The craziest ice climbing we know in Japan

There is a myth that ice climbing is possible inside the caldera of Mt Fuji. The difference between this myth and others is that this one is true. We know because we have attempted it.

If ever there was one thing we do that no other climbing trip provider in Japan will, it is trips to climb the ice inside Mt Fuji. We don’t pretend it is easy, we don’t pretend that everyone can do it, but we admire the initiative in anyone who wants to seriously try.

Even though we have climbed ice in places like the Gobi desert of Mongolia, this is still the craziest stuff we know due to the audacity. First we have to climb Mt Fuji, then we have to drop inside the caldera, then we have to climb out. This is a minimum 2 day objective, usually 3, and is a major tick for anyone who manages to get it done.

For those wanting to know what the ice inside Mt Fuji is like, check Google Earth where it (at last look) was captured by satellite. The main ice fall is about 70m high, very steep, and usually climbed in two pitches, and tops out onto flat rock that requires creativity with anchors.

This trip can only be done at certain times of winter, and needless to say can very extraordinarily cold. It involves spending a night as high on the mountain as possible, and carrying full gear all the way to the top.

Climbing the ice inside Mt Fuji is best done as a team of three or four, and everyone needs experience in both climbing and abseiling. The rappels in are not difficult, but then there is the traversing of the caldera snow cone, which is a level of mountaineering needed to be learned elsewhere.

We can do preparation trips for climbers wanting to nail down the skillset before needing it at the sharp end at 3800m.