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Mt Fuji is the highest peak in Japan at 12,389’and is considered an active volcano (though it last erupted in 1708). And we’re going to hike it in August 2017.
This will be an overnight hike, staying in a hut and then waking before dawn to make the summit in time for sunrise. The sunrise atop Mt. Fuji, known as goraiko or “Buddha’s Halo”, is stunningly brilliant.
The sun gradually appears in dazzling shades of purple, pink, and orange over the sea of clouds that Japanese call “The ocean of cotton”.
The summit of Mount Fuji is very spectacular. Various temples, shrines, and tori’s (Shinto “gateways for the gods”) scatter the large dominating crater on the summit. We always hope to cross the half-kilometer wide crater so as to tag the 8 highest points, including the 3,776m (12,388ft) peak kengamine, the highest point in Japan.
The dates we’re looking at are August 27/28, 2017 and we have room for up to seven people to join us. We are negotiating for a bilingual guide and reduced rates, and details will come soon.
Here’s a bit more on the route, the vertical gain and distance:
We’d be starting on the Fujinomiya Trail which starts at 7,874′ and climbs about 4500′ in total. This would include a little-known traverse to avoid the crowds, spending the night at Akaiwa-hachigokan hut at 10,824′. Wake up 3 am and climb the remain 1,565′ to the summit in time for sunrise (~2 hours). With a trip around the crater to the 8 peaks and a side trip to the Hoeizan crater, it’s about 10 miles total.
If this bucket-list trip sounds interesting to you, leave a reply to this forum.
This video might be titled “How NOT to Hike Mt Fuji” but it does provide a glimpse into the crowds that you can expect.
I had the opportunity to hike Mt Fuji in July, 2012. We stepped off Gotemba 5th Station at 5pm and reached the summit shorty past midnight. We dropped out packs and prepared for a cold night on the summit. We were lucky that we did not encounter any rain. We watched the sun rise at the summit and headed back down.
Parking at the trailhead will be difficult with the large crowds, and adds several additional miles to the hike. Beer is offered at each station, getting progressively more expensive the higher you go (300-750 yen each).
Bring plenty of yen, as your credit cards may not be accepted. Also, visit a nearby 7-11 to pick up a Fuji stick (1000 yen). Each station up the mountain has an beautiful engraving that is burned into your stick and makes a great keepsake (100-500 yen each).
We also brought oxygen bottles that we picked up from a local sporting goods store. They are small and cost between 1000-1500 yen ($10-$15). We didn’t use them, however, we aided several inexperienced hikers on the trail.
Let me know if you have any questions about the hike or traveling in and out of Japan. I lived there for over 3 years and had many hiking adventures!
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