tarjeibo 0 Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Hi. I'm traveling around the world next year, planning to visit Japan in late spring, to hike up and snowboard down Mt Fuji. I've read some stuff online about it, but it would be nice to get some feedback from people here, so I have a couple of questions. My impression is that the safest time to snowboard Mt Fuji will be around mid-May, then it should be quite likely that the sun makes the snow soft enough? How large vertical drop of snow can you expect to have, if you wait until late in the spring (in order to be sure that the snow is soft)? I guess the melting at the foot of the mountain is pretty intense in late spring. Another concern I have is snowboard equipment. Since I'm traveling around the world, I would not bring my snowboard gear; so I'll need to rent it somewhere. Does anyone have any recommendations? Would it be possible to rent equipment for a couple of days in spring? Considering the steep slope of the mountain, I suppose avalanche safety equipment is also necessary? Thanks, Tarjei from Norway Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 We have Target in Australia as well Dig a bit deeper there is a thread in here somewhere Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 From year to year the conditions at the base (around what's called the 5th station) can be very different. It's very difficult to say what they could be like next year. Think anything from inaccessible because the roads around the base are still closed to almost no snow until you've hiked a good part of the mountain. As far as renting gear near Mt. Fuji? That is a really tough one because there aren't really any actual ski resorts anywhere near where you access the mountain from. I suppose you could rent from somewhere further away and take the gear with you but that seems like a major pain and I have no idea where you'd be able to do that. You'd also probably need to get your hands on a pair of crampons because it'll still be icy near the top (again that depends on the year). Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 As most skijo are closed by May as well, there's hardly any rental places open anyway - even where there are ski runs. Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Like ski said trying to rent any gear in may will be a pain as most resorts are closed by early May. The two resorts that are close to Fuji but not on Fuji close by end of April latest. If you dont have your own gear then doing Fuji is probably going to be a no no. The past three years Fuji has had a really decent cover well into June but that doesnt mean next year it will. Fuji is also quite bumpy although it looks smooth from a distance . If you climb it you will know what I mean. In spring even though it has good cover the snow is getting thinner especially in May and you will most likely hit a rock and if you take a spill you could be sliding quite a way on your arse before being able to stop as it is pretty much all one long down hill. All things to consider. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 You might find some cheap deals in Tokyo on gear, if they have it in stock still by then. When do they start packing up? Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 I was in Kanda a couple of weeks ago and there are ski and snowboard shops there going year round. Some of them were already pushing next season's gear. Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Do people actually even think about skiing in summer here let alone buy gear? As much as I love snow and skiing once summer comes I am in summer mode until autumn, and don't really think about the snow! Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 I was in the local Alpen recently, and noticed they still have ski/snowboard equipment for sale, though with much reduced floor space than in wnter months. But here's an idea: Hit up Hard-Off (or Whatever-Off in your area) for cheap used gear. It will get trashed by late-spring Fuji sliding anyway, so why waste good equipment on it? Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Absolutely. Interesting idea, but nener going to happen for me. Link to post Share on other sites
tarjeibo 0 Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 Thanks for replying fast, guys I guess it seems pretty hard with the equipment. From my point of view, I would prefer to rent rather than buy, since it's a one-day-trip. However, when traveling from the other side of the world, one is willing to pay a lot for cool experiences, and snowboarding Mt Fuji would definitely have been an amazing experience. So buying used equipment for one day might be okay, considering the pay-off! Hard-Off seemed like an interesting option for buying gear, but I didn't find anything there in English? Unfortunately, I don't know too much Japanese. What I see as an option, would be to meet some Japanese people when I get there, and they can help me buying the equipment. That sounds not like a 100 % secure solution, but maybe the best one out there. Also, I heard someone was talking about a bumpy ride down from Fuji. It looks super awesome from distance, and when I hiked Fuji last summer, my snowboard genes told me "Wow, I really want to snowboard this place - this slope looks super", but is it not like that, after all? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Since u hiked it in summer, u know that it's made up of annoying spiky shards of volcanic rock. If you stack it while riding on thin, slushy spring snow, you are gonna be face planting onto those horrible spike stones that will lie hidden under the snow Link to post Share on other sites
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