Out of Tokyo: Mount Fuji

Climbing Mount Fuji is like a dream come true!

Being approximately 2.5 hours away by bus from Central Tokyo, Mount Fuji has always been on the top of my to-see list while I'm in Tokyo. Scaling it though, has just stayed a tentative proposal. Fortunately enough, Marine Day falls on the third Monday in July, such that the 3-day long weekend coincides with the GSP schedule and allows me sufficient time to prepare and to climb the mountain. Moreover, the official climbing season occurs in July and August when most of the snow on the mountain has melted. According to the weather forecast, the day is clear on the day of the climb. It is especially important to research on the weather before setting off for a climbing trip. Climbing in rain is undesirable and dangerous, and nobody would like to view the sunrise or sunset on Mount Fuji on a cloudy day. Temperature can drop to as low as 0-5 degrees Celsius near the summit at night, and the winds can be strong. Hence warm clothing, and especially a windbreaker, is absolutely necessary.

Mount Fuji

Watching the sunrise on Mount Fuji

We took 8 hours up and around 3 hours down. The ascent and descent routes are on different sides of the mountain, but both leads to the same stop at Kawaguchiko 5th station. Of the climbers, a large proportion is foreigners, and the over-night ascent to watch the sunrise is the most popular. An alternative is to watch the sunset in the evening, although the temperature may be high during the climb at noon.