Where we can, where we can’t & what it’s like

Camping whilst climbing on Mt Fuji is possible, and we have spent nearly 2 months collectively camped on the high slopes of Mt Fuji in winter. Whilst many climbers choose to stay down around the tree line, our experience in Tibet and the Karakoram means we prefer to camp much higher up.

Camping like this is not ordinary camping, and uses the full gambit of mountaineering skills. Our other trips alpine climbing across Japan mean we have developed methods specifically for the conditions, taking into account Japanese sensibilities.

Lawfully it is not allowed to camp on the trails on Mt Fuji, though in reality people do as there is no one to stop them. These rules are more about impact and accidents rather than trespassing, but we heed them and instead stay away in the alpine terrain.

The untracked parts of Mt Fuji hide excellent campsites, as well as the opportunity to dig snow caves. We use special tents the same as we take to places like K2, and snow shovels to dig out platforms into Mt Fuji’s deep winter snow drifts. We usually stay above 3000m, well beyond the treeline.

Nights camping whilst climbing on Mt Fuji in winter tend to be either serene or like a battle, and can test the wherewithal of even seasoned climbers. Winds can reach +100kmph, temperatures fall below -25c, and long winter nights make for character building stuff.