Climbing Mt. Takao...ufda!

The other day Gary and I inadvertantly climbed Mt. Takao. I say inadvertantly because we had somehow been led to believe that there is a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji from Mt. Takao and you can take a cable car up it and see it. Not only that, but there is a few days in December that if you go at sunset it looks like the sun sets directly into the caldera of Mt. Fuji.
                                What a great idea..that'll be really cool!
 Unfortunately, as we timed our arrival to coinside with sunset, we didn't realize that the cable car only takes people up about 1/4 of the way..the last 3/4's you have to hike!


Lazy cable car that doesn't go to the top!

 While on a regular day, arriving with plenty of time, a nice leisurely hike up the mountain would have been fun...instead it became a race against the sunset to get that famous "sun setting in the caldera" picture! Suffice it to say that if this was a movie and I had to make it to the top before the sun set to save the world..the world wouldn't have survived!

 I climbed and climbed as fast as I could - it's a nice paved trail up the mountain, but it is still uphill, up a mountain....I don't car how many elderly people I passed that were coming down the mountain!

 

                                                                                             
 Alas, I ran out of steam when I arrived at the mountain shrine and saw I was only 2/3's of the way there. The sun was setting, so I took a few pics and headed back down the mountain.

 

 

 

Shrine on Mt. Takao

 

 I really do want to go back another day in the Spring or Summer, during daytime when I can enjoy the view and the shops all along the way! There at least was some nice views of Tokyo!

 

In the end, we made it back down the mountain, all the shops were closed and I was left standing under the lamplight trying to catch my breath, but it was still an Adventure!!!!


Mis-adventure on Mt. Takao!