Why Japan in the Dead of Summer?

The main motivation I am heading to Tokyo in the dead of summer is to get an opportunity to climb Mt. Fuji to the top. The concept is something that can be done easiest really only in July and August as the majority of the summit will not be cloaked in snow. I will admit it wasn't something I had thought of on my first trip to Japan, but when a coworker's son visited a year later it was something he did and it sounded like a spectacular idea that I knew I was going to have to follow as well. Of course trip number two was dedicated to the cherry blossom season and I am very happy I did that. It was an awesome experience and it was right to do that before the summer trip.

Climbing Mt. Fuji is considered a pilgrimage by many Japanese people but they say that around 30% of the people who do it are foreigners. It is rated at a moderately easy 5-7 hour hike to the top. The distance traveled is less than 4 miles if starting from the 5th station (you may recall we visited that in Japan trip 1). It is however a gain of around a mile of altitude. In truth it should be easier than Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca Trail however I am not going to take it lightly. A major difference is that I won't be at altitude before I start so racing through it could provide altitude sickness. Many folks start very late in the evening and hike through the dark to arrive for the sunrise. I think I will probably start earlier and find someplace to rest for a while, maybe even rent space in one of the huts.  Not sure on that yet. Either way I will see sunrise then hike back down. They use a different route which is supposed to take 2-3 hours and does not have any water stops or the like.

Typically I am bad about hiking and bringing proper supplies. I will try to be good on this one as I am traveling and doing this alone (even though there will be hundreds or thousands of other folks doing it).  

For more information on climbing Mt. Fuji you can look at this page.  It has good information.