We travelled to many cities during this tour, and even got a look at the Alps on the way (I remember thinking that the landscape resembled home!). In Tokyo, I bought a 1:50 000 map, and next tried to figure out by myself the public transportation for approaching Fuji San. My level of calligraphy was far to low to get the time tables straight, and info desk quests would stay unanswered, the official Fuji season not being open. We now considered renting a car, and H.H., as a German citizen, was able to get his driver's licence translated.
The weather was to be rainy on the first possible ascent day, and we called it. The day after that, the weather unexpectedly got better (like half-halfy) and H.H. reserved an automobile for the middle of the following night (only one hour or two after we'd be back from work).
The garage people comprehensively set the positionning system device for Fuji North, and except for the first shock of the left hand drive, we were soon peacefully cruising quite a clear night, W of Tokyo. After a pit stop, a few raindrops reminded us of the forecast. We passed the Kawaguchi-ko lake unseen and drove around for a while, the GPS leaving us off at the ramp of the closed summer road towards station 5. Now travelling by map, we headed east through the dark forest, unfortunately first hitting a ditchy lumber track and eventually turning back down to a larger house we had spotted. This is the trailhead: Umagaeshi (only one other metal horse was there), with the ancient Shinto and Buddhist shrines, the monkeys carved in stone, the bridge, and the inscription (also in English): Yoshidaguchi Climbing Trail.
After the legendary set of large steps, a broad dirt track cuts through the forest. The clouded, damp atmosphere, walking through an Asian forest at day break made me imagine all sorts of things... bears, monkeys - but the ice below the leaves along the path soon woke me up. Both sport oriented, G.M. and H.H. took a swift pace. After crossing a washed down gully left hand, the stations (huts) started passing by (... I'll have to check all this out on the way down), and as the forest got more larchy than leafy, more snow was lying around and things got less sliperry.
The clouds were staying at ground level (there's the Pacific ocean for you all right...) and we continued at a brisk tempo, obviously now anxious to get out of the forest and see what's what with the weather.
The 5th station large terrace at forest line was the right place for a break, and we even caught a short window in the overall cloudy sky, taking a glimpse at the entire continuation of our route all the way up to the crater rim. Didn't look difficult, but long.
The snow was wet but not deep and at first we followed the metal railings that were sticking out, soon then cutting the curves and simply going from one hutlet half burried in the snow to the next. The snow was getting thicker and was still as sloshy. I soon needed a break. We were now fully living the cloud and exchanged some side looks, also a little concerned by possible snow slides due to the unstable and heavy layer. But up we went (piolet, crampons). During the next hour the snow got crispier and some visibility came in. All of a sudden a descending roped up party of three popped out from behind a construction. The guide asked where we were from, and smiled, relieved. These were the only people we met on the mountain (quite a record, is it not?). I imagine they had slept in a mountaineering association hut close to the summit.
The weather was now quite clear. G.M. started moving fast, and I saw H.H. wanting to do so as well. After a while I told him he didn't need to stick to the slow poke, that I'd be fine and that he could dash off. Which he did.
We all met at the crater rim and the sun was bright enough for us to see accross the way. I tried to imagine I saw the ocean, but I didn't. I also remember being moved by the fact that the summit was in a hole below me. I then took a nap, while G.M. and H.H. took a stroll along the ridge.
The descent was quite straightforward, sometimes riding the slope but taking constant care - as an unstopped slide would take one too far, too fast. If visibility diminished again, one wouldn't want to approach the side craters too much either. Upon arriving at forest line, complete dampness was back and the path itself is what kept us focused. Overall tiredness had set in by the time we reached the car. We didnt even try to set the GPS, and driving back into Tokyo was more of a challenge than expected. It had taken us one whole day and all three of us were acutely sunburned, which we realized most on the next day. And of course, we were quite proud of our achievement.
MONT BLANC
- twice a week -
Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2001
Nicolas and I left Ljubljana for Venice by rail at 2:30 AM and got there shortly past 7. Having consigned our stuff in a locker at the train station, we went for a stroll through the awakening city and had a nice breakfast on a café terrace. Though we were stuck in Venice for 3 hours waiting for the next train to Milan, I remember being satisfied by the idea of starting at sea level. It took all day. We eventually had lunch in Milan on the way from the train central to the bus stop and reached Courmayeur by quarter to 9, just in time to catch the last shuttle all the way up Val Veny. Soon the stars also appeared above the small island of the Doire that we had chosen for the night.
After a chat and food at the friendly La Visaille ranch, we leisurely headed towards the Miage glacier, chosing the right bank option. Miage is one of the longest glaciers of the Mont Blanc massif and this was a hot day. Moraine drag, then the scramble up to the Gonella hut. I slept in the afternoon and spent the evening listening to the Dôme glacier below us, taking in the awesome views.
Acclimatization day.
