----------------------------------- sanji Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:58 am Links to plan to hike to Fujisan [E] ----------------------------------- This small topic is dedicated to links that probably would help you to plan a climbing of the Fujisan (Mount-Fuji)... A first reminder : the official climbing season starts the 1st of July and finishes the 27th of August every year. The opening can be delayed is there is still snow on the top of the mountain. Weather In English, Access paths to the top There are 5 different tracks reaching the summit from different starting points... Here are the links for the pdf maps from the climber.org web site, with Kawaguchiko-guchi route : start from the 5th station at 2305 m. This is the most popular access, with lots of mountain huts on the way to the summit. Most of people coming from Tokyo use this route. Subashiri-guchi route : start from the 5th station at 2000 m. Less crowded, this track joins the previous one at the 8th station. Fujinomiya-guchi route : start from the 5th station at 2400 m. This is the shortest route and thus the easiest one. It is important to keep in mind that the sunset is not very visible from the slope of the Fujisan, so it is best to be on the summit before the sunset. Gotenba-guchi route : start from the 5th station at 1440m. The longest route, and the less popular one, with only limited facilities on the way to the summit... Access from Tokyo To reach the Fujisan, 5th station, from Shinjuku, Mountain Huts Maps Excellent colored maps of the Off season & Winter One of the regular questions concerns the climbing outside the official period. The answer is clear : only experienced climbers should attempt to climb the Fujisan from September to June. Accessing the mountain is more difficult (few or no buses are available, for example), mountain huts are partially or completely closed, and there can be a lot of snow. I personally climbed in September, and the last hour on the track was walking in the snow. You therefore need to be equipped for that. Before June and after September, it is an extremely difficult hike, and can be potentially very dangerous. For those who are still tempted, check the following links: Other stuff & Links Lots of links on the