mt. fuji-san climbing

[p_shinde]

hello,

i am planning to climb mt. fuji in august first week, can anyone let me know how do i do the travelling from tokyo/shinjuku to 5th station....

I prefer most travelling of nite......so that in day we can move around fuji-san and then at that nite climb it......and reach summit...by next morning...

any suggestions,
Prasad

 

[kenasto]

There are direct buses, you need to make a reservation soon. No buses at night, it's not that far. Your question is not specific enough. There are endless option, depending on your preferences. Please check some of the websites about this topic and post more detailed questions.

 

[WHEATTHlNS]

There's like a whole guide about Mt Fuji and how to access it on Japan-Guide.com. As the previous poster said, NUMEROUS options available.

 

[nice gaijin]

I climbed it just this last weekend. from Shinjuku to the 5th station, the bus ticket cost about 5000 yen round trip. The hike (for it is far more like a steep hike than a climb) is about 6-7 hours if you keep a decent pace, including rests. Things on the mountain are expensive, so try to bring your own food and drinks. If you arrive at night, there is only one store open, and it has no substantial food to speak of, so it's really important to bring your own snacks.

It gets very cold at night, so if you'll be climbing at that time you might want to stop at the 7th or 8th station to rest until just before the sunrise (if that's your goal). Bring a good winter jacket. As you climb higher, some of the places will let you stay indoors for about 15 minutes if you buy something, an hour for 1,000 yen, or a bed for the night for about 3,000. Also, it supposedly rains a lot on the mountain (I luckily had great weather) so bring rain gear like a poncho (umbrellas are not practical), for they are pretty expensive.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[bakaKanadajin]

Yes, nice gaijin's experience is pretty much it, good advice. Pre-reserve the bus, it takes you there directly, it's that easy. It boards outside Shinjuku station, the ticket office and boarding area should be beside a giant camera store. If you want to view the sunrise I'd advise against arriving any later than 10pm. It is a good 6-7 hour climb and you want a good spot for the sunrise, which happens around 5am.

Bring lots of food, oxygen, and water. Altitude sickness affects everyone differently, I was fine, but two of my friends (out of 7 of us) got double-vision and threw up. Food gets expensive the higher you go. I WOULD buy the walking stick at the 5th station or bring your own, I found it a great help for re-distributing my weight on some of the tricky parts and just helping myself along re: conserving energy.

The descent is very hard on the knees, you take crisscrossing paths down at a steep decline and the impact is somewhat high despite the ground being soft. So be prepared, its a good 2-3 hour descent.

Good luck, a very rewarding experience!

 

[nice gaijin]

The bus terminal in Shinjuku is located outside the west exit, across from the Yodobashi camera 本店, and it's called the 京王高速バスターミナル (keio kousoku bus terminal). Arrive at least 20 minutes before your bus is scheduled to leave, and even earlier if you intend to pick up food at the nearby conbini.

We started at 9pm (from the 6th station, about a 20 minute walk from the 5th station but not much higher altitude) and aside from the usual rest stops (I suggest you take them frequently), we spent an extra hour at the 8th station, since there is little beyond that point, and it was so cold we didn't want to wait an extra hour at the summit for the sun to rise. 10pm is the absolute latest you should start. The sun rose at 4:20-4:30 the day that I went. Don't take your chances unless if you don't care about the sunrise.

Definitely food and water are musts, as the markup is ridiculous on the mountain (though considering how cold it is, you'll be surprised to find yourself buying a cup noodles for 600 yen). I didn't get the stick and I don't think I would. Although it might come in handy at points, I never found myself regretting my decision not to buy one. The nice thing about them is that you can get it branded at each station as you go up, and keep it as a souvenir (they'll even cut it for you so you can fit it in a suitcase). The stick is around 1000 yen, and 200 for each branding.

Oxygen was not necessary for anyone in my group, but your mileage might vary. The air gets pretty thin, but i didn't feel any ill effects.

It's a lot of work, but worth doing at least once. Good luck!