Mount Fuji is an inactive volcano perhaps Japan’s highest natural feature. Most people have seen the famous postcard view of the high speed ullet train speeding past the snow capped peak.

When the snow melts in warmer weather crowds of young and old make the ascent each day. The climbing season runs from July to August and The busiest time is July, coinciding with Japanese school vacations however about one third of climbers are visitors from outside of Japan. In the of-season the mountain can very dangerous with sub-zero temperatures and wild weather.

The climbing trackes consist of 10 checkpoints or stations and most drive or bus up to station 5 to begin there. Only a few hours from Tokyo, the climb takes around 7 hours up and 4 coming down and can be completed in a very long day. It’s quite common to set off in the evening and arrive at the summit in the early morning.