Climbing Mt. Fuji

As everyone knows, Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan, 3,776 meters above sea level, and is the precious treasure and symbolic icon of Japan. The Japanese love and praise this sacred mountain as their mental hometown. It is wonderful to climb to the top and to experience the feeling of accomplishment and to stand on the highest spot in Japan. Climbing season is July 1st to August 31st every year. It is the best time for climbers as the weather is stable and the wind is not too strong. Anybody who is in good health and is properly dressed and equipped can enjoy the Mt. Fuji climbing experience.
Gotemba Climbing Entrance
The starting point of Gotemba, Tarobo is covered with volcano grits. It is also the junction of the descending way. You can view Twin Fuji on your left and also Mt. Hoei up in the background. As the slope gradually gets steeper, you can see Lake Yamanaka to your left. If you look back, the landscape ranges from Tanzawa to the ridges of Hakone and Izu and Mt. Ahitaka come into view. If you keep walking on the ground of volcano ashes and go over the stream on your right, you will reach the sixth station. If you go to the left, it takes you to the junction with the other trail ÔOchuudouÕ. It takes 20 minutes to get to Mt. Hoei from there. The descending trail, which is at 3000 meters, will join at the seventh station. This is where the ground begins to get covered with volcano rocks. At this point you will climb up the last and hardest slope, after which you will reach the highest point in Japan.
Oosunabashiri
The path from the seventh station down to Tarobo is covered with volcano ashes. A large quantity of ashes accumulated on the ground when the mountain erupted in 1707. You can easily walk down on the ashes because your ankles get covered in the grids and you feel no resistance with each step. It is fun to walk down while viewing the towns, Suruga Bay, the ridge of Mt. Hakone and Mt. Hoei.
Ohachimeguri
On the summit of Mt. Fuji, you can walk around the crater and see the spectacular views of the North and South Japan Alps, Chichibu Mountains, the ridge of Mt. Hakone and Suruga Bay. It takes about an hour and half to do a full 360-degree lap around the summit.
Sunrise
The distant sun rising and the red coloring of the clouds is gorgeous. As the sun rises at about 5:00 in the morning in July and August, it is recommended that you time your hike, take a rest at a hut, and climb up the rest of the way to reach the top just before sunrise.
Things for climbers to remember:
The atmospheric pressure in the summit is about 2/3 of the pressure at sea level. It can cause you to feel dizzy and nauseated. It is important to climb slowly, step by step and to regularly take a rest and check your condition. Stick to the climbing trails and be cautious of falling stones. Take shelter in the closest hut if you sense danger due to changes in the weather. There are three ways to descend. Yoshida-Subashiri route, Gotemba route, and Fujinomiya route. Be careful of your steps when you walk down. The Yoshida-Subashiri route splits into two separate routes, Yoshida Route and Subashiri Roue at the 8th station. Be cautious when walk at the junctions of bulldozers. Please bring your own trash back down with you. We must all cooperate to keep the mountain clean.
How to get dressed and things to bring
The temperature difference between the bottom and the top is about 20 degrees. To be specific, it is only 10 degrees Celsius on the summit even when it is 30 degrees Celsius at the foot. The temperature drops down to zero degrees Celsius and even cooler early in the morning, around sunset time. It is necessary to wear pants and shirts with long sleeves and sweaters. To prevent damage from direct sunlight, hats with brims are good. Wear thick socks and bring gloves and thermal underwear just in case. Daily-worn comfortable shoes are preferred. Boots covering your ankles are good for preventing pebbles from getting in your shoes. To protect yourself from the rain, bring appropriate rainwear. DonÕt forget to bring a flashlight if you climb at night and make sure you have extra batteries.
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