Glorious Mt. Fuji

Awe-inspiring, majestic, magnificent, just a few of terms commonly attributed to Japan’s most revered peak Mount Fuji. Mt Fuji has fascinated the Japanese for centuries and is a major attraction for international tourists. It has inspired countless works of art, poetry, numerous books and even a few legends.

As I reside only a couple hours from Mount Fuji, I decided to hike up a nearby peak to get a glimpse of this Japanese icon. At just over 1,100 metres the summit of Mt Ougi affords a clear view and some locals say the best view of Mount Fuji (well they would say that wouldn’t they?) The first half of the climb is relatively easy winding through the picturesque back streets of the mountainside town of Torisawa and then along the perimeter of the local golf course. The road is paved and fairly easy going. Even from this low altitude you can just glimpse the snow capped peak of Fuji rising above the surrounding mountains.

About half-way up, the paved road becomes a narrow track and the ascent much steeper. Its tough going but is well worth the effort. Your view is obscured by the tall trees and lush vegetation until you reach a small clearing about three-quarters of the way up. Luckily I had picked a perfectly clear day to view Fuji in all its glory but I was totally unprepared for the site that greeted me. At first glance you are immediately mesmerized by its arresting presence and natural beauty. The daunting size of Fuji not only dwarfs the surrounding peaks but makes you feel incredibly small. And that’s the real power of Fuji, it puts you in your place – you are able, even if just briefly, to disentangle yourself from the web of delusion that we call our lives and get a sense of our real place in the world. Deprived of their usual context, all your hopes, fears and troubles momentarily dissolve into the environment affording one of those rare moments of clarity when you feel almost at one with your surrounds.

Or maybe it just had that effect on me. For some, the moment of orgasm or the voyeuristic participation in an amazing sporting achievement provides that transitory feeling of bliss. However for me, mother-nature wins hands down every-time, why? Simply put there is no pretension or falseness – to be in the presence of its unabashed honesty is the closest I can get to experiencing perfection.