Climbing Mt. Fuji with my elderly mother ② | Off to the summit! The unforgettable taste I had at the top. A trip for mother and daughter.

What awaited my mother and me, as we collapsed into sleep that night, was a wide-open, clear sky.

And what felt especially fresh was the experience of being "inside that clear expanse."
I want to be a bird!
That thought suddenly crossed my mind.

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Mt. Fuji had sent that intense rain away somewhere and gifted us a pleasant morning.

My mother looked completely recharged, which gave me a sense of relief.

The mountain hut, which had been silent yesterday, was bustling with preparations for departure as morning arrived.

We also quickly finished our preparations and started walking toward the higher altitudes under the clear sky.

Aiming for 3,776m

And so, on the morning of the second day, in high spirits,
we took another step on our Mt. Fuji climb.

Actually, there were quite a few things that surprised me on this Mt. Fuji climb.
・Children climbing it normally.
・People dressed in relatively casual attire.
・Cars driving on it.

Is it just a "well, that's how it is" kind of thing?
As a first-timer, I was quite surprised, and I realized that you never know until you actually come here.

I even felt a spark of excitement thinking that if I ever had children, it might be fun to climb it together.
But in the end, it doesn't seem like that will happen with my indoor-loving kids (lol).

And, the cars.
I was so surprised I did a double or triple take 😳

I don't really remember enjoying the scenery while climbing; I think I was mostly busy taking care of my mother, who was out of breath, and supporting her as she still wanted to take photos.

Because we weren't moving at a good tempo, the cold kept seeping into our bodies, and our conversation gradually dwindled.
"When on earth will we arrive...?"
"This is bad, I'm cold."
"I want to eat something warm."
Those were the only things running through my head.

But we've come this far.
We will definitely make it.
I chanted that like a spell as I climbed.

And so, we finally reached the summit.

We wanted to shout for joy upon reaching our destination, but we were at our limit with cold and fatigue.
We decided to just find a place to warm up.

That one cup that saved us

There was a slightly larger hut, so we went inside and saw many people from behind, slurping something steaming.

"Wait... steam, I haven't seen that in a while!
What is everyone eating!?"

I was surprised, and when I looked closely, I saw an older woman efficiently placing "Akai Kitsune" (instant udon) on the counter one after another.

Akai Kitsune!?

At the summit of Mt. Fuji!?

I was truly surprised by this.

Who would have thought there would be Akai Kitsune at the very top of Mt. Fuji!
You don't often get to have Akai Kitsune at 3,776m in your life (lol).

This is so appreciated😭

I'm grateful to the lady there, and to the people who transported it all the way up here,
and the people who manage this place... ah, it's precious 🥲

I remember being deeply moved by that.

And it was truly delicious.
The warm bowl soaked deep into my body,
and I felt like I was 'coming back to life...✨'

Cup noodles are amazing, aren't they!
There are issues like additives and trash, but it was an event where I experienced how much of a lifesaver they can be.

And I also understood, 'So that's why cars can't drive up here.'

'Ah, we went through so much.
But we managed to reach the summit.
With this, the goal is achieved.'

I felt relieved and wrapped in a deep sense of accomplishment.
It was truly wonderful✨

We warmed up, filled our stomachs, and finished our break.
And so, we decided to head down the mountain.

I learned that our lives are sustained by someone's kindness.

We changed our route for the descent, so the scenery changed completely, which was interesting.

However, halfway down, we experienced being enveloped in an incredibly thick fog.
It was a thick fog, a pure white world, so dense that I couldn't even see my mother walking just ahead of me.

Mom, are you really there??
I'm not all alone, am I!?

The loneliness of being in a completely unknown place where I couldn't feel anyone else's presence.
It was a fear I couldn't put into words.

Climbing Mt. Fuji,
is full of events you don't experience in daily life. (Well, obviously)

I walked while calling out to my mother, 'Mom, are you there?' over and over again.

The only thing we could rely on for our path was the rope stretched along the ground.

'Thanks to someone putting this here, I can keep going without getting lost. I'm so grateful...🥲'
I walked while feeling that gratitude.

Using that single rope as a guide, we somehow arrived safely at the 5th station.
I was truly moved by this, and my mother and I hugged each other.

By the time we boarded the bus from the 5th station, the thick fog had vanished, and from the departing bus, the glistening trees looked absolutely beautiful.

While blankly gazing at that scenery,
'I'm so glad we made it back safely without anything happening...'
I felt overwhelmed with emotion.

Thinking that, one way or another, I had been allowed to experience something quite rare, I said to my mother

"You did a great job, Mom.
Take it easy for a while now."

When I said that,
my mother, as if nothing had happened,
replied nonchalantly, "I have work tomorrow."

I winced, thinking, 'What?'
(By the way, my mother is a nurse.)
No way, this woman is just too strong! Haha

I deeply reaffirmed that as I parted ways with my mother at the station.

It was an intense, intense, and fleeting two days.

That sudden heavy rain, and being helped by the people at the mountain hut.
How my chilled body was revived by the Aka-Kitsune udon.
How the rope at my feet showed the way while I was surrounded by dense fog and feeling lonely.

Someone's kindness saved us.
It was a Mt. Fuji climb where I couldn't help but feel that.

And my mother's strength too (haha).
To begin with, the fact that she scheduled a Mt. Fuji climb with work the very next day is just on another level! Haha

I've been on many trips with my mother, but I think this Mt. Fuji climb was by far the most special.

And Mt. Fuji, the mountain that symbolizes Japan.
Being able to stand on its slopes was a little bit special for me.

If I had to put it into words,
I feel like we deepened our connection a little.

It's a special memory with my mother, whose knees have now completely gone bad.

Thank you for reading until the end🌸

Grateful for our connection.

This was Patako.

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