Mt. Fuji Off-Season Climbs
Is it safe to climb Mt. Fuji in the off-season?
When asked this question by climbers, we reply. “When in the off-season do you want to climb?" As a general rule the further away from the climbing season, you get the greater the danger and the closers to the official Climb season which is from July to September the less the danger.
When climbing Mt. Fuji, a great deal depends on the weather. It is difficult to approximate when the best date to climb is, as the climate is forever changing. You may have a dreadful awful rainy/windy day in August and a beautiful sunny day in October. The weather on the day of your climb plays a large part of how risky your climb may be. I have climbed Mt. Fuji from May to October and some of my most pleasant climbs have come during the off-season. Doing a one-day climb in May, June or late September with the right equipment, right weather a professional guide and the right friends can be extremely enjoyable and much less crowded than in-seasons climbs.
Climbing Mt. Fuji a couple of months before or after the climbing season poses some risk; however, climbing during the winter offseason after October greatly increases the risks, as the dangers and hazards rise. Unless you are a professional climber, I would unequivocally avoid climbing Mt. Fuji during the deep winter months (any month from November to March). As an example, during these months, wind chill temperatures of -40C are common above the 8th station and all trails from November to April are completely covered in snow and ice, so it is easy to get lost. Mt. Fuji occasionally has horrendous winds (40m/sec~50m/sec), especially in the winter. However, if you are interested in doing a summit climb during the months of May, June or October we would have happy to arrange a customer climb for your group.
When asked this question by climbers, we reply. “When in the off-season do you want to climb?" As a general rule the further away from the climbing season, you get the greater the danger and the closers to the official Climb season which is from July to September the less the danger.
When climbing Mt. Fuji, a great deal depends on the weather. It is difficult to approximate when the best date to climb is, as the climate is forever changing. You may have a dreadful awful rainy/windy day in August and a beautiful sunny day in October. The weather on the day of your climb plays a large part of how risky your climb may be. I have climbed Mt. Fuji from May to October and some of my most pleasant climbs have come during the off-season. Doing a one-day climb in May, June or late September with the right equipment, right weather a professional guide and the right friends can be extremely enjoyable and much less crowded than in-seasons climbs.
Climbing Mt. Fuji a couple of months before or after the climbing season poses some risk; however, climbing during the winter offseason after October greatly increases the risks, as the dangers and hazards rise. Unless you are a professional climber, I would unequivocally avoid climbing Mt. Fuji during the deep winter months (any month from November to March). As an example, during these months, wind chill temperatures of -40C are common above the 8th station and all trails from November to April are completely covered in snow and ice, so it is easy to get lost. Mt. Fuji occasionally has horrendous winds (40m/sec~50m/sec), especially in the winter. However, if you are interested in doing a summit climb during the months of May, June or October we would have happy to arrange a customer climb for your group.
My Tokyo Guide |
Mt. Fuji Trek |
|
