At 3,776 m, Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan. It is widely known even outside Japan as a symbol of the country. I shall introduce to you some important knowledge regarding Mt. Fuji climbing and the necessary equipment for it.

Mt. Fuji Climbing Season – Early July to Mid-September

The first thing to take note is Mt. Fuji’s hiking trails opens only during climbing season. The dates the trails open may change depending on how much snow remain. The usual climbing season is early July to mid-September, but the best time is late July to early September.

Please take a look at this site.
http://www.fujisan-climb.jp/en/basic/season.html

How To Reach Mt. Fuji

The second thing to take note of is that trains and buses are the preferred way to visit. This is because in recent years there are increasingly many visitors, causing heavy traffic jam. Restrictions have been placed on visiting cars. This is especially true for the Fuji Subaru line road which leads to the most beginner-friendly “Yoshida trail”. Restrictions have been placed on visiting cars every year.

◆Please check the various trails to climb Mt. Fuji here.
　http://www.fujisan-climb.jp/en/useful/access.html

4 Trails To Climb Mt. Fuji

There are 4 trails to climb Mt. Fuji from. “Yoshida trail”, “Fujinomiya trail”, “Subashiri trail”, and “Gotemba trail”. Here’s a brief introduction of the 4 trails.

◆ Fuji Yoshida Trail

This is the most commonly used and popular trail. It is easy to access from Greater Tokyo Area, and has many mountain huts for climbers to stay overnight at. However, during peak periods the trail and parking lots around the the entrance become incredibly packed.

Ascension time : 6 hours 10 minutes.
Descension time : 3 hours 30 minutes

◆ Fujinomiya Trail

This is the second most popular and also the shortest trail. Climbers on this trail can see the Pacific Ocean right behind them. This trail also gets heavy human traffic during peak periods.

Ascension time : 5 hours 30 minutes
Descension time : 3 hours 50 minutes

◆ Subashiri Trail

For those who want to have a quieter time climbing, or climb during weekends and peak periods, this is the recommended trail. One highlight of the trail is that it has plenty of mountainous plants along it.

Ascension time : 6 hours 50 minutes
Descension time : 3 hours 20 minutes

◆ Gotemba Trail

This is the trail with the greatest elevation difference between ground level and mountain peak, and also the longest one. As such, it is recommended for climbers to stay overnight at a mountain hut for a two-days climb. This is the least-used trail so one can enjoy the climb at his own pace without having to worry as much about blocking climbers.

Ascension time : 8 hours 10 minutes
Descension time : 4 hours 20 minutes

*Given time are estimates. During peak periods, the trails may get very crowded and cause human traffic jam, which can increase time needed. Do plan well beforehand!

Lightly-geared Climbers Face Danger!

The one thing that visitors must know is that Mt. Fuji climbing isn’t just an ordinary hiking. Even during midsummer when temperature elsewhere climbs to 30s, Mt. Fuji will still be around 7°C at the summit. Depending on the weather, it might even go sub-zero. Also, there are some actual rock climbing towards the summit. There are gravelly paths along the way that can be hard to traverse. Occasionally foreign tourists wearing T-shirts, short pants, and crocs can be seen trying to climb the mountain. Please never do that.

Be Properly Geared! Equipment Necessary For Safe Climbing

For our mountaineering advisor, we chose the outdoor equipment rental and retail shop, 「Sora No Shita」Kawaguchiko station-front shop. As it is right in front of Kawaguchiko station, it is very easy to spot!

Every you need for mountain climbing can be found here, including many well-known brands for mountaineering equipment.

What Exactly Do You Need For Mountain Climbing?

As you ascend Mt. Fuji, the temperature drops gradually. Every 100 m you climb is accompanied by a drop of 0.6°C. Hence, you start the climb lightly dressed, and put on more clothes as you ascend.

Climbers need to be prepared for rain as it can start raining on the mountain suddenly. When descending, the air can be very dusty, so it will be better to wear a surgical mask to prevent inhaling dust particles. Gravel can get into shoes while climbing, so gaiters are needed to prevent that.

Let’s Rent Mountaineering Equipment!

For those who do not climb mountains regularly, it costs a lot of money to prepare all the aforementioned equipment. Just a pair of mouintaineering boots alone cost more than 10,000 yen. That is money you won’t want to spend for a one-time climb. “Sora No Shita” not only sells mountaineering equipment, but also rent them at a much cheaper price.

Here let me introduce to you the 6 equipment set recommended for climbing Mt. Fuji. It comes in a cute-looking bag!

6 Equipment Set, 9,980 yen (2 days 1 night)

Instructions Given In English

Even if you can’t speak Japanese, no worries at all. They have English-speaking staff who can give you detailed instructions.

The staff will help you check if you wore boots of the right size, and also teach you how to put them on.

Ta-da! All ready to climb!

Regarding Rental

For detailed information on renting, please check the official website.

Pre-order is online only.
It’s possible to rent on the day itself, but the right sizes may not be available. Please pre-order online to make sure you get what you want. href=”http://www.soranoshita.net/en/” target=”_blank”>http://www.soranoshita.net/en/

Go Empty-handed. Return Empty-handed.

There are 4 places to rent and return equipment.

①Kawaguchiko station-front “Mt. Fuji LOCAL” (recommended for those taking Fuji Yoshida trail)
②Fujiyoshida “Sora No Shita” Shop (This is not Fuji 5th Station. It’s a 10 minutes drive away from Fujisan station)
③Mt. Fuji Fujinomiya 5th Station Rest House “Sora No Shita” Counter
④Mt. Fuji Subashiriguchi 5th Station “Mt. Fuji Villa Kikuya”

* Rental service for Mt. Fuji climbing is available only in summer.
No. 3 and No. 4 shops (Fujisan-Gogome shops) open only during mountain climbing season of Mt. Fuji.

How was it? Mt. Fuji climbing isn’t that hard after all huh!

Some other equipment Sora No Shita provides include tents that can be used for Summer outdoor live festivals, and rental bicycles (500 yen/hour) for cycling around Lake Kawaguchiko. Do drop by for a visit!

Information

*Please check for the latest information before visiting.