Climbing Mount Fuji

Dad and my brother, up in the clouds on Mt. Fuji

Every foreigner thinks about climbing Mount Fuji. Pictures of the giant mountain are everywhere, and it's image is synonymous with Japan. My mom, dad, and brother came to visit us in Japan this summer, and my dad was really wanting to climb the mountain as it was on his bucket list. So sure, I'll try climbing it. Here is my advice:

Brace yourself.

Before attempting to climb Mt. Fuji, I did my fair share of research on the prospect: what gear to bring, when to do it, how to do it, etc. I was ready. I bought a proper hiking backpack, had my hiking boots, wore long pants and a long sleeve shirt, and packed rain gear and an insulated fleece. Plus 2 liters of water, and I bought a hiking stick. But the thing you really need for the climb is endurance. And I apparently don't have much of that.

Everyone talks about going for sunrise at the top of the  mountain, but I REALLY didn't want to stay in a tiny hut for $80, get no sleep, climb during the night, and then stand in line till I could reach the top and see the sun. It wasn't for me (plus all the huts to stay in had filled up, like at the beginning of the hiking season. So make sure you book WAY in advance for that). In regards to the huts, it is recommended you stay at a hut near station 8. There are huts near station 7, but the hike from station 8 to the summit takes about 3 hours if you're good. Add the 2 (ish) hours getting from 7 to 8 and you're in for a rough trek to get to the top before the sun.

The Climb

Anyway, because of all that, we decided to go for a day hike. Start in the morning, see the sun set and then head down. Getting started took a little longer than expected as, despite that the Mt. Fuji website gives you directions for driving, you're not actually allowed to drive up the mountain during hiking season. So we had to turn around as instructed by some guys in official uniforms and park in a paid lot, then buy a bus ticket and take the shuttle bus from there. The trip was from the base of the mountain to Station 5. Most people start at Station 5. In that area, it's recommended you wait 30 minutes to an hour to get adjusted to the thinner air. Trust me, you'll want to do it. Walking up the small hill from where the bus stopped to the bathroom had me winded.

Now if you go this route, it is technically 'New' Station 5. There are shops, a hotel, restaurants, pretty much everything. And you can get any hiking gear you may have forgotten, like a thermos or a backpack (not shoes though, but really you don't want to be wearing brand new shoes for this). Of course you can also buy a LOT of souvenirs, and this will be where you buy a walking stick if you want one. The poles come in 3 sizes; long, short, and hand-held. I'll admit I didn't actually see any of the handheld size until we got further up the mountain, but our group purchased the long ones. The long and short ones can come with cloth toppers, bells, or flags. Thankfully if you buy one with bells and it starts to get annoying, you can quite easily take them off and stow them so you don't throw them at someone.

The walking sticks are popular because each station has a brand that they will burn into your walking stick, for a fee of course. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, this route that went through 'New' Station 5 didn't have a brand, except for the one already on the bottom of the sticks when you buy them. And neither did the 'New' Station 6 that we went to. It wasn't until 7 that you can start getting brands, and from there every hut has their own brand. Station 7 and 8 have quite a few huts with brands, so you'll be wanting to bring a bit of cash to cover the cost if you want to get them all. Someone estimated about $50 for a full set of brands. There were some very nice people working at Station 6 who had a book of all the brands and explained how to get them (in English!). To get the actual brands for the original Station 5 and 6, it would require us backtracking and going down a different path, so we decided to try and do it when we were coming down from the hike.

Getting from 5 to 6 took far longer than estimated, about 2 hours. Because it's HARD. You're going up a gradual incline around the mountain, but it isn't that gradual. Only when compared to the rest of the mountain. We stopped a lot to catch our breath. By the time we hit Station 6, it was time for lunch. There were no stalls or shops here at 'New' Station 6, only a small shed where people could offer assistance. And of course bathrooms.

After adjusting as much as we could to the new altitude, we set off for Station 7. One of our party opted to stay behind due to a knee injury that was acting up. The rest of us pressed onward, and it only got more difficult. Rather than an incline, we were walking up switchbacks that zig-zagged their way up the mountain. The incline was harder, the air thinner, and we stopped to rest quite a bit (ignoring the school children and everyone else who passed by). The sun made things hot, but the wind was cold. I was thankful for wearing long pants and a shirt, but in the early stages of the hike from 5 to 6 I wanted to switch to shorts and a t-shirt.

We were lucky and had beautiful weather, and the sea of clouds was incredible. Once you're at Station 6, you're almost above the clouds. Of course the clouds rolled in and would obstruct our view of higher up from time to time, and it seemed like we were hiking into the empty nothingness above the mountain. But we kept going! It was supposed to take about an hour, but it took our party closer to 3. It was during this time that we were sure we wouldn't make the summit, and we were all fine with that. We'd hit 7 then head down. And eventually, we did hit 7. After climbing over lava rocks.

