Climbing Mt. Fuji off season

First, you’ll have to submit a proposal to the Fujinomiya Police station to get a permission to enter the mountain. And you’llll need to hire a professional guide if you want to climb Mt. Fuji for the first time, as the paths will be covered in snow and ice. As you know, all mountain huts are closed until June/July and the access road (called “Subaru Line”) is open only until the 4th Station. So, whoever wants to climb Mt. Fuji off season (possibly until the end of May) would have to start climbing not from the usual 5th Station, but from the 4th Station.

A lot of incidents have happened where people attempt the climb, become lost, and lose their lives, so as you said a winter mountain is not to be taken lightly.

Hi Samuel. I’m planning to go to Japan in a week and have intended to climb Mt. Fuji if weather permits. I’m wondering if you indeed made this trip yet or not. From what I’ve read and through one email correspondence with someone who climbed it on February of 2015, it is always open to be climbed, but Japanese folks there greatly discourage it because of the risks. Most of the information sources that shed light on the decent possibility of success are all from experienced mountaineers, so that right away tells us that there’s a bias going into what the majority of the publication are saying about staying off the mountain. Fortunately, it seems to be a blanket statement to protect inexperienced people from taking on the difficult challenge. 

Im sure you’ve read it a dozen times, but the common dangers most repeated among sources is potential for ice crust crampons can’t penetrate and high winds/gusts that can imbalance and toss you. I really hope you made the climb, even an attempt, and hopefully I’ll get a chance to hear your story.