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Diplo decides to 'raw dog' Mt. Fuji & shares his journey from shirtless to summit
We would go literally anywhere with the 'not, not gay' DJ on a whim.
Diplo is talking "raw dogging" and we are listening!
Not only is the 'not, not gay' DJ and music producer still doing both those things, he’s also super athletic. If ya don't know, Diplo is a big fitness dude. He has a running club — he’s not in one, he has one. It's Diplo's Run Club. He has events all over the country. You can just go do a 5k with Diplo. Yep, he's a total jock and he's definitely got the thirst traps to prove it.
His latest feat of athleticism in Japan caught our eye, for obvious reasons.
Diplo was in Japan for a two-night tour stop in Tokyo with his project Major Lazer. He decided at 1 AM the same day that he was going to climb Mt. Fuji, which sounds like quite a feat.
For the curious, Mt. Fuji is intimidating, but it’s also not a hike that is impossible for novice hikers. There’s even a place to stay halfway up the mountain if you decide to break the hike into two days, giving yourself time to acclimatize and avoiding altitude sickness. Nevertheless, Diplo opted for a one-day summit and descent.
According to the artist’s Instagram, he climbed a total of 9 miles. Hikers on the Yoshida Trail are advised to budget 6 hours for ascent and 4 for descent — Diplo did the round trip in 3 hours and 36 minutes. With a 4,834 feet elevation gain, that's wildly impressive, especially for someone “rawdogging Mt. Fuji.”
“Rawdogging” here being a dysphemism for doing something unprepared or without assistance (and not being in its original meaning of having sex without a condom). It's the same way he tackled the LA Marathon, before which he had never run more than a half marathon. No specialty gear, no intense training, just Diplo and his dream against the world.
The official Mt. Fuji tourism guide advises bringing “proper hiking shoes, a hat, gloves, rainwear, a jacket, quick-drying underwear, a headlamp, trash bags, a walking stick, food, and spending money,” as well as “at least two liters of drinking water.” Diplo, rawdogging the experience, jokes in the caption of a clip near the summit that he’s, “Super happy I didn’t bring water or a backpack or the right shoes.” [Writers note: This is not great hiking advice, always bring water.]
It's an incredibly impressive feat, but at this point, I don’t know what’s wilder to me: That Diplo did a round trip of Mt. Fuji in under half the recommended time or that he didn't lose his Duolingo streak. Respect.
Rowan Ashley Smith has often been described as "a multi-hyphenate about town." He loves work that connects him to his cultures as a gay, Jewish, multiracial trans man. Before breaking into journalism, the best days of his professional life were spent as a summer camp professional, a librarian, and an HIV prevention specialist. His work has been featured in GO Magazine, pride.com, and The Advocate. In what is left of his free time, Rowan enjoys performing stand up comedy, doing the NYT crossword, and spending time with his two partners, two children, and four cats.
Rowan Ashley Smith has often been described as "a multi-hyphenate about town." He loves work that connects him to his cultures as a gay, Jewish, multiracial trans man. Before breaking into journalism, the best days of his professional life were spent as a summer camp professional, a librarian, and an HIV prevention specialist. His work has been featured in GO Magazine, pride.com, and The Advocate. In what is left of his free time, Rowan enjoys performing stand up comedy, doing the NYT crossword, and spending time with his two partners, two children, and four cats.
