Do people climb Mt Fuji during the day? Would I be crazy to do this solo? I'll be in Tokyo for a few days next week but am traveling super light. I won't have enough room for cold weather clothes to spend the night...plus I hate the cold.

Just after the climbing season will be OK. However, as it is out of the Official Climbing Season, Public Transportation is greatly reduced. Presumably, you are traveling from Shinjuku?

https://www.highwaybus.com/rs-web01-...ctLine?lang=en

Well, as the poster above, people are allowed an opinion, however unhelpful it may be. So, I guess, I should give you some of the facts:

Shops/Huts are still open shortly after the Official climbing Season has finished.

http://www17.plala.or.jp/climb_fujiyama/shop_info.html

http://www17.plala.or.jp/climb_fujiy...tain_huts.html

Yes. You will not exactly be doing it solo as there will be many people on the mountain alongside with you.

If you are not prepared for such a climb, I'd suggest to do it another time.
Tokyo, the base of the mountain may be Hot, but the Higher you climb, the colder it gets. If it rains, you will get wet.

My suggestion, if you still want to visit the area, is just view it from below.

Sep 3-4 should be fine imo. We've done it a bit later (would have been around the 6th) and at that point only about a third of the huts were still open so while your choice is more limited there are still people on the mountain. That night there was probably only about 30 people climbing the mountain and our small group made it to to summit first and had about 20 minutes there by ourselves which was a bit of a buzz.

All that said, if you are travelling light and don't have cold and wet weather clothes do not climb Fuji. It will definitely be cold and has a good chance of being wet and if not prepared you can find yourself in trouble very quickly.

What's the recommended attire for day climbs? How does the temperature at the top during the day compare to the night?

If you are a guy, you should wear a double breasted with wingtips. If you are a woman, a bodycon with high heels is what is recommended by the guidebooks.

Seriously, dress up as if you were climbing a 3,700 meter mountain. where sub-zero temperatures at the summit are perfectly possible even in the hottest summer day. It is actually possible to climb it in sneakers, but I wouldn't do it, sturdy hiking boots would be much preferred.

Here are some links that may help:

http://www.city.fujiyoshida.yamanash...4%E3%83%BC.pdf

http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kankyou/...uji/guide.html

Key is to be prepared. If not, it is an unpleasant/expensive experience.

Too many variables to give a definitive answer. During this time, temps are between 0-10 degrees celcius up top. With wind chill can push into the minus. At the 5th station you may start off in a t-shirt and shorts but the higher you go, the cooler it will definitely become. At night, well you can appreciate it being a lot cooler than when the sun is out.

You will be lucky if you get a clear day and or it's not raining during Sept. Really, it's a hit or a miss if you have only a small window of time during your schedule.

As i write this, today conditions on Fuji look like pea soup.

when i climbed it 3 years ago at the end of August, we started at 2pm and walked leisurely up so we could take pics on the way up.. slept in a hut and continued shortly after midnight and reached the top way too early - 2am. I had a t-shirt, hoodie and a shell jacket on.(really thin but supposedly wind/water resistant) it was so bloody windy and cold at the top that I had to take my raincoat out and put it on for extra layer. It didnt work. The vending machine at the top sells warm drinks but it's not very warm. Luckily around 3am, the huts at the very top opened up and I ate a bowl of hot udon. Best damn udon I ever had. Once the sun comes up, regardless of wind, it won't be cold. And if you go down the Yoshida trail back to Kawaguchiko, it will be hell on earth if it is a sunny day.. The sun will beat down on you and it's all switchbacks at 45 degree angle? and loose volcanic material. Make sure you bring a mask with you. YOU WILL NEED IT.. and make sure you have water.. There aren't huts along the way after you go below 8th stage.. And be careful of your camera. the volcanic dust gets kicked up a lot and it might jam your camera. Mine got stuck and it would not close.. Have fun

Yes, it's very common to start climbing around 4AM or 5AM, reach the top around noon, and descend and be down around 3:00-4:00PM. That's what I did a few years ago. I was on a tour and we had to start the descent at the certain time to make the bus departure. I had to turn back two stations from the top. I'm climbing again next weekend since I failed last time. Before my last trip, I'd never done cardio in my life. This time, I've been an avid runner the last two years and am in much better shape.