We woke up late. One of the crew members confirmed my impression of this being a hot day again, and since we were thinking of also reversing tomorrow's ascent, I realized that no loss of time would have to occur. We inspected part of the Dôme glacier up to the foot of the Tour des Aguille Grises, and on the way down we even placed a few marks for some of the less obvious crevasses. Spent the rest of the day relaxing and scrambling around the hut. I enjoy hut food. Though expensive and basic, I know I'm making the proper investment in life.
The lights go on around 1 AM and everyone rushes down to have breakfast. And then everyone rushes out. The night was very clear, but warm. Nicolas and I left as the last party of five or six. Strangely, ca 15 min later everyone started going way too far to the right, but we stuck to our previewed line and were soon out of sight. The rimaye required a few axe placements and the flank to the col des Aiguilles Grises was nice and crisp. By full daybreak we reached the Bionnassay ridge and now headed East. I remember a sense of achievement appearing along this magnificently exposed snow ridge. Our ascent had been solitary, but after circling the south slopes of Dôme du Goûter we joined the happy crowd up the final Bosses ridge. Unforgetable summit vistas. I even imagined seing Triglav (isn't one self centered?). We hurried down to the col du Dôme and roped in again before the Bionnassay ridge. As expected by such high temps, the snow started drifting by the time we reached the flank below the Aiguilles Grises col, and we eventually enjoyed a ride over the schrund, then swiftly continuing till the major upper crevasses of the Dôme glacier. That's where two dudes were sitting in the snow. Apparently traumatized by the close stop of an uncontrolled slide he had just made, one of them was quite shaky and we helped them down to the hut. The weather forecast for the following week was a deteriorating one, so we were in no hurry any more and decided to stay at the Gonella hut.
It took us two days to get home, first picking up the extra gear we had left at the La Visaille ranch, walking down back to Courmayeur (did I dream or didn't we bump into Bonatti on the street?), next Aosta, Milan, sea level in Venice and finally Ljubljana. The following day Nicolas left for a rock climbing gig in Paklenica, and I was relaxing at home when the phone rang.
- do you want to do Mont Blanc? We're leaving now.
- uh... sure... why not?... hey, how bout the weath...?
A few hours later, four of us were sitting in a car heading for Chamonix.
We reached Les Houches after driving all night long, and even had to wait a bit before the first lift-and-tram up to the Nid d'Aigle station. The standard ascent is really quite a different story, the main prob being the crowd (and I'm part of it). My acclimatization helped me get up to the Goûter hut much faster than my colleagues, and I tried to make some arrangements. The Sherpa that worked there smiled but agreed at my idea of having us first sleep part of the afternoon in the empty dorms. During dinner I heroically cleaned up the potato salad that spilled in the middle of the serving area with bare hands (fast), getting bonus points from the crew in form of an invitation into the kitchen (!). We had no reservations, but since the weather was deteriorating, some space freed and all of us got a bed for the night (though we had been carrying bivouac and sleeping bags in case we had to sleep outside).
The lights went on at ca 2 AM. Gorazd had slight altitude sickness and stayed at the hut. Bošt, Dule and I left quickly, after boiling snow down to water in the stove room. The fog was intense and I remember tripping over a tent cord, which made me think that if I had gone to the trouble of bringing a tent, I'd go pitch it somewhere calmer than right next to the hut. One good thing about a cloudy day is that there's less folks - but we saw nothing all the way up. On the way down, I got back to the hut first. Gorazd was doing better. But Dule and Bošt weren't arriving and I went out looking for them. They then soon appeared through the mist - having lost time going down towards Les Grands Mulets for a while.
Grand Couloir, Nid d'Aigle, Cham, Tunnel du Mont Blanc, Gorazd wakes me up and tells me he'll take the wheel, Aosta, etc, Venice, and back home early enough in the morning for one of the dudes to go back to work.
While I'm at it, let me tell another Mont Blanc related story.
There's this artist and amazing photographer M.M. that calls me one day telling me he needs to urgently make some specific ice shots. We meet in the afternoon (in Ljubljana) and left for Courmayeur in the evening, driving all night and catching the first lift to the Col du Géant (Torino hut).
The visibility wasn't really great (yet), but I had walked this stretch once and thought I knew my way around.
From the lower construction we headed horizontally to the East, towards the small hanging glacier on the south side of the Col. One crevasse was apparently just the right one: I think it had something to do with the amount of light coming horizontally to the bottom of the crevasse, but I'm not sure. I placed two screws and dipped the magician into the ditch. Just jokin... M.M. is also an experienced caver, and we were having fun.
The reason I'm telling the story is the look on the people's faces when we returned to the hut for a cup of coffee... I turned back to where we had come from, and realized now that we had been standing on the outer-most sérac, the overhanging slice ready to peel off.
On the way home we stopped in Aosta and slept in the car for one hour, and were then back in Ljubljana by sunrise.
Images
|
Mont Blanc > Fuji & Mont Blanc
