[jaunthead]

You sir, are a braveheart! Thrilling travelogue.

[tharian]

Brilliantly written and hats off for doing it.
Enjoyed the pictures and the write up.

This is like a guide to someone who wants to do it.

And I had no idea till I read this that one could climb up Mt. Fuji and that there is Post Office on top.

[sleepyhead148]

Thank you sir, for this awesome thread. I was supposed to be in Tokyo during June this year with a friend, and this was on our agenda. The Yoshida was the trail of our choice due to its connectivity to Tokyo and the entire trip was planned for (as coincidental as it may seem) 28th of June. However, my friend had to go to Germany for his further studies (got an admit confirmation in late April and had to leave for the country in end July) and we had to abandon this trip.

Your travelogue actually gave me a sense of belonging and gave me the necessary material to actually keep this plan alive and make good on it in the coming years, even if it means going solo. Please keep up the good work and I wish you get to travel more such places in the future.

[Theyota]

You sir are truly a brave heart! You writing is elegant. You remind me of R K Narayan.

[Pontiac]

Originally Posted by Kumar R

My engagement in Japan ended on June 23 and since I could stay back only another week I decided to undertake the climb on the 27th or 28th - i.e. just before the climbing season but in weather quite close to favorable. I assumed that park authorities would be busy with preparations (for the start of the climbing season on July 01) so help would be at hand if need be. I also assumed that since 300,000 people climb the mountain each year at least some outliers would be present on those dates I would be going.

I feel you did the right thing. One another reason the hike is treacherous is the huge hiker traffic during the peak season time. During the climbing season when I did the climb, it took 8hrs one way to the summit (part of it was due to the night time hike and was rainy) but was able to reach the summit just in time for the sunrise.

[sparky@home]

Hello Mr. Kumar,
That was a wonderful write up, just like your Machu Pichu trip and Nice Pics too. I actually read it only when I saw your name against it, knowing the detailed coverage you had given in your earlier one. Anyone can use this as a guidance if they ever wanted to travel to these places. All the best.

[garychopper]

Thanks for sharing a great travelogue!
Reminded me of my own trip to Fuji five lakes region in September '16, I was not able to climb Fuji as the trails close in September. I spent 5 days in the lakes region and was not able to see 'Fuji san' in its full glory as it rained everyday. I had to contend myself by climbing the other small hills around the region.
It's a beautiful area and best explored by car. I found Japan to be an interesting country to visit.

[Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by Kumar R

Naturally my mind worked overtime to identify the things I wanted to do on my travel - buying some authentic Kyoto pottery (Kiyomizu-yaki) and climbing Mt Fuji were on top of that list.

I think the only thing missing in your post is an Augmented reality tour! With people like you taking the time to put down such high quality stuff, I think publications like the Lonely Planet will be relegated to the backup guide and not the "go to" resource for travelers anymore. The age of the 'lonely' Lonely Plant and the 'very very' Rough Guide is coming

Could you highlight why Kyoto pottery is so highly regarded? Is it the japanese equivalent of the Ming period?

[PapaBravo]

Very informative & gripping TL, Kumar R. The pictures are amazing. These experiences are rare & I am sure you enjoyed the trek a lot.

Mt Fuji looks lovely. With this TL, you have cleared all doubts about what one would have about trekking to Fuji San, along with a geography & history lesson.

Rated 5 stars.

Regards,

Pawan