Anyway, I plan to start climbing around 6AM and do not expect any trouble getting back before sundown. Keep in mind, it will be cold when you get close to the top. Bring a backpack with some type of light, cold weather clothing. There's a good chance it will rain for part of the time too, so be prepared for that.

By the way, if you happen to come across me laying somewhere on the mountain, go ahead and roll me down so they find me before I'm covered in snow in a few weeks. Thanks in advance.

We're making a last minute effort to get away for the US summer and so plan to climb Mt. Fuji over the Labor Day weekend. The two of us are landing on Sat 9/3. Should we wait a day to climb (i.e. start Sun 9/4 and see the sunrise on Mon 9/5) or should we head for Fuji as soon as we get off the plane and see the sunrise on Sunday 9/4?

Is there a more expedient way from NRT to Fuji than heading for Shinjuku and taking one of the express buses? We land at 2pm assuming no delays and could head immediately for the Kawaguchiko-guchi 5th station. I'm not sure if there's even evening buses to the station from Shinjuku since many of the schedules I've looked at on the web seem to be conflicting.

The plan would be to get to the 8th station and hopefully find a place to sit/sleep/eat for a couple hours and then head to the top for sunrise.

Also I saw in prior postings that the shops selling the walking sticks (we want one each for a souvenir and so we don't have to pack our trekking poles) may be closed. Would that be true before 9/5? It appears per the link below, the lockers (we'd leave our carry-ons with stuff we don't want to haul to the top) and shops (for food/water/walking sticks) may be closed by the time we would arrive on Saturday: http://www17.plala.or.jp/climb_fujiyama/shop_info.html

Fuji is seemingly not in my cards. With tropical storm Talas headed for Japan we're going to spend the weekend more rationally and dry in Kyoto. As much as I love traipsing around in the woods in the rain, going up a mountain during a tropical storm is a bit much.

Weather was, of course, awful over Labor Day weekend. I might try this coming Sunday, Sep 11. Weather is supposed to be nice I believe. Will play it by ear. I plan a day climb, but looks like most huts are open until Sep 15-19 in case I need one.

All matches at the U.S. open tennis tournament today were postponed due to rain. And two Flyertalkers were unable to climb Fuji due to weather. Coincidence? I don't think so! Prepare for the final days....

I am looking to ski Fuji next May or June. I might go up now in September to scout the mountain. I much prefer the skiing to the climbing and hiking part.

Here's a great video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM3gqrFxAX0
(skiing starts around 6:00).

I first climbed Fujiyama as a foreign student at Waseda University in 1969. This was with our mountain climbing club at school: Being Swiss I was "coaxed " into wearing my lederhosen, which the girls encountered on the climb thought was really cool. The commemorative summit pin is still proudly on my feldjaeger hat.

I first dormed at school, then briefly with a family, and finally had my own enormous 6 tatami-sized flat in Shinjuku. The bus from Shinjuku was then, and still is the best way to get to the foot of the mountain. I've since climbed 11 times during business trips and a few school reunions, and encountered what I would consider Alpine weather about half of the time. It can also be dusty, yes, you can take a small rucksack with 1L. water, something to layer with for cold, rain, or sleet, and a few band-aids for others with sore feet.

I have bandaged fellow hikers with cuts and twisted ankles, and carried one lady down with a fracture. A few hikers encountered were quite elderly, but everyone jumped in to help if anyone had a problem. No ice-axe needed ever, but a folding hiking staff is a good idea.

Try and get into shape first by walking, especially uphill. The custom as mentioned is to summit for the sunrise, but heading down at sunset (if you carry a torch or headlight) is just as memorable. Be sure and bring that camera along too !