Wakwak climbing club climbed Mt. Mitsutoge (1,785m) and Mt. Kurodake (1,793m) in the first month of 2004. Those mountains surround Mt. Fuji and give the best location for viewing Mt. Fuji.
First Day
They started climbing Mt. Mt. Mitsutoge in the afternoon of January 6. When they reached the hut just below the summit, they saw a steep cliff in front of them. An wild fat antelope was feed himself.
Cliff just under Mt. Mitsutoge and an Antelope
Second Day
They got up at 5:30. Unfortunately, Mt. Fuji was not lighted by rising sun. But they could see mountain range of Southern and Northern Japan Alps far beyond and Mt. Kurodake and Mt. Misaka near them.
Mt. Kurodake and Mt. Misaka viewed from Mt. Mitsutoge
After enjoying the view, they climbed down about 585m and then climbed back again 396m to Mt. Misaka. From the top of Mt. Misaka they could see Mt. Mitsutoge, Mt. Daibosaturyo, Mt. Kurodake and Mt. Fuji. Then they again descended down to Misaka pass where old fortress remains.
at the summit of Mt. Kurodake
After long walking, they had finally reached the summit of Mt. Kurodake. The view of Mt. Fuji was magnificent. After taking lunch they descended about 793m and returned to their car.
Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi viewed from Mt. Kurodake
Schedule and Performance
| Date | Place | Schedule | Actual Time | Steps | Climb Speed (m/h) | Hourly Steps |
| First day, January 6, 2004 | Odawara Station | Start 9:00 | Start 8:45 | |||
| Mitsutoge entrance 1,000m | Start 12:00 | Start 12:15 | 0 |
|||
| Start point to Mitsutoge 1,200m | Arrive 13:30 | 6,700 |
266 |
5,360 |
||
| Summit 1,785m | Arrive 16:00 | Arrive 16:00 | 13,900 | 234 |
2,900 |
|
| Second day, January 7, 2004 | Start from the hut | Start 7:30 | Start 7:15 | 0 | ||
| Start point to Mitsutoge1,200m | Arrive 8:30 | 6,100 | 468 |
4,900 |
||
| Tenkajyaya | Arrive 9:00 | 7,700 | ||||
| Mt. Misaka 1,596m | Arrive 10:30 | 9,700 | 198 |
1,800 |
||
| Misaka Pass 1,500m | ||||||
| Mt. Kurodake 1,793m | Arrive 12:10 | 14,600 | ||||
| Mitsutoge entrance ?1000m | Arrive 15:00 | 21,700 | 317 |
2,480 |
January 8, 2004
Rev. January 13, 2004