Climb Mt. Fuji with kids

Anybody had experience of climbing Mt. Fuji with 8-14 old children? Is it doable? Any special attention needed?

Have I had experience with kids that age? No. But nor would I consider it - especially at the younger end. It's a long hard climb (not a walk in the park) that takes a long time, and nowhere to "go home" half way up if some get tired and/or bored.

But obviously you know your children, we don't. :)

Any special attention needed? Yes, because hypothermia and altitude sickness are possibilities and an 8-year old might not realise that they are affected.

I second the idea that it a very hard uphill slog for hours on end and even if you turn back you are still quite a way from being somewhere warm and comfortable.

I am sure there is plenty of information on the internet about climbing/trekking with young children- have a look around and see if you think it is something you want to do with your kids at this stage.

We did it last year (august) with 14 and 16 year old girls, and they beat us to the summit by about 1/2 hour. My daughter, who was 8 last summer would have been tired, bored, miserable! no way she would have wanted to do it. When I climbed, I didn't see any little kids. Alot of people think it is just easy trail climbing, not true! It took us 7 hours of hard climbing to get to the top, and on the way down there was a severe lightning and thunderstorm. Even with rainjackets, we were soaked and freezing. My 8 year old would have been terrified, there was lighting all around us. And there are some parts of the trail that are pretty dangerous for a little one, even adults slip on the harder rock climbing parts. I would definitely wait until they are teenagers. But if you go, use the fuji kawaguchiko trail, they have the most mountain huts, toilets and rescue and first aid personnel.(though still not that many)

we climbed yesterday with a 8yr girl & 11yr boy, they did great. 1 note, both are VERY active...that would be my advise, if your kids have tough resolve, understand hat there is no turn around until station 8 (show them picutres) and have allready been very active, go for it. Everyone will be tired, sore but happy they completed the climb. Happpy Climbing

My 10 years old daughter and i had just climbed last july 21st until july 23rd.I joined Fujiyoshida city's KIZUNA project,means climbing of parents and kids.This climbing tour was sponsored by the city.We were all 7 parents and 7 kids,a private guide and another Fujiyoshida city's guide.The tour climbs in slow pace.We did many stops along on our way to the top.
My daughter and me with one another party climber and a private guide,had our first night stay at Hana Goya on 7th stn.to acclimatize ourselves for the next day final climbing to the summit.The remaining parties stayed on another 2 lodges which is located much a hundred mtrs.above us.We head to the summit on 22nd of july.It was quite windy,it rains sometimes,and as we are trekking along the 9th stn.the wind gets colder and much more colder when we reached the summit.We had our hot ramen lunch at Toyo kan,and received stamps at Summits Shrine after praying for a safety journey and took some shots near the crater,then we head back to our respective lodges for another one night rest to descend on the next day july 23rd.The climbed is more like a rock climbing ,as what my daughter defines it.
The strong gust of winds are really dangerous.That is why,i almost always tried to protect my daughter,by staying closed behind her.We did not experience thunderstorms or lightnings,just rains once in a while along the trails.
Yes,We Reach the Summit on July 22,2009 in the afternoon.But what is somewhat overwhelming is ,my daughter had asthma.I did'nt expect that she can really make it to the summit.My actual reason for joining this tour is to see if how long she can climb at Mt. Fuji,and another reason is my training as i have my own climb next mo.of August.
We had several trekking and hiking before i decided to join the tour,and i asked her doctors advice first if she can join the trekking.Her doctor allowed her to join and we received emergency medicines if something bad occured while climbing and told us not to continue if that ever happens.What happened is,while on our last night at the highest lodge of the 8th stn.i think that we experienced altitude sickness while on the midst of our rest.I knew that a jammed packed lodging house around 3500 mtrs of Mt.Fuji is the reason that triggers the sickness,and maybe,admittedly,i am already tired and not having enough sleep made the situation worse.Thanks that our GOAL was already done before that happened. My daughter slightly feels so bad and weak,that s why i opened a fresh oxygen can for her to lessen the condition.We left the lodge an hour lately, and proceed to another members stayed on the lower lodges after us,then we started to descend.As we are descending,my daughter gets better and me too.That was maybe an altitude sickness,i said maybe because,for me,my slight Meniers Disease maybe is another reason of the sickness.Thanks God that we reached our Goal and not so much trouble happened along the way.
If you really want to climb with your kids,i think you need to join a tour for 2 nights and 3 days,so that you can climb Mt.Fuji in slow pace and you better check the weather conditions before finally deciding to climb.And if you dont like a jammed packed trekking,maybe you can choose to climb on the last days of August on ordinary days.I advice you to climb with a private guide.Good Luck!