by Scott P. Keehn
Introduction
to Mount Fuji Climbing
by Scott P. Keehn
You are visitor number since May 8, 1997
| For some wild and crazy reasons, many people who visit Japan during the
summer months get the notion that they must challenge something which the
forces of Mother Nature and the Gods of Japan have set before us. In
particular, they endeavor to climb Mount Fuji. Most are driven to this sublime act of reckless abandon echoing Mallory's definitive argument "because it is there!" Others are attracted by the call of the Great Outdoors to ascend this massive pile of volcanic detritus. Some folks, myself included, toss all other logical reasoning to the four winds and do it simply because we like it. The Japanese say that "one who never climbs Mount Fuji is a fool, and one who climbs twice is twice the fool." Whatever drives you to join the masses who make the challenge during the summer climbing season in July and August, you may benefit by taking a moment or two to review the topics linked below. The information is provided as guidance in making your own preparations for the climb. YOU are the best person to ultimately decide what you need to bring, or leave behind. And YOU are the one who is ultimately responsible for your own safety. During the regular summer climbing season there are dozens of merchants at the mountain huts who will be happy to sell you food, shelter and other basic necessities. But rest assured, they are all 100% professional when it comes to mountain safety. If you need emergency assistance, go to the nearest mountain hut. You may have to pay up later on, but you will be assisted by people who really do know what's going on all over Japan's most famous mountain. The Facts, Preparation and Safety information presented here is mostly generic and applies to all (four) of the primary climbing trails. It was developed from experiences on the Gotemba and Kawaguchiko trails. The Kawaguchiko trail is the most accessible and most heavily used during the official summer climbing season, especially for those coming from the Tokyo area. Some of my information is limited to the Kawaguchiko trail only. These pages do not contain a lot of pretty pictures, though you might
find some at a few of the sites on my Links
page. This site is about preparation and safety. |
Introduction / Facts & Other Information / Preparation / Safety Precautions
Health Tips / FAQs / Quotable Quotes / Winter / Links / My Info Page
