Japan Photo of the Week: View From Mount Fuji
I have a list of things I want to do before I leave Japan. On the top of that list is climbing Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji. Summer is approaching which means the best time to climb the mountain is near.
This photograph was taken from the 5th stage of Mount Fuji, the highest point you can drive up to on the mountain. The view was spectacular, but I can only imagine that the view from peak of the tallest mountain in Japan has to be amazing. Anyone who has done it got some advice for me?
If you would like more information about Mount Fuji, check out the Japan Photo Guide. If you would like to buy, see more or larger photos take a look at the gallery.
This photograph was taken by Evan Pike.
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Nice pic! One tip: If you normally wear contacts, don’t. (The dust can get in your eyes.) Another piece of advice: Bring a jacket. (Temperatures can dip to around zero at the peak, even in the middle of summer.)
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Thanks Ryo! Actually, I do wear contacts so that is good to keep in mind… I guess it is good to bring layers…
My advice: Skip it. We take a group every year and I can tell you that the view is usually obscured, the wind fierce and full of sand that gets in your teeth and eyes and shoes on the long boring return to the bottom, and the trail painfully slow and clogged with people, especially around the incredibly stinky toilets. Go somewhere nearby, like the lakes, and hike around in peace and comfort, somewhere where you can actually SEE Fujisan instead of on it.
That said, maybe your experience will be great. In my opinion, though, the only good thing about climbing Fujisan is the funny story I have to tell about it now. The climb was torturous.
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But if you skip it, you’ll miss out on the pleasure of eating curry on undercooked rice (due to the lower boiling point of water at higher altitudes) and blowing black volcanic snot out of your nose after you descend.
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So you think climbing Fuji wasn’t worth it? I have heard nobody wants to do it twice, but Matt, do you actually regret going once?
In all seriousness, I didn’t think the overall experience was that bad. It’s nice to have tourism options that are a little more arduous than a trip to Disneyland. (After all, pilgrimages aren’t supposed to be easy to complete.) And if you’re reasonably young and healthy, the climb is hardly tortuous. (Climbs used to start from a point below the fifth station.) I wouldn’t mind going again someday.
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I climbed last year, and it wasn’t really a pleasant experience, but I’m glad I’ve done it and can talk about it and look at my photos of it. We were lucky with the weather, and we got great views from the top – even though there was thin cloud cover we could see the lakes.
What wasn’t pleasant about it was that you’re climbing with a million other people, and towards the top on the “final push” it’s just a queue. We made it in time, just, but many people didn’t make it to the top for sunrise, which seems a bit pointless as that’s the idea.
We paid to stay in the hut to “sleep” but you are lined up shoulder to shoulder with others and it was so hot I couldn’t sleep. Lots of people were being sick (altitude sickness) and the queues for the smelly toilets were long.
However the climb up was a picnic in terms of effort and strain on my body compared with the way down, which was horrible for me. My knees because so painful. My one piece of advice would be to take a walking pole or two for the descent.
So to summarise I definitely won’t be climbing it again, but I’m glad I’ve done it. You should do it just so you have photos and an experience to speak of.
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Hello from New York! Very beautiful picture. Thanks for showing it.
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The advice above is good. Tons of advice can be found elsewhere, too.
But in particular to Mt. Fuji, scheduling is everything.
I climbed it back when I lived in Tokyo and worked for Nova.
So, I could go on a weekday, when it wasn’t crowded.
And I could wait until the weather forecast was good and just go.
Showed up in the afternoon, climbed overnight, back in Tokyo within 24 hours.
It was great.
Last thing, I went alone. So I could go at my own pace, no waiting for others or making others wait for you.
Most of the bad stories I hear are from people who went on package tours, so you climb even if it’s raining, and you climb at the pace of the slowest person. Sucks.
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beautiful picture!
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I’ve done it twice. Both times I was lucky to get good weather on the way up and the view from the top was very nice. There are basically 2 routes. The Gotemba route and the Kawaguchi lake side route. The Gotemba route is steeper and faster to go up but the route coming down is the same. The Kawaguchi side route is easier but longer and more zigzaggy. However the route down is different and softer.
If you can go on a weekday you can avoid most of the crowds. Weekends will be like lining up to get to the top. Best method is to start around 4-5 in afternoon. Make it to the 10-11 station. Get a few hours sleep and then trek another few hours to watch the sunrise. Another method is to start in the evening and make a beeline for the top. If you start around 10pm you probably won’t make it to the top to watch the sunrise (because of all the people). If you are prone to altitude sickness the gradual method is better. Also best to buy 0xygen before you go. They cost a few hundred yen in combini but 1000yen at the top of Fuji. Also bring food and flashlight and spare batteries if climbing at night. It’s very dark.
If you make plans to go and hear that the weather will suck, best to cancel. It will be a completely miserable experience Guaranteed.
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Go out of season. Just a week or so either before it opens or after it closes. The huts aren’t open, so check the weather forecast carefully and go prepared, and go with a friend or two. You won’t have the mountain to yourself, but there will be exponentially fewer people. Much nicer than the usual human traffic-jam to the top.
I went at New Years a couple of years ago, which was both amazing and hairy. I wouldn’t recommend going that out of season though…
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The best thing to do, I’ve heard, is to sign up for the night climb so that you reach the top just as the sun rises. It’s harder, and no doubt you’re a good deal more tired by the end, but the view from Fuji with the sun rising is supposed to be worth it.
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Thanks for all the advice everyone! I am not sure when I will have a chance to go, but I think I got a better idea in my head about what it will be like… Of course, if I do it, you will see a photo or two here!
Wow great to have that chance to climb the spirtial Mt Fuji. what a wonderful experiance. Now you are blessed. Thanks for the beautiful photo. Just breath taking. ARIGATO
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I climbed a couple years ago with a Typhoon on the mountain. I was completely soaked, but I have the story to tell and some blurry pics. I would be happy to climb it again. Get in touch – I’ll go with you.
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beautiful picture
domo arigato
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