How to ride a mountain bike down Mt. Fuji

There is an old saying about being a fool to climb Mt. Fuji twice, and it makes sense in the meaning that there are so many other mountains to climb, so many tours to hike, as to spend too much time with just one mountain.

On the other hand there is more than just one route to climb up, and down, many less crowded. Take for example the old route that starts at the majestic Fujiyoshida shrine, the only way up in the old days, before the concrete and asphalt road was built. That tour would lead you on an old path, hollowed out by many feet and yearly heavy rains, through an old forest, passing disused and broken down wooden huts and many an old stone markers. The atmosphere is such that you wouldn't be much surprised if a Tengu would suddenly jump out from the trees.

And than there is a very modern way: carry your mountain bike with you up to the top, and from there go down the south side on a bulldozer-path and fly down into Gotemba. I did it many years ago, first with a normal MTB and than a few years later with a suspension-bike, also it wasn't a dedicated downhill bike. Needless to say, it is not a place for beginners and of course I wil not in any way take responsibility for injuries when doing this tour. Plus, with the amount of off-road bikers becoming more and more every year you might encounter some difficulties when trying to get your bike up because of new implemented “rules”, so better check beforehand.

Although its not impossible to go down with a normal MTB with fat tires, I wouldn't recommend it. Fact is, it's gravel and stones and you will be riding in a caterpillars path, meaning without suspension you will shake so much that you won't have enough control to ride with higher speed. If you can get your hands on a downhill bike with long suspension front and back, use it. But beware, because its heavy, so it will be more difficult to climb. As for accessory, a mud-guard for the front is a must to protect you from stones as much as your clothing should also be padded with leg-guards, gloves and a helmet as basic equipment.

Try to create a team, supporters who would be willing to carry some of your stuff for you, clothes, water or the tires of the disassembled bike. Doing it alone will be a very heavy load, and you will need energy left in your body for the descent, more so than your partners who will just “walk” down. If possible get to the 5^th station, your starting point half up the mountain by private car, which will keep you more flexible with your time schedule. On some days though the road might be open only for buses and taxis so be sure to inquire beforehand.

The official climbing season is July and August only, it might be possible to climb later, but there is no one up there in case of emergency. And the wind can get very nasty. On the other hand trying to take your bike with you on a weekend might see you in the middle of a big traffic jam up the peak. My suggestion is to go in the middle of the week if possible, try to catch the sunrise from the 5^th station, it still is beautiful, than get started.

The climb usually takes about 4 to 5 hours, so with your bike as additional luggage on your back, this might add up to at least 6 hours. Half the time you will be climbing over and between rocks and boulders, meaning it will be impossible to push your bike even when it's not disassembled.

You will arrive at the peak from the north-east side and start your descent from the south-southwest side. Walking around the crater will take at least half an hour, plus the time it takes to assemble your bike and get into your clothing. The starting point is below the base of the former weather-station which was taken down a few years ago. From here is a path used by bulldozers to bring up supplies for the shops on the top and bring down the trash and postal matters from the post office. Be careful if you happen to meet one: they won't be happy about a bike using their road!

The path is zig-zagging back and forth with four short corners starting with a right turn, than a straight stretch, followed by corners 5 – 13, after which the path forks into the way towards Fujimiya to the right (south), and Gotemba to the left(south-east) where you are heading towards, so don't miss it. A bit downhill you can see a smaller crater called Hoeizan (宝永山）which is between the two paths, meaning you want that one to be on your right side. A few more corners (14 – 25), and after this you will have a nearly straight line downhill in front of you, where you can gain more speed, depending on your bike, your skills, and your guts! And beware: any sudden braking will have you fly straight over the handle for sure because of the steep incline!

On the lower half the path kind of fades out to a wide, inclined,terrain with a rope pinned to to ground functioning as a marker. You might meet a few hikers here, so be careful! Before the start of the asphalt road there is a little hut with bus-stop. The height is about 1450 m and your starting point being about 3750 meters, you just “dropped” 2300 meters! So, refresh yourself, have a look back up the huge mountain you just descended and than get onto the road for some high-speed ride into Gotemba where you might wait for your friends to meet you. Or if you are GPS-equipped you might try it towards Zero, the ocean.