Originally Posted by
Ichinensei
Glad you had fun. I went last year and planning to go next year again. I slept in a hut the last time, so I plan on a night assault this 2nd time..
But I'll start at 6pm or so.. WHat time did you start climbing?
I went really slowly. I started actually walking around 8:30pm from the 5th Station, saw the sunrise at around 4:00am from the 8th station, and got to the top around 6:30am. The info I had says it is 6-8 hours total, maximum, but I dawdled at each station to take photos and videos, drink water, etc. Also at many points I had to wait and inch along behind large crowds.
I think if you start at 6pm, you will have no trouble at all being at the top well before sunrise -- particularly if you go on a weekday from what I understand.
And, consider the Subarishi or Gotemba trails for the descent -- it was REALLY fun to run down the sand/gravel slopes for a couple of hours.
-C