A guide to climbing Mount Fuji
The official season for climbing in Mount Fuji starts on 10 July (except for the Yoshida Trail which starts on 1 July) and ends on 10 September. This doesn’t mean that the rest of the year you can’t undertake the climb but only that you will find almost all the huts closed and adverse weather, so unless you have a guide and are an average/experienced hiker it is not recommended to climb it.
The summit of Mount Fuji is 3776 metres.
No machine-readable author provided. Carpkazu assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
News from 2024
From 2024, access to the peaks of Mount Fuji will be restricted during the evening and night hours (16:00 – 03:00), except for those staying overnight in mountain huts. This measure aims to prevent night climbs, which are considered dangerous by local authorities.
On the Yoshida trail, the most popular north of Mt. Yoshida, a limit of 4,000 visitors per day will be imposed and a 2,000 Yen entrance fee introduced, in addition to the 1,000 Yen already required. An online booking service will be activated to guarantee 3000 daily slots, with the possibility of advance payment. The remaining 1000 slots will be available on site on the same day.
As for the other three ascent routes, no access limits or mandatory fees will apply. Visitors to these trails will instead have to complete an online registration and view a pre-climb information video on this site. They will receive a valid QR code for access, while those who arrive without one will have to complete these steps at the trail entrance before starting the ascent.
The paths
There are four routes to choose from to undertake the climb:
Yoshida, starts at 2300m, the most famous and the easiest, full of shelters and with two medical centres, very crowded.
Subashiri, starts at 2000m, not very crowded but there are no medical centres.
Gotemba, starts at 1450m, the longest of the routes, not very crowded and no medical centre.
Fujinomiya, 2400m, the shortest but the most tiring as the route is very steep, moderately crowded, there is a medical centre.
Yoshida Trail
If you choose the Yoshida path, you start the climb from the fifth station, where the number of stations indicates the increase in difficulty of the climb. There are nine stations in all, from the seventh onwards it becomes very challenging. The time to reach the summit is about six hours, plus four for the descent. I recommend that you start as early as possible, beginning the climb no later than 1 p.m. to be able to arrive at your hut no later than 5 p.m., rest and leave at midnight to arrive at the summit and be able to admire the sunrise, which is at about 4.30 a.m.
To get to the fifth station from Tokyo there is a direct bus to book, this is the website link: https://highway-buses.jp/course/fuji-5th.php
The cost is about 3,000 Yen one way, so 6,000 Yen round trip.
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Refuges
To book a hut, well in advance, you can look here: https://www.garyjwolff.com/mt-fuji-mountain-huts.html
Accommodation is all in basic sleeping bags with two meals included, bathrooms are all charged at 200 Yen.
Try to book during the week to find it as uncrowded as possible, Saturday is generally the busiest day of the week.
The average cost is 8000 Yen.
Equipment and what to bring
Hard-soled mountain boots and microfibre socks, absolutely not cotton!
Heavy clothes, it will be no more than two degrees on the summit
Anti-abrasion gloves, Fuji being a volcano is full of porous and sharp rocks
Headlamp for the final ascent before sunrise
Maximum protection sun cream
Hat to protect you from the sun
Mackintosh
High-calorie snacks
No more than one litre of water so as not to strain yourself with extra weight on your shoulders
Bags for your rubbish
Powerbank, your devices will discharge more quickly
Yen in coins, lots and lots of them!
Useful information
The Japanese government is also trying to discourage Bullet Climbing, or climbing Fuji in a day, as more and more people are getting sick trying to do it, many are experiencing altitude sickness, not acclimatising well by climbing in a hurry to get down in time.
It is in fact recommended for those who decide to climb Fuji to arrive at the fifth station and wait at least two hours before starting the climb precisely to acclimatise the body to the change in altitude, to take plenty of breaks and to always keep well hydrated.
To climb Mount Fuji you will have to pay a fee of 1,000 Yen, you will be given a pin.
WARNING: there are no litter bins on Mount Fuji and all your rubbish will have to be taken with you!
Curiosities
At the top of Mount Fuji there is a post office where you can send a postcard to authenticate your summit achievement!
At the fifth station they sell walking sticks, buy them, at each hut you will find on the way they will put a stamp on you to the summit, it will be a wonderful keepsake for the rest of your life! The stamps cost 200/300 Yen each and the stick 1000 Yen.
Once you get to the top, if you still have enough strength you should go around the crater which is full of points of interest, plus the real summit at 3776m can only be reached this way!
There is high-speed wifi on the entire Yoshida trail!
Excursion on GetYourGuide.com
Useful links
Author
Debora Visentin