Mt Fuji (12,362 ft)   by Brian Schultz    Tuesday  September 30, 2003

We brought up the idea of climbing Mt Fuji a year ago. It turned serious after the Christmas holidays when Jason and Connie said they could secure a time share exchange in Gora, Japan, a small town located in the Mt Fuji area. We committed to the trip in January and began planning for it immediately because we had several other climbing trips in the works too. I was a busy person lining up climbs to Japan, California, and Colorado, in addition to working two full time jobs January thru April.

Mt Fuji can be climbed year round but the official climbing season is July and August. In those two months 180,000 hikers cram the trails so it's not hard to understand why we opted for a less congested climb in September. The main drawback to climbing in the off season is limited public transportation to the trailheads. There are four main trailheads, known as 5th Stations, and we chose the Kawaguchiko 5th Station on the north side. The elevation gain from the Kawaguchiko 5th Station to the summit is nearly 4,800 feet and our plan was to do a late night climb, just like the summer hikers, in order to be on top for the sunrise.  

We coordinated our schedules as best we could but my arrival in Japan would be three days ahead of Jason and Connie's. We each purchased the Japan Rail Pass before leaving the States, a seven day pass that allows unlimited travel by train, and I planned on using mine for two days of sightseeing before they arrived. The pass would cover most of our transportation needs except in the Fuji area where we'd have to use local trains and buses.

Advised to keep luggage to a minimum while traveling in Japan, we left ice axes and crampons at home and hoped September wouldn't bring early snow. I didn't pack hiking boots either, figuring the good pair of walking shoes I'd be wearing would suffice for the climb. Trekking poles, day pack, and gear were packed into a small suitcase while clothes, cameras and other miscellaneous items went into my carry-on bag.

My seatmates on the 12 hour flight to Tokyo were two Japanese American sisters on their way to Beijing, China for a shopping trip. One was a flight attendant who's flown this route many times and knew most of the crew. She got up often to chat with them but throughout the flight also gave me pointers and helpful information for my stay in Japan. She recommended a local restaurant near my hotel for dining, emphasized that tipping is not customary in Japan, and at one point looked down at my shoes and said that I'd be okay in Japan because I wasn't wearing white sneakers. She was serious about the sneakers.

After checking in at the Radisson Hotel in Narita, my lodging for the first three nights, I went to the restaurant they suggested. The server (also the cook) greeted me in Japanese and motioned me to a table. I spent a few anxious moments wondering how I'd order when he didn't speak English and I didn't speak Japanese, but the menu had pictures and all I had to do was point. Picture menus are typical in most restaurants, including McDonalds, so ordering meals never became a problem, even in the small towns.

My first full day was spent in the Shinjuku District of Tokyo. I used the Japan Rail Pass and found out how efficient the high speed trains are. They're smooth, quiet, and on time. The Shinjuku District's skyscrapers, shops, and restaurants made for a fun afternoon of sightseeing. The next day I ventured out further and traveled to the mountainous town of Nikko, famous for its shrines and temples. I put some serious miles on the legs walking around the town.

I met Jason and Connie at the airport on Sunday afternoon. We picked up their Rail Passes and departed for Gora, which is fairly close to Mt Fuji as the crow flies but geographically separated by mountains. The Pass brought us to the town of Odawara but from there we had to pay for local train service to Gora. It was dark when we arrived and we had no idea where the time share was, so we took a taxi up steep, narrow, and twisting streets to what turned out to be a very nice hotel. I think we were the only Americans staying there, judging from the stares we received as we walked to our room. The night staff spoke very little English, the guests walking about in robes and slippers didn't speak any English, and there weren't any English language channels on the television- Tokyo suddenly seemed very distant.

On Monday morning we had time to explore Gora but first stopped at the front desk to be sure of the directions to Kawaguchiko. The day staff didn't speak much English either but we managed to communicate with a map and judicious finger pointing. We soon realized how small Gora was when we couldn't exchange dollars for yen in the hotel or for that matter anywhere in town because it had no banks. We rode the funicular (cable train) down to the markets to get some food for breakfast and took a walk around the town, especially enjoying the magnificent Gardens before heading back to prepare our packs.

