Have you climbed Mt Fuji?

[Rag-Doll 0]

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/features-boarding-fuji-photos.html

 

Here you go.

[fd3000 0]

Does anyone know what the snow conditions are like now on Fuji?

 

I'm traveling to Japan on Sunday and am trying to decide if it is worth bringing my tele skis.

 

And if anyone else is up for the climb around May 20th, let me know and that will give me some encouragement.

 

Thanks

[r45 4]

I would have thought considering the winter we had there would be considerably less snow than usual for this time of year (which is less than what is on those photos).

[Poppie 0]

I went up there last summer. Wasn't the most fun for reasons others have said, but I'm glad I have done it. Once is enough though!

[zebedee 1]

I had a great time going up there. It wasn't actually too busy on the day we went - the forecast was for not the best weather I think that was the reason but it turned out to be glorious. Great views from the top and nice and cool from the summer sweaty weather down below. I'm glad I did it.

[naganodave 0]

I'm one of the sillies who have been up there more than once. Basically a group of friends wanted to go up there and I decided to do number 2. I enjoyed it, and it is a great feeling up top there when the weather is good.

[1 4]

I would recommend people to climb it once - great experience!

[snowboarding-sam 0]

I'm planning on going up there with my colleagues in July. Here's hoping for decent weather to make it worth it.

[klingon 10]

I am hoping to get up there this season. Heard good and bad but I want to do it the once. Are the forecasts for up there reliable? Having said that it is going to be on a fixed day as I'm going with some friends so will be planned at least a week in advance.

[iiyamadude 6]

I went last year in summer. Enjoyed it, not exactly a pretty route up there but the time at the top was definitely worth it.

[akafuji 0]

I have climbed Mount Fuji 7 times. The Fuji area is my most favourite place in the world.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

7 times?! Have you skied or snowboarded down it akafuji?

 

Actually I have a question about Fuji. There is a painting of Fuji in a gallery and Fuji was red on that too. But it seemed much steeper than the Fuji shape I know. The Japanese person I asked said that there is a view of Fuji that is steeper than the traditional look of the mountain. Was he talking bull or is that actually true?

[klix 0]

I'm going to be climbing up there for the first time this summer as well. Heard the bad stories but I'm still looking forward to the experience.

[snoozler 0]

I climbed it last summer. Glad I did, though just the once is enough! Would love to take the snowboard up there like you did Rag-Doll - nice read that

[Ewok 2 1]

I'd like to try Mt. Fuji this summer as well.

but

bad stories...

is it bad bad or just bad?

[charlotte 0]

I plan to conquer Eve, er Fuji this summer. My office are going so I'll be joining in.

[cheeseman 1]

Me and cheesewoman are hoping to check it out this summer. I really want to do it once. Got to remember to pack that cheese though for a "cheese at top of fuji" experience

[me jane 0]

Looking forward to the pics of Cheesefuji.

 

Been avoiding this thread cos I didn't have time to write up my story but here goes..

 

2000

I walked up Fuji on a lovely sunny day in August, camped at the top & walked down. No effects of altitude. Easy.

 

2001

Walked up Fuji on a lovely sunny day in June, typhoon hit around 9th station, wasn't such a lovely day anymore.

Camped on the top, tents blew away (pegs were still in the ground and the tents were flapping around in shreds). There were two other groups up there and the three groups (14 of us) ended up huddled in two tents. (For gear freaks the only one that stood up to the storm respectably was a Northface Gortex one with no fly!) Drifted in and out of sleep through the night, kept waking up with the feeling that we were suffocating or beacause we were getting bashed on the head by the tent poles flexing in the wind. (Later found out this is a normal cycle of breathing at high altitude where you breathe rapidly for a few breaths and then stop for a few seconds - very scary). Couldn't get out of the tent for fear of getting blown away. Someone in one of the other groups called the police when the sun rose & the police contacted the summit weather station (which has since closed). The walk up to the weather station was probably the most dangerous thing I've ever done (while sober anyway!). The weather station is on a little peak above what is usually considered the top. It was about 100m from where we were camped up a fairly steep scree slope. On the left (as you walk up the scree) is a fence and then the edge of the mountain, and on the right is the crater. There is only one bar across the top of the fence (no middle bars) and it is about 5 to 6ft off the ground, higher in places. We walked sideways up the slope hanging onto this bar above our heads. We had our backs to the crater and the wind and rain in our faces. When strong gusts of wind came we were literally blown off our feet and swung out towards the crater. One guy let go of the bar during a strong gust but somehow mangaged to jump forward and get a hold of it again. Strange thing is I wasn't scared at all - just using all my energy to keep my freezing fingers moving along that bar. Anyway we made it to the weather station where they offered us tea and coffee but all we wanted was the hot water with spoonfuls of sugar in - it tasted better than a beer on a hot day! Five cups of sugar water later we got a tour of the weather station and learned that the temperature was -5 and wind had been 40m/s (90mph or 140kmph) which gives a wind chill factor of something like -40. No wonder we were cold! That afternoon, after the storm had passed a bulldozer came to pick us up. It drove around our camp and the drivers picked up all the shreds of tents and pieces of poles and down we went. It took two hours, cost us two man each and was really bumpy but we slept for most of the ride down. (They offered us a helicopter but at 20 man each we opted for second class).

At least we probably got to be the highest gaijin in Japan on the second floor of the weather station!

 

Lessons learned:

1. The funny thing is that a four of my eikaiwa students planned to come with us. They had never been up any mountain before and we had had to tell two of them (on the morning we were due to leave) that they couldn't come cos they didn't have the right gear. They were angry and thought we were just being stupid. I guess we proved our point!

 

2. Northface make good tents.

 

 

2005

Started walking up at the end of August but by the 8th station the weather was turning nasty so we bottled and turned back. Drove home & went to the pub!

[oo 1]

Sounds good. You are one of the madwomen who do it more than once

 

Fancy trying it again.

 

akafuji - impressive (if that's the right word!)

[o'brian 0]

I've done my climb Fuji thing. It was fairly enjoybale, but once is enough. Other places to conquer now.

[me jane 0]

 Originally Posted By: oo

Fancy trying it again.

Yeah, I would but I'm much more wary of the weather up there now. Since that experience I've heard that a couple of people die up there every few years or so by getting blown off their feet and dumped on their heads. We were very lucky.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

How long does the walk take?

[Roger's head 0]

I'll let you know. My Japanese friends are taking me this summer. They seem to think it is their duty to take me and mine to go up there.

[CountryGentleman 0]

Looks like it is a big thing for Japanese friends to take the gaijin up - I will be making the trip next month with my work colleagues.

[girl with a beard 0]

I'm hoping to climb Fuji this season sometime. I just want to do it once and want to see the sun rise from the top.