In this short video, I explain how to hike Mt. Fuji. I'll cover how to get there from Tokyo, when to hike, the different hiking trails, mountain huts, costs, weather conditions, the climbing season, altitude sickness, bathrooms, and much more. I'll also share some tips for hiking Mount Fuji and outline some rules and regulations that you have to follow.
Hiking Mt. Fuji is pretty straightforward. During the hiking season, you can easily get there by bus from Shinjuku bus station in Tokyo. The trip takes around 2 hours. The bus drops you off at Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station. From here, you're just a few minutes from the trailhead.
Most hikers hike through the night so they arrive on the summit for sunset. On average, it takes around 5-7 hours to ascend and 3-5 hours to descend.
Ideally, you should rent a space in a mountain hut to sleep for a few hours. Start climbing in the afternoon on day 1. Arrive at the mountain hut at dinner time. Eat and rest. Wake up at around 2am and head for the summit.
Most hikers use the Yoshida trail. It's open from July 1 through September 10 most years. It's not a technical trail. This isn't a climb. It's a hike. There are a few places that you have to do a bit of scrambling but it's pretty easy. You don't need any mountain climbing skill. Some hikers suffer altitude sickness. There are bathrooms at the stations that you can use for around 200 yen.
In recent years, Mt. Fuji has become surprisingly crowded. Thousands of people climb each day during the season. Japan has started putting some controls in place to prevent overcrowding.
This hike was much more challenging than I expected. I wasn't able to book a place in a mountain hut. I tried to book a month in advance but they were all sold out. That meant I had to hike the whole thing in one go. This is called 'bullet hiking'.
It was a mistake. The hike was much more intense than I expected. I started hiking at about 9:00 pm. I made it to the summit 7 hours later, just in time for sunrise at around 4:00 am. I hiked all night long. The trip down was brutal. It took about 5 or 6 hours.
I made it but by the time I got back to base camp, I was completely exhausted. My knees also really started bothering me. I expected this but it was rough.
Overall, I'm glad I did this hike. Mostly just to say I've done it. I would not do it again. It's not particularly beautiful. There are some nice views but nothing spectacular. Viewing Mt. Fuji from a distance is more impressive. If you're in Japan and you're looking for a challenge, I recommend you climb Mt. Fuji.
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9 сен 2024