Once you're in the area for Station 7, going to the first hut, the wide switchbacks become a narrow climb over hardened lava rocks. You have to go single file, and use your hands to climb over some of the rocks. There are rope guides to show the path, but very big warning signs that say to not touch the ropes. When we hit the first hut at 7, we were relieved and got our first brand (not counting the one that was already in place when we bought the sticks). The huts have snacks and water you can buy, as well as toilets. Of course it all costs money. Yes, even the toilet. We decided to try going up to the next hut, which we did, and got another brand. At that point, we looked to see where the next hut was going to be. Quite a ways up, and we were all exhausted. We looked at each other, congratulated ourselves on a job well done, got a picture, and headed down.

Turning Back

After the decision was made to head back down, we climbed over the two sections of lava rocks (remember how they're single file? People are still going up those, so waiting for a clear time to attempt going down was fun) and made our way down the switchbacks. We hit 'New' Station 6 and decided to take the alternative path down to the old Station 6 and the old Station 5 to get our brands. The way down here was much narrower, lots of brush obstructing the path, but it was worth it. And there was a cool temple that we stopped at on the way down. After getting to Station 5, we had to walk part way around he mountain to get back to 'New' Station 5 so we could catch the bus. If you're using the bus, keep an eye on time and the bus schedule! The shops all close early, and you don't want to be stuck alone on the mountain with no way back.

You may wonder if I regret turning back. Nope. I knew the mountain was daunting. It's a mountain. I knew it was a bad idea to underestimate the mountain, and I was dubious about being able to make it to the top in the first place. Sure I got fired up, and my dad really wanted to do it, so I figured I'd do my best and go as far as I could, even if in the end it meant my dad and I alone on the mountain while the others turned back. But my primary goal was going as far as I could. And that's exactly what I did. I went to Station 7, and that was as far as I could go. And that was as far as everyone else could go too. Simple as that. We all turned around, saw the sun set from Station 5, got some ice cream, and hopped on the bus to the car. It was a good experience, and sure I wish I could have gotten all the brands. But that's more because I like collecting things rather than actually wanting to get to the top.

So I did it part way. Another question you may ask is, will I go back and try to do the whole thing now that I'm more prepared for what is to come? No way. 

Walking Sticks 

This is just a side note about shipping Fuji walking sticks home. It's expensive. I was very glad I had gotten the full length stick, as I really needed it during the trek, but if I hadn't needed it, I wish I had gotten the smaller hand-held ones (which I only saw available for purchase at Station 7 huts). Why? Well, those giant sticks don't fit in your suitcase. And due to their oversized nature, it is quite costly to ship it back via standard shipping through the Japan Post Office. We contemplated buying a hacksaw so we could saw them in half (we could have cut off the top half without even touching the area with brands) and shove them in the suitcases, but that idea was vetoed. Granted we were trying to send back 5 as opposed to 1 like most people, but still.

Now, the sticks CAN count on their own as a piece of luggage. My family was flying Delta, and were each allowed 2 suitcases plus carry-on bags without extra fees. Problem is we had shoved their extra suitcases full of stuff, so there were 6 completely full suitcases ready to go. And we still had the sticks. In the end, we had to pay the $220 for extra baggage. Although we had talked to the Delta staff a couple days before about the cost, and expressed our concern about the size, we weren't charged an extra fee for the sticks, just the standard baggage fee. Originally we had been planning on it costing over $300 as that took the oversized nature into consideration.

 In preparing them for the travel, we used plastic wrap to bind them together, then bubble wrap, and then put them in cardboard tubes. We bought all of our supplies (tubes, bubble wrap, a box cutter, rope, and the Japanese equivalent of duct tape, cloth tape) at Tokyu Hands in Tokyo. Suggestions on the internet talked about using cardboard tubes designed for rolled up art, but they aren't big enough on their own. While we did end up buying the art tubes, figuring we'd tape them together/cut them apart, we found out on the 4th floor of the store they have sturdy, long cardboard tubes. We bought two large tubes (on top of the already purchased art tubes as you have to buy things on each floor), which were wide enough for all 5 sticks plus packaging, and putting them together made them long enough to cover it all. In the end, we had to cut one tube in half so it wasn't way too long, and we used tape and sturdy paper to seal the ends as there were no caps. At the end of the night, we had a very large tube, securely stuck together, holding 5 Fuji walking sticks. And they got home safely. 

*If you came to Japan with only one full suitcase and have a free 'slot' for luggage, you don't have to worry about the extra cost!  Lucky you. But I still recommend packaging the stuck if you can, just to keep it safe during the trip home. 

Parting Words

If you're one of those people who really wants to climb Mt. Fuji, good for you. Do your research, prepare yourself, and go for it. But most of all, don't be ashamed of turning back.