Climbing Mount Fuji
I'd like to trek to Mount Fuji. Some of my colleagues at work tell me that it takes about 10 hours and there's a pit stop I can stop at and rest before I go up to the peak.
I've heard that it's fairly easy to do and doesn't require any special skills. I have not done something similar before so I want to make sure that I don't get myself into something stupid.
I'm worried about things such as earthquake activity and safety while climbing the mountain in general. Can someone shed some light on how to go about this and what's the easiest way to do this?
What are the recommended resources/tools I will require for such a task?
Best Answer
Wikivoyage will tell you all you need to know: Mount Fuji
The TL;DR version:
- The mountain is officially open to climbers only from July to early September. Visiting outside the official season is legal but inadvisable unless you know what you're doing, since everything is closed and the weather can be extreme.
- It's cold up there, temps at the summit can be sub-zero even in midsummer. Dress accordingly, and bring wind & rainproof clothing.
- The climb requires no technical skills. It is, however, a long, tedious slog, and your legs will kill you if you're out of shape.
- Most people start at the Kawaguchiko 5th station (bus terminal). There are rest areas ("stations") every couple of km, with hot food and places to sleep, naturally at a steep price. The top is the 10th station, complete with restaurants, post office, vending machines and thousands of other climbers -- glorious wilderness it is not. The other routes are less popular and have less facilities.
Good luck! As the Japanese say, a wise man climbs Fuji once, but only a fool twice.
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How long does it take to climb Mount Fuji?
It takes the average person between 5 and 7 hours to climb Mount Fuji from the Subaru Fifth Station to the summit via the Yoshida Trail. It takes another three to five hours to descend.Can a beginner climb Mount Fuji?
I reassured her that Mount Fuji is known to be a beginner-friendly mountain and that out of the four possible trails\u2013Yoshida trail, Subashiri trail, Gotemba trail and Fujinomiya trail\u2013we had specifically chosen the \u201ceasiest\u201d Yoshida trail.Is it hard to climb Mt. Fuji?
Difficulty LevelFuji is an easy climb. Make no mistake; at 3776m/12,388ft the climb up Mt. Fuji is characterized by serious elevation gain, rapidly changing extreme weather, steep inclines, and long switchbacks. This is not a climb that you want to attempt without proper conditioning and physical preparation.How much does climbing Mount Fuji cost?
Admission, accommodation, and food To enter the trail you'll need to pay a 1000 yen admission fee. On a two-day climb, you'll also need to pay to stay in the mountain hut overnight. This should cost you 5,000 without meals and 7,000 yen with two meals. You'll also have to pay 100-200 yen to use the toilet.Here’s the Beginners Guide to Climbing Mount Fuji
More answers regarding climbing Mount Fuji
Answer 2
In addition to jpatokal's answer you have to understand that getting up to Mount Fuji is not really to be considered to be "climbing" or even "trekking" in the real sense of the word. Climbing up there is done by some many people of all ages and there is so much support offered along the way that it's not a challenge in any way.
The issue is that the mountain is so overrun at peak times that it feels more like standing in line for a popular sushi restaurant on a steep slope.
If you are up to something more challenging at the mountain, I recommend this one.
Answer 3
All you need are:
- A flashlight
- Some warm clothing
- Some snacks (there are lots of little shops along the way up, but they all sell stuff at quite exorbitant prices)
- Perhaps a sleeping bag if you don't think you can do it all in one go and think you'll need at least a nap.
It is not technically challenging at all and isn't really mountain 'climbing'; you basically just walk up all the way. It is possibly the easiest 3000m+ mountain to 'climb' in the world.
Most people start from the so-called level 5. The one time I climbed it (July 2007, took me late afternoon to dawn) was from the very bottom --- before reaching level 5, I saw exactly zero other people. But even after, it wasn't crowded at all.
I believe what the Japanese say is that Mount Fuji is good to look at from afar, but not so pretty or worthwhile climbing. I tend to agree. After level 5 especially it's just a bunch of somewhat yucky and unattractive volcanic ash that you'll be trekking through. And when you finally reach the top, there's a good chance everything will be obscured by a thick fog. (When I reached the top, visibility was maybe 1 metre.)
Answer 4
Two things that were not mentioned, and I think would be worth considering:
If you don't hike regularly at high altitudes, you may experience severe difficulty at the last stretch (I know I did). Either start early in the day to make sure you have an extra couple of hours to stop and rest, or alternatively, sleep in one of the shelters along the way.
The way down is a bit steep, and quite long, especially if you had altitude trouble on the way up - your knees may not be as sturdy as you're used to them being. Make sure you bring at least one trekking pole, or at the very least a sturdy branch.
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Images: Max Bender, Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz, Liger Pham, Evgeny Tchebotarev