It was about 38 deg F when I got to the top (approx 12,350 ft), it averages about 40 deg cooler than the starting point (approx 5,000 ft). I'm told that many people who go to the mountain don't reach the summit. However, I saw people from age 12 to age 71 (the old man was making his 9th climb) at the top. It becomes a mental game near the top and it's just a matter of how bad you want to see the summit. I grew up in Utah climbing mountains as a Boy Scout, but having lived at sea level (or several hundred feet below it) the past 7 years has made a weak girly man out of me and I was moving pretty slow when I got to the top.

 

Nice pictures...

"Several Hundred Feet Below" huh... damn that must be intense!!!

 

That's awesome Nate! I want to climb Mt. Fuji, but I'm afraid I won't make it to the top and it would crush my ego.

 

i made it up there when i was about 12? i tried like 2 times before when i was younger but only made it to the 8th stage

 

A lot of the guys from the base in Yokosuka went but they also quit at the 8th stage. Like I said, I saw 12 to 71 year old people on top, but I also saw a lot more quit and go back down. It's just a mental thing once your at the 8th stage looking up that last steep climb because once your on top you realize it wasn't that bad.

 

Hey Nate, I'm heading to Japan in mid July. I'm taking a few days of leave at the end of my trip to Climb Mt Fuji. Any tips on what I might need to climb? I was thinking lots of water, food, jacket, flashlight and lots of Yen.

Is there anything you had that you were glad you took with you and was there anything that you didn't have and wish you did? Other then time.

I was thinking about climbing to the 7th station the first day and then I guess take a break. Then start climbing again around 2300 so I could be at or around the summit by sunrise.

 

Oh yeah I'm not much of a climber. I recently did Diamond head with the wife and if from the 8th station to the summit is as painful as the stairs towards the top of diamond head then maybe I'll only make it to the 8th station as well... I hope not...

 

Sorry I didn't see this sooner, I'm leaving again and I've been busy.

I highly recommend trying to get on some sort of MWR tour. If your schedule doesn't make that possible then at least stop by an MWR office to get detailed directions and current climbing conditions. Every military base over there seems to have a Mt. Fuji tour program.

Here's the stuff I had:

(1) Camelback backpack with two liters of water in it. The model name of the one I have is "Cloud Walker".

(2) Flashlights, my main light strapped to my head so I didn't have to carry it, and the other light was a small but bright LED flashlight as backup.

(2) Bags of trail mix.

(2) Bags of beef jerky.

To get me there and back on trains and buses and to buy stuff on the mountain I took about 40,000 Yen. It's always good to have extra on the mountain because you can buy stuff you might have forgotten up there.

Far as clothes go, rule number 1 is NO COTTON! Do not wear cotton clothing to climb a mountain. It doesn't breath well, it gets heavy when wet, and it doesn't dry fast.

I had climbing pants made by North Face that unzip at the knees to become shorts. These were awesome because down low it was warm and when I got to cooler altitudes I just zipped on the pant legs. I also wore a couple layers of North Face shirts that could be peeled on and off for temperature and a light jacket.

Try not to take very much with you because you have to carry it. Aside from the beef jerky and trail mix I ate snickers bars and noodles at the rest stations.

That's all I can think of right now, if you have any questions feel free to ask. Enjoy Japan.

 

Thanks for the advise. I will definately check out the MWR on Yokota before I depart the base. I have a room in Shinjuku now since I couldn't get any rooms at Mt Fuji for the days I was looking for.

All I can say is I better make it to the top.

 

Hello from Nagoya Japan, you'll do fine.