Do you see all that cold air and mist blowing behind Nick? Yeah, it was FREEZING on that damn mountain! And I thought with global warming and everything, it would be safe to climb early in the season, but man did we learn our lesson the hard way. As we sat freezing our asses off for an hour (unsheltered cuz the damn station never opened), waiting for a sunrise that would never come, we were both convinced we'd get pneumonia or something. Fuck all the guidebooks that made it sound like this would be some easy stroll. Maybe there are different trails that open up in better weather, but this was no walk in the park. Also, it quickly dawns on you, as you walk pretty much alone in the darkness, that there is no one to help you back down if something goes wrong. After all, this ain't America and not everyone is as sue-happy as we are.

Open climbing season is during the months of July and August, and we chose to climb 7/5-7/6. All the snow along the trails and the fact that we were practically alone on that mountain should've been a clue we were probably too early. And the fact that just the day before Fuji had a clear sunrise was an additional slap in the face.