a bummed life!

Bullet-climbing. That’s something i have just learned recently – it means climbing up the mountain straight up  and climbing down almost immediately with little to no rest in between. In other words climbing overnight without sleep. I guess that would be fine if it were a typical mountain, but this is the highest peak in Japan I'm talking about. It’s not the highest in Asia but it is still quite high and the climb is not something to underestimate, plus the intended climb was to be done at a usually cold night. Still, i decided to bullet-climb my way for the summit. My intention was to start early in the evening, climb through the night and have enough time and rest at the summit for the sunrise then hurry back down the next morning. That sounded easy and simple enough. The experience though,  is something quite different, for the most difficult and most interesting parts happen in between those activities. This is a story i just have to tell.

Only a few hours before i start my intended climb to Japan’s highest peak, i was already feeling quite adventurous. And, i also wanted a shower – so, i went searching for the Capsule hotel that i found out about over the internet. Straight from Shinjuku station, i went around (of course with the help of a policeman with a big old map of Shinjuku) and looked for the Shinjuku Kuyakusho-mae Capsule Inn (literally, the Capsule Inn in front of Shinjuku City Building). It was a few minutes walk from the station, albeit a little bit difficult to find but not that challenging.

A trip to Japan as a solo traveller has turned out to be one of the most colourful experiences i have ever had. I have done more travelling, talked to the most number of strangers, experienced the most physically trying activities, done things i have only wished i had before, and used up all my Nihongo in the shortest possible time, than any other time in my life. This is definitely a tale worth spending time to put into words – in the hopes to capture all the emotions and experiences that really cannot be fully described by a written composition. However, let me do my best and start with the very first day.