How to Climb Mt. Fuji

I am not a professional mountain climber, and I haven't climbed that many mountains in my young life, but I have climbed Mt. Fuji, I'm still alive and well, and I think this isn't a bad way to do it.

First off, make sure you're healthy. You don't have to be a competitive athlete, you don't even have to someone who works out regularly, but you do have to be healthy. A strong cardiovascular system is a must. A good pair of legs and mental strength also help. You'll find out about the mental strength part later.

If you're going to climb Mt. Fuji, you're going to climb it at night so you'll reach the summit in time to watch the sunrise. Believe me, climbing Mt. Fuji is probably the physically most demanding feat I have ever performed, but the view was worth every second of the hike: the majesty of the mountains, the divinity of the clouds floating across (yes, we were above the clouds), and the golden rays of the sun bathing us with much welcomed warmth. Climbing at night, you avoid the heat of the day, but if you ask me, the pre-dawn chill is harder to bear. By the way, the climbing season for Mt. Fuji is July and August. It is too cold to climb at night any other time of the year. I climbed in August, so this guide is for around that time.

So, make sure you dress in layers. The way up is cold, but the way down is warm. A beanie (or a massive hood attached to your windbreaker), gloves, earmuffs, and goggles are helpful.

What else to bring: two or three of those big, tall bottles of tea that are sold in convenience stores and grocery markets all over Japan (bring any more and not only would you be weighed down but also compelled to visit those god-forsaken foul pits that are the bathrooms on Mt. Fuji; you might consider sports drinks over tea, but I don't think the sugar would last long enough); maybe a headlamp (I didn't bother with one, but someone in the group wore one and lit the way); and, of course, food.

You're going to be so fatigued that you won't feel like eating, but you have to. No full meals, just convenient nonperishables. I recommend onigiri ("rice balls" in Japanese), lots of them. Just make sure you buy them the day of so they'll be as fresh as possible. Bring some bread, not the sweet kind, just good ol' white and wheat. Eat the bread before you get to the onigiri. Do it the other way around and the bread will taste stale after the flavor of the onigiri. Apples and bananas are a good, healthy source of sugar, but they're a hassle to deal with after you finish them.

Do not litter on Mt. Fuji! I think it's actually a serious crime (you'll see what I mean when you see the five to eight, depending on which prefecture you're in, different kinds of recycling bins the Japanese have on their streets). Besides, you don't want to be haunted by the spirits of the samurai who used to train there.

Okay, seriously now (not that I wasn't serious about the samurai), when you finish eating the apples or bananas, just have someone who is gracious enough to have a trash bag for the entire group (oh, the joys of traveling in a group-I was the trash person). If you're going up alone, you can still have a trash bag just for yourself. However, apples and bananas are heavy on the stomach. When you're tired, you should eat light foods. And, lastly, bring some energy bars. The tasty, expensive kind. You're climbing Mt. Fuji. Treat yourself a little.

This is how the trek goes: You take a bus (I took one from Kawaguchiko) to a town that's a few stations above the foot of Mt. Fuji (the return bus departs from this same town, which you'll come back to on your way down). In the town, you can buy souvenirs and have one last meal (no pun intended) before you start the climb. They sell walking sticks in the town. Don't be too proud. I recommend buying one. It'll come in handy.

If you're in a group, here is where you have to decide whether or not everyone's the same speed. If not, which is usually the case, break up into two groups. If you're anything like me, you're going to be pretty hot during the first half hour or so. I was wearing only a wife-beater for the first thirty minutes to an hour, which I don't encourage, since not everyone's a freak of nature like me. Then I put my clothes back on. Oh yeah, don't lend your jacket, sweater, or windbreaker to someone in the other group unless you have a spare. Thank God someone in my group had a spare.

Keep your group together (if you're in a group). If you've got more than, say, five people in your group, then you might want to be prepared to break up further. It is not a good idea for a faster person to wait or for a slower person to rush. Naturally, pushing yourself too hard while climbing Mt. Fuji could be suicidal; however, even if you're fit, you don't want to push your luck by waiting around too long for your friends. The human body sustains momentum much better than it builds it. If you stop too often, starting again gets progressively harder. But don't forget to take well-balanced breaks.

On the way up, there are stations that sell souvenirs. They don't really matter, except the oxygen tanks and the service to etch emblems on your walking stick. Each station offers a different emblem. They show how far up you've gone. I didn't buy a stick, but a friend did. He was quite proud of the emblems. He even cut up the stick so it would fit in his luggage. Even if you don't need the extra oxygen, you might want to borrow a tank from a friend with a weaker set of lungs and take a whiff. It's quite a sensation (not that I endorse regular doses).

If you happen to get to the summit early enough to have to wait for the sunrise, things might get a bit chilly. In this case, being in a group can be a life-saver. I don't think before nor since has anyone been so glad to have my butt on their lap (we cuddled to stay warm). On the summit, there are a temple, a pillar in Japanese (kanji, Chinese characters) stating that is the summit of Mt. Fuji, and a huge crater.

The way down is a test of mental endurance. This is where the mental strength part comes in and when you'll love your walking stick. I didn't have one. My knees weren't really happy with me. It's a steep way down. A walking stick helps. It aids you in not rolling down the path in an attempt to reach the bottom as soon as possible. The entire way down is just a repeating zigzag. There's no variation. At least when you're going up, you know you're getting closer and closer to the summit at each station. But on the way down, you really have no indication of how close you are until you get to the bottom. Well, you do pass through the clouds, but you're really in them, so you don't notice. I remember wanting to give up a few times because it felt as if it would go on forever. The trick is, you have to go on.

At this point, you don't think of food or thirst or sleep. Your body just keeps going. Remember to take an occasional sip of tea if you have any left. You don't want your body to burn out.

Once you reach bottom, rest long enough so that you know you'll have enough energy to limp, crawl, or otherwise somehow make your way back to your lodging, however close or far it is. Then sleep and sleep. You won't wake up for a while.

It is said that climbing Mt. Fuji once is courage, climbing it twice is stupidity. That is only if you make it up to the top the first time. The view's all worth it, but no one would want to do it again.