climbing Mt. Fuji during off season

Hi all. I%26#39;m visiting Japan in late March - early April and was wondering about climbing Mt. Fuji during that time. I know it%26#39;s well outside the official climbing season but it%26#39;s something I%26#39;d like to do. I come from a cold climate and am in very good health so the 14 hour trek wouldn%26#39;t bother me. My greatest concern is getting lost on the mountain. Are the paths well marked? Is there much snow on the mountain in late March? Also, is the mountain completely deserted during that time? Or are there other nuts like me who would try this? I%26#39;m not looking to die on Mt. Fuji. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

climbing Mt. Fuji during off season

you will have to submit a proposal to the Fujinomiya Police station to get a permission to enter the mountain.

the proposal should include the following info:

names of all members

age

address

contact number

route you are taking

leader%26#39;s experience

dates of entering and exiting the mountain

gear

food

climbing Mt. Fuji during off season

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; My greatest concern is getting lost on the mountain. Are the paths well marked? %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

No, the paths will be covered by snow/ice in March %26amp; April. You will need to hire a professional guide if you want to climb Mt. Fuji in March/April for the first time.

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; Is there much snow on the mountain in late March? %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

Yes, there will be a lot of snow on Mt. Fuji in March %26amp; April. The summit is currently around -18/-21℃, according to Japan Meteorological Agency.

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; Also, is the mountain completely deserted during that time? %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

As you know, all mountain huts are closed until June/July. Also, as of Feb. 17, the access road to the 5th Station (called “Subaru Line”) is open only to the 4th Station. So, whoever wants to climb Mt. Fuji at this time (and possibly until the end of May) would have to start climbing not from the 5th Station, but from the 4th Station. I assume the mountain above the 4th Station is currently deserted.

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; Or are there other nuts like me who would try this? I%26#39;m not looking to die on Mt. Fuji. %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

I don’t think so. People who want to climb Mt. Fuji in March/April for their first time must have death wish, in my opinion.

mentallydisabled, are you a professional mountain climber who have climbed many mountains over 3700m during the winter? If so, don’t forget to hire the professional guide, and bring your ice gear, crampon (10 or 12 nails and well shaped); pickel and a pair of ski stock; food, water, thermos and hot drinks (coffee, soup etc); heavy weather wear, globe and cap; flashlight, etc, etc. Please see

…yamanashi.jp/div/…winter_climbing.html

If you are not the professional mountain climber with a lot of winter climbing experiences, don’t do it! I don’t want to see many local Japanese rescuers risking their lives for someone who climb Mt. Fuji in March/April.

OP-

Give it up!

Wow.

Such a negative response.

Having climbed many mountains above 6000m (and some at 7000m) in much more extreme Arctic conditions I agree that any mountain should be taken seriously. Fuji on the other hand is not a complex mountain to climb. It is to be respected but not treated as a death wish. (that%26#39;s just ignorance of climbing and what is reasonable) If we treat experiences this negative way we destroy the human spirit to explore, push ourselves mentally and physically and find the spiritual experiences that nature can offer.

Research the climb, bring a compass and map and know how to use them, bring full winter condition climbing gear, clothing and camping gear and arrive with the proper training to climb a mountain in winter. Understand avalanche conditions and weather conditions as you would any mountain in winter. Beyond that enjoy the experience.

A mountaineer experiences life in a different spiritual plane than most others. It is difficult for those that fear the natural world%26#39;s rugged reality to understand this.

Don%26#39;t let their posts discourage you. Just be prepared and it will be a great experience.

Negative perhaps but realistic. I live in Japan and watch the news. Search parties are busy in the winter season plucking climbers off their snowy mountaintops, a fair number of them not making it back alive. As Kurihime stated, it IS possible, but you will have to go through the proper channels and formally register in order to attempt it. You are right, Fuji is no biggie, from an experienced climber%26#39;s perspective, but attempting to climb any montain in the winter will naturally pose unexpected dangers and risks.

Thanks for this thread. It brought back some memories.