We left Gora at 2:00 PM and rode four different trains to Gotemba, then a bus to Kawaguchiko, where our arrival at 6:30 left us with enough time to grab a bite to eat before catching the bus to the 5th Station. Or so we thought. We received an unexpected surprise when we asked about the bus schedule and, after some difficulty in translating, were told that the buses were done running for the day. Apparently in the off season the buses don't run into the evening as we were led to believe, and worse, the day schedule doesn't allow enough time to catch the first bus in the morning, hike the peak, and still catch the last bus out in the afternoon.

We went next door to the taxi company and inquired about their fee to the 5th Station. The dispatcher told us the 5th Station was already closed. What about taking a taxi up at 11:00 and then doing the night hike? He told us that the gate to Fuji closes at 8:00. What if we left immediately and got dropped off at the gate before 8:00? Well, we'd have to walk many road miles to the 5th Station and then do the entire climb on an empty stomach- too ridiculous to even consider.

As darkness fell and along with it the temperature, Connie suggested we get a room. With no feasible way to do the night hike, our thoughts turned to a day hike and we came up with a simple solution- we could take a cab early in the morning and catch an afternoon bus out. And we'd be able to see the mountain, which sounded better by the minute than hiking in the dark. We went back to the bus station to ask about lodging. We'd also need to find a bank sometime after the climb because with the expense of the taxi and the room, we wouldn't have enough yen to get out of town.

A helpful employee at the bus station gave us directions to the local youth hostel and even drew a map. We set out on foot and stopped several blocks later under a street light when we couldn't find it. While standing there looking at the map an American voice asked if we needed some help. The fellow with his young son had just come out of a video store and he knew where the youth hostel was but thought it was shut down. He said he'd meet us there and if it was closed he'd help us find another place to stay. The lights were off but it was open.

He offered to drive us to a restaurant after finding out we hadn't eaten yet. We said we'd grab a sandwich at the nearby 7-Eleven but he insisted otherwise. Our gracious host, who spoke fluent Japanese, conveyed the need for prompt service to our server so we could get back to the hostel before the doors were locked, and regaled us with stories of living in Japan as a transplanted American. It was a memorable evening and we thanked him profusely.

Three men relaxing in the lobby greeted us in English as we walked in. They were from Europe and on vacation but were not climbing Fuji. After retiring to our room, Jason went back and asked if they'd buy some dollars for yen, which they did. It ensured having enough to cover the taxi, the park entrance fee and the bus ride back but still not enough to leave town. We turned in around 10:00, very relieved to be in a warm bunk instead of freezing on the mountain.

We arose sometime around 4:00 AM, walked back to the taxi company, and hired a cab to the 5th Station. The temperature was a very chilly 0 degrees F. when the driver dropped us off at 6:00. The 5th Station is like a small town, with several shops, eating places and other businesses, although most of them were closed at the early hour. We did find one open store and went in to layer up until the shopkeeper booted us out. Some early-bird tourists who chartered a bus to see the sunrise were done buying souvenirs and it was time to close shop until more paying customers arrived.

We finished bundling up outside in the cold and at 6:30 crossed the parking lot, at long last on our way. We descended slightly on a wide path and stopped at a sign identifying the route in English and Japanese. The trail turned steep immediately as it switchbacked up the mountain and other than short reprieves at the mountain huts, it stayed steep all the way to the top. The huts, spaced at intervals along the trail, offer meals, drink and cots for sleeping or rest. They are also numbered in order, with the 10th being near the summit, yet we noted a succession of huts all with the number 6. One of them was open for business and Jason went in to check it out but was out in less than a minute. Same as the 5th Station- no purchase, no stay. Business would be slow for the proprietors as there were only a dozen people hiking to the summit and twenty at most on the trail the entire day.

