Comments on: On Climbing Mount Fuji (With a Fear of Heights)

By: Abhishek Thakur

Abhishek Thakur — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 10:30:14 +0000

Very well written. Exactly what I felt all along the trek.

By: Alan Duke

Alan Duke — Sun, 14 Jul 2013 17:52:35 +0000

I appreciated your account of the climb. It is difficult to explain to the uninitiated the surreal atmosphere of not only ascending such a foreign formation but while being so immersed in the Japanese culture. I made the climb during the late 1980′s when I was stationed on the USS Midway in Yokosuka with a few of me shipmates. We left the base in our rented van at dawn and arrived at Mt Fuji to began our climb at noon. We all bought climbing sticks with flags and bells attached so we could get the station brands along the way and removed the bells immediately before the jingling drove us mad. We arrived at one of the stations late that night where we ate and slept for a few hours. They woke us at 3:00 AM so we could make the final ascent. We completed the climb in a daze then sat at one of the temples lining the crater rim and drank Grand Marnier while watching the sun rise through the layers of clouds illuminating the lakes and surrounding countryside. The way down was much as you described but I had the perfect pair of hiking boots and soon learned that if I lifted my toes a bit I could swiftly ski down on the top of the volcanic gravel with little effort. Thanks for the memories of one of my special times in Japan.

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By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:00:45 +0000

Mt. Fuji is exhausting, but your hike sounded hilariously epic. No lockers…..I would have cried. But you captured the descent perfectly – the rock crumbles totally resemble Count Chocula. And at least you didn’t hike during Obon, which has to be when 99 percent of people hike Fuji. Nothing like a trail traffic jam getting to the summit at five a.m.

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Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:47:39 +0000

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By: Kaley

Kaley — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:59:22 +0000

I also have a huge fear of heights. It isn’t as crippling as yours, it seems, but I do go into lovely panic attacks. One of my goals while in Japan is to climb Fuji-san. I think it would be the most amazing feeling of accomplishment for someone with a fear of heights.

By: Richard

Richard — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 01:32:11 +0000

I was pretty badly prepared too when I climbed Fuji some years back. I think I went off the path a couple of times on the way up (did I even have a torch?). And if you didn’t like the 200-yen banana or toilet, then you probably wouldn’t appreciate a 5000-yen ‘hotel’ which was more like a game of sardines (walking in the dark was starting to feel a bit dangerous though). Still, in the first light of dawn, I completed my journey, and enjoyed dawn proper from the summit.

By: owwls

owwls — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 16:18:04 +0000

Good luck, I think you’ll love it! My only advice is to sleep properly, eat properly, and pack light. Also, try to get there on time. :)

By: Kaori

Kaori — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:24:37 +0000

I’ve never hear of anyone starting their climb after midnight. You must have been exhausted! Can’t wait to try climbing it next month! Hopefully I’ll make it to the top, too.

PS: Any advice? :-)