A guide for climbing Mt. Fuji and enjoying Mother Nature
Despite its steep slopes, Mt. Fuji can be climbed up quite easily even by beginners, for it has signboards and mountain huts. Having said so, however, you will of course be confronted by the harsh conditions of nature, so you should try to become acquainted with the features of Mt. Fuji well in advance, and make thorough plans before climbing up the mountain.
Climbing
Mt. Fuji is only open to hikers from 1 July to early September.
As the altitude is high, it often happens that the weather conditions are very much different between the point where you set off and the summit. Especially in the afternoon, the weather becomes quite unstable with quite a high possibility of thunder, and you are advised to draw up your plans so that you will be making your way down before the thunder starts.
The most popular plan is to take a break at the hut halfway up the mountain and to set off again during the night so that the summit can be reached in time for the sunrise. Please remember, however, that climbing up Mt. Fuji during the night can be dangerous, and you are kindly requested to make thorough preparations and arrangements in advance, especially as the mountain huts often turn out to be full during the crowded season.
As the air is thin, you should take care not to overexert yourself for there is the risk of suffering from symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS).
Beginners are recommended to plan out an itinerary setting off during the morning and spending the night at the mountain hut.
Best dates for climbing Mt. Fuji
The best time for climbing Mt. Fuji is from late July to late August when the weather conditions are stable. Please bear in mind that it would be wise to avoid the period between August 13th and 17th, which is the long holiday week (Bon holidays) in Japan when it becomes very packed with crowds of people.
Please also note that, even in mid-summer, the average temperature at the summit is between 5 deg C and 8 deg C. Depending on the wind conditions, you will feel the temperature dropping to near freezing point.
A choice of hiking courses
There are a total of 4 routes for climbing up Mt. Fuji. Here, we will introduce the Lake Kawaguchi--Yoshida-guchi course and the Fujinomiya course.
You can drive up as far as the Fifth Station (Go-gome) and the New Fifth Station (Shin-Go-gome) which correspond to an altitude of 1,400 to 2,400 meters.
When planning your schedule, please remember that the roads are often jammed during the tourist season.
Lake Kawaguchi-Yoshida-guchi course
This is the most popular course. Non-stop bus services are available from the center of Tokyo and Nagoya. It takes an average of 6 hours to climb up to the summit of Mt. Fuji. This course is recommended for it has many mountain huts on the way, but this also means that, during the peak season, it becomes so packed that you will have a hard time to even weave your way through the crowd.
Starting point: Fifth Station (2,305 m)
Time required: 6 hours for the ascent & 3 hours and 15 minutes for the descent
Departure from the Fifth Station where there is the rest house. From the gentle slopes to the rocky slopes There are mountain huts at the Seventh Station and Eighth Station (2,700 m to 3,000 m). After passing the torii gate standing at the Ninth Station, you will be climbing up bare rocks. Ascending further, you will see a white torii gate, and going up the steps, you will finally be arriving at the summit.
At the mountain top, there stands the Kuzushi-jinja Shrine where you can have a stamp impressed as a token of having climbed up as far as the mountain top. You will find mountain huts as well as a mail box at the summit.
For the descent, you will be required to climb down a different path.
Fujinomiya course
This is the shortest course for reaching the highest point, but this also means that it consists of many steep areas. There is no special route for the descent, so you will need to climb down the same path that you used for the ascent.
Starting point: New Fifth Station (2,400 m)