The class 1 trail is a well packed dirt and ash path with reinforced steps and extensive walls to keep erosion at a minimum- there isn't much vegetation on the higher slopes to keep the mountain from washing down. After passing hut number 7 we encountered a short class 2+ section which was fun because it broke the monotony of the switchbacks. The hiking wasn't hard, just a long grind that we punctuated with regular rest breaks. As we advanced higher we hoped we were nearing the summit rim but surely we couldn't be that lucky. I've climbed too many mountains with a false summit or two, yet surprisingly after passing through a shrine, there we were on the rim. The summit and its weather station were on the other side and all we had to do was drop down slightly and then walk up to it. Jason stopped to wait for Connie while I pushed ahead to the summit. It was windy and cold when I stepped on top at 10:33.

The weather station was bigger than I expected and several workers were busy doing maintenance while I stood near the summit marker and shivered. I ducked down on the east side of the building to escape the wind but couldn't avoid the sand blowing into my eyes, ears, and mouth. A few other hikers summited after me and Jason showed up twenty minutes later minus Connie, who was lagging behind. Finally, we saw her approaching but she passed below the weather station towards the other side of the rim. We ran down to get her and hiked back up the scree and ash to the summit, which added another unwanted 100 feet to our total elevation gain. The summit marker was written in Japanese- the only thing I could understand was the elevation reading in meters.

We left the summit at 11:33 to finish circling the crater rim and stopped for lunch at a shrine that provided relief from the wind. The shrine had a post office! It wasn't open but summer hikers must have fun getting a postcard stamped on Mt Fuji. After the break we discussed our need to get to a bank, and with Jason being the fastest climber, we sent him down to catch the 2:00 bus while Connie and I would catch the 3:00 and meet him in Kawaguchiko at the train station.

Our descent went well until we neared the bottom and suddenly nothing looked familiar. I don't know how we managed to get off route but we did. It was embarrassing. We were prepared to turn around and retrace our steps but saw people below on another trail. Connie hiked down to them while a young Japanese fellow who was also waylaid, stopped and asked me for directions. Good grief! I sent him down the path hoping somebody below could help him.

We were only slightly off course as it turned out. The path below led to the 5th Station with just a slight regain of elevation and we pulled in at 2:40 with plenty of time to catch the bus. Connie and I walked by a money exchange that Jason obviously hadn't noticed because he'd have been waiting for us otherwise. He, meanwhile, arrived in Kawaguchiko at 3:05 and found the banks had closed at 3:00. Luckily, a bank employee came out and directed him to an ATM. Connie and I arrived around 4:00 and we all waited another hour for a local train to depart town. The long day extended well into the evening and we did not arrive back to our hotel in Gora until 11:00. We were beat.

The next morning we took the funicular and a tram to Owadakuni to get a view of Mt Fuji and were not disappointed, as this peak is much more impressive from a distance. After clouds obscured it, we returned to Gora and spent most of the day in town.We took the train into Tokyo that evening and walked around the downtown area surrounding the central train station. The display of neon lights, bustling people, and traffic congestion was quite a contrast to our cozy town of Gora.

Jason and Connie still had three days remaining in Japan and arose early for a trip to Kyoto. I packed up and walked down to the train platform to take the first of three trains to the airport. I had lunch in the Tokyo train station and can truthfully claim that I was in Tokyo and Minneapolis at the same time, 12:00 noon, on Thursday Oct 2 (thanks to the time zones shifting backwards as I flew home).

I'd like to return to Japan someday and see more of the country after having such a good experience on this trip. The Japanese people were always willing to help and bailed us out many times when we needed directions or were waiting on the wrong train platform.

Mt Fuji was an easy hike and a fun adventure despite the hassles of getting there, and  I'm glad I had the company of Jason and Connie to share it with. This trip wraps up another enjoyable and successful year of climbing.

Trailhead to summit- 4 hours 3 minutes

Summit back to trailhead- 3 hours 7 minutes

Start to finish- 8 hours 7 minutes, including all breaks

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The following transportation costs were at the exchange rate of 109 yen to the dollar:

1. bus from Gotemba to Kawaguchiko- 1,800 yen ($16.50) each

2. taxi from Kawaguchiko to 5th Station-10,000 yen ($92.00) total

3. park entrance fee- 2,300 yen ($21.00) total

4. bus from 5th Station to Kawaguchiko- 1,800 yen ($16.50) each

5. local train from Odawara to Gora - 650 yen ($6.00) each way. Not covered by the Japan Rail Pass