Many years ago, I climbed Mt. Fuji in June which was pre-season. We were young, inexperienced high school students and our Girl Scout leader who was leaving Japan wanted to climb it before she moved. Our school was already on summer vacation, so somehow we were all in our ';summer mindset.'; When we started climbing from the 5th station, the sky was blue and it was pleasantly warm By the time it was noon, the winds had changed direction and the clouds had moved in. A couple hours later, as we trudged up the mountain on a well-marked ';path'; (aka steps), it started drizzling. An experienced local climber who was coming down the mountain took one look at our shoes and gear and told us that we shouldn%26#39;t attempt to go any further. There was already snow on the ground where we were standing near the 9th station; there would only be more snow and ice all the way to the summit. ';Go back. Climb it again in summer,'; he said. We heeded the man%26#39;s advice (only the first part) and found refuge at the only hut that was open at station no. 8.3. By the time we got there, the rain was picking up, and so was the wind. The people at the hut raised an eyebrow or two to see a bunch of cold, wet teenage girls, and shook their heads. ';How did you get here?'; ';Um.....walk?'; They found some blankets for us to wrap ourselves in as we had, as one day hikers, no change of clothing. We hung our wet clothes by the smokey, pot-belly stove and filled our stomachs with hot tea. As we looked around the room, we found out quickly that we were not alone. There were several other crazy mountain climbers who wanted to climb the mountain before the ';summer rush,'; and now needed to seek shelter from the storm that was brewing. The place was packed! Little did any of us know that there was a rapid and rare typhoon coming directly towards us and that we would be all be sleeping together for the next 3 days in that tiny hut. And the toilet was 10 yards away........

A week earlier, we were told, there was an American woman (US Army) who was climbing the same mountain, alone and got lost. She never found the hut. Instead someone found her body.

If someone isn%26#39;t experienced in snow climbing and is unprepared, and should something happen, ';someone else'; will have to go on a search mission. These involve helicopters and experienced people who risk their own lives to help save others. The family of the mountain climber will be held responsible for the costs. So will the taxpayers. An hour%26#39;s search by police and helicopter is a million yen. Very rarely does one get rescued within one hour. Purchasing insurance is highly recommended.

If the climber is not found at that time, he or she will most likely be discovered when the snow melts. ';Someone'; will once again be sent up to collect the body. To bring it down is a feat in itself. My friends who actively participate in these ';rescue'; operations say ';rolled'; down (in a body bag) would be the correct terminology when bringing the remains back.

I%26#39;ve been to mountain huts in summer where there are pictures and notes tacked on the bulletin boards that say, ';So-and-so was last seen on such-and-so date. If you find him/her, please call........'; It%26#39;s heartbreaking. Most of these ';disappearances'; were during the winter months.

Mt. Fuji has horrendous winds, especially in the winter. Spring is avalanche time. There%26#39;s a reason why it%26#39;s not on the ';recommended'; list for off-season climbing. Climbers who are on their way to the Himalayas might use it for ';practice,'; but a novice shouldn%26#39;t be up there. No less, alone.

As I write this, there%26#39;s a search operation in progress in Toyama for a few lost climbers. Two were rescued yesterday; 4 more to go. Someone had a cell phone, so they called for help. Wish they had a GPS.

One trip, one slip, is one too many.

Just taking a journey down memory lane with my two yen.

gelli

Thanks for sharing your story!

I hope other readers here heed your advise.

m-neko,

I think giving discouraging advice to people with an adventurous spirit is adding to the desirability of the adventure. It merely increases the challenge and adds to the thrills. If something is not dangerous with tons of people telling you not to do it then the interest will be much less.

I was up at Tioga Pass last summer watching in awe the freestyle rock climbers going up these sheer cliffs. The last thing on their mind is splatting their bodies somewhere 500 meters down the slope. When they come down they appear to be on a different wavelength, both spiritually and mentally. When I was young, dumb, single and not yet a father I could identify with this. Now I%26#39;m older, still dumb, married and a father and I think these guys are totally nuts. But I know they live for this and are very focused in what they are doing.

As a firm believer in Darwinism I also believe that the ones who are really dumb (don%26#39;t prepare correctly) get what Darwin theorized.