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So, you are in Japan for some occasion, and you're thinking of squeezing in a climb to the summit of Mt. Fuji. It's off the open season ( July-August ) and there are no-access signs everywhere, but you figure, that's just the Japanese being Japanese, meaning, doing everything by the book. Thousands of grannies do this every year, right ?
Wrong.
To sum up, only consider this if :
You are in excellent fitness, physically and mentally.
You have experience in combined ice-and-rock turf mountaineering.
You have a good partner.
You are very well prepared and equipped.
You accept that you could die up there despite doing your best.
- People die on Mt Fuji every year. The common reasons are slipping on the ice and being blown off by the winds.
From 5th station to the top is about 1.5 km vertically ( depends somewhat on the trail ) and around 40 degrees slope ( less at the bottom, more at the top ). If you can't do 2 50-story skyscrapers every hour for 5 hours straight, you are not in good enough shape. Do the math.
At every point during the climb, you should be able to consider continuing up against going back down according to changing circumstances and information. Both decisions require both good judgement and some mental toughness. Two experienced, well equipped and in good shape climbers that I have met on the climb day came down after going less than half-way up. They had good reasons and made good calls.
Tired people make more mistakes. You want measured, deliberate, controlled movements - not throwing your limbs around drunkenly. Therefor, you should have the strength to go up and get down and plenty to spare before exhaustion takes over.
Examples of other mistakes, all aided by tiredness but can happen anyway :
* Taking a glove off for a moment to make some fix and not holding it down well enough, letting the wind snatch the glove.
* Twisting around to open a side zipper in your backpack rather than taking the backpack down ; losing balance, falling, the cramponed feet cannot adjust in the snow ( that's their purpose ), you damage a knee or an ankle.
* Taking too big a step only to find non-solid foothold.
* Falling asleep "just for a moment" at a rest stop.
The list is endless of course.
- It is just plain impossible to walk on ice at any slope, let alone 60 degrees as you near the top, without special equipment. You will need at least crampons, and preferably ice axe and climbing sticks ( to enable your arms to help your hard working quadriceps ). You will also probably need to put the crampons on and off many times during the climb as you traverse ice and bare rock alternatingly. I climbed the Fujinomiya trail, which is more rocky and steep ; on Kawaguchiko trail you may need less crampons changes since there is more snow.
Without the proper equipment, even a small ice field of a few meters is impossible to cross. You will slip and nothing will break your fall until eventually something will. If that's your plan, save yourself the trouble and go straight to the famous suicide forest at the feet of Mt. Fuji.
Besides the ice, the rock is often unsafe. Fuji is basically porous, light volcanic rock, easily fractured by ice processes. Lower down, even a tank can't scale the slope because of combined tilt and crumbling turf. Upper on the mountain the rock is more solid but can still come off in your grip.
The evironment is alien to most people : sub-zero temperatures, strong winds, fog, snow, and darkness if you climb at night to meet the sunrise at the top, the traditional way.
If climbing in the dark : check moon condition and the moon-sun angle, that is, how long after the sunset does the moon set.
Remember that a strong wind will have occasional very strong gusts. Even if it will not simply pick you up and throw you away, it will probably make you lose your foothold several times. Have failsafe options to break your fall and slide.
- A partner is very important. The most important aspect is safety margin : if something happens to either of you, the other can try to get help. There is cellular coverage of most of the mountain area but it is not perfect. Besides, a partner can help with lost equipment and balancing judgement.
- Study the routes well. Get a good detailed topographic map in a dedicated shop ( this one won't help much since the trail actually twists much more, and most trail marks will be under the snow ). Learn the locations of the stations and huts.
Get proper insulating clothes. This is critical. The difference between your body and the air will be over 37 degrees and the molecules will seek every possible way to mingle. The neck, end of sleeves, end of pants and shoes are especially suspect. The head is also a major source of heat loss. Get professional mountaineering thermal gear. Good material such as Goretex will also allow sweat evaporation, keeping you dry inside your clothes.
Be ready to wait out a strong wind or a cloud creating fog. Generally speaking the near-perfect cone shape of the mountain provides little in the way of shelter. The best points are stations and huts. I did it in 12 hours ( 10 pm to 10 am ) because I allowed time to rest, wait out strong wind periods and fogs, and countless crampons fittings. That was only possible because I was well insulated.
If you are not entirely insulated, you cannot rest on the mountain. The cold, the wind and the ice you are sitting on will sap your strength even as you stop to catch your breath. This leads to exhaustion and extreme danger.
Other important aides are compass/GPS, luminous ( 36+ ) headlight with backup hand torch and batteries, altimeter, rope and knife for improvisations.
Eat well some 4-6 hours before the climb, mainly slow-energy proteins and carbons. Take up 1.5-2 litres of water, and easy digestable food. You will probably not be very hungry during the climb, at least on the way up.
Once you're up : savor the moment, and remember it's not over until you are down.
Happy trails.
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