After complete closure in 2020, Mt. Fuji cautiously opened for the first time in two years this summer 2021 for climbing midst continuing pandemic.
How was Mt. Fuji climbing in the 2021 summer mountain season? Was it any different from what used to be until 2019? Was Mt. Fuji climbing back to normal?
I look back at the 2021 season and think of 2022 and beyond.
In 2020, all four trails leading to the summit of Mt. Fuji, namely Yoshida, Subashiri, Gotemba, and Fujinomiya, were closed due to the coronavirus.
Yes, the mountain was literally shut for climbers in summer last year. It didn't open.
Major starting points of climbing were heavily barricaded with security guards and surveillance cameras. So, as a result, I had no Mt. Fuji climbing tours, which was the first time in Fujisan Curator history.
Then came 2021. As early as March, the Council for the Promotion of the Proper Use of Mt. Fuji, comprised of members from the Ministry of the Environment, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi prefectures, announced new manners for climbing Mt. Fuji in the age of COVID-19 on the official website for Mt. Fuji climbing.
It urges climbers to take thorough measures against Three Cs - Closed spaces, Crowded places, and Close-contact settings - such as avoiding crowded days and hours, maintaining a social distance when walking, and covering the nose and mouth with a mask or hand towel wipe as needed.
As infection control goods, it also calls for climbers to carry masks, hand towels, sealable storage bags, and portable hand sanitizers.
The mountain huts that provide accommodation also took measures. The Mt. Fuji Yoshida Trail Ryokan Association, which consists of mountain huts on the Yamanashi Prefecture side, announced standards for infectious disease prevention measures. Efforts were made to ensure interpersonal distances in common spaces such as the front reception, ensure a reservation in advance, and set the required ventilation volume. Some huts set the number of guests at less than half of the usual number, and as a result, many decided to raise their accommodation fees.
The Ministry of Environment has been conducting a survey on the number of climbers on Mt. Fuji in summer since 2005 by installing infrared counters near the 8th station of each climbing trail. Every year after the summer climbing season ends, it announces the number around the end of September.
And, the 2021 number came out on September 30 as follows:
Total 91K (100%) [38.4%]
Yoshida 54.5K (60.1%) [36.3%]
Fujinomiya 23.5K (25.8%) [44.0%]
Subashiri 6.5K (7.1%) [31.7%]
Gotemba 6.5K (7.0%) [51.8%]
Numbers are rounded.
( ) : proportion to the 2021 total
[ ] : proportion to the corresponding 2019 figures
So, the number of climbers was significantly lower than in 2019, less than half. On the other hand, the distribution of climbers among the four trails remained almost the same as recent records in pre-pandemic years.
Considering that some parts of Japan such as the greater Tokyo area remained under a state of emergency in most of this summer, these figures are understandable.
Mt. Fuji climbing is not without a risk of infection although mountain climbing itself is not a high-risk activity. In reality, there were reports that infected people had actually been confirmed at a few mountain huts on Mt. Fuji.
As a guide and tour operator of Mt. Fuji climbing, I set the following baseline countermeasures for the 2021 season to alleviate the risk of infection and advised my clients to consider them in finalizing their plans.
Countermeasures
Weekdays: other than weekends and holidays
Trails with few climbers: Gotemba, Subashiri
Trails with separate ascending and descending routes: Yoshida, Subashiri
Mountain huts
Not crowded with overnighters and resters
Not used for group package tours
Be able to stay overnight without meals
Schedules different from the typical one, e.g. leaving the huts at midnight to see the sunrise at the summit
Besides the ones for all climbers, which are described earlier, all of the measures above essentially reduce the chances of direct, close contact as well as indirect one with others.
In August, I joined forces with other local guides to support US TV network ABC's GMA program in reporting their 2-day Mt. Fuji climbing journey.
If you once climbed Mt. Fuji before the pandemic, you may find what has and has not changed this season in this video.
Among the changes, the one I find most significant, which may bring lasting impact on Mt. Fuji climbing, is that bunk has been compartmentalized or partitioned into smaller sections with dividers. I know climbers very much appreciated private and/or larger personal space for each guest, which lacked in general or was with limited availability when staying at mountain huts before. Their appreciation was for not only the infection prevention measure but also the comfort and quality of the stay which should contribute more to greater overall satisfaction in their experience at the huts.
The pandemic triggered this compartmentalization, i.e. capacity reduction and consequent price increase, at mountain huts. We may see a new trend in Mt. Fuji climbing to start developing next season and beyond.
There were also some notable developments in Mt. Fuji climbing scenes which I consider worth mentioning.
Reopening (revival) of mountain hut and tea house
Hanzobo [mountain hut] : Gotemba Trail at New 6th Station
Daimonjiya [tea house] : Yoshida Trail at Umagaeshi
Originally these were planned for the 2020 season and effectively carried over to this season.
Fujisan Curator welcomes this development as it will contribute to the proposal and provision of a variety of Mt. Fuji climbing experiences to clients.
Mt. Fuji climbing resumed with caution this year, and as it turns out, even under different circumstances due to a pandemic, climbing Mt. Fuji is possible by taking effective countermeasures.
Having been encouraged by the outcomes this year, for the 2022 season, new tours will be offered in both hiking and Mt. Fuji climbing categories.
The theme is "the Great Hoei Eruption," the centerpiece on the southeastern slope of Mt. Fuji.
Hiking: Hoei Crater and Mt. Hoei
Mt. Fuji climbing: Suyama Trail
I plan to launch (release) them in early 2022 (in Q1). So stay tuned!
Mt. Fuji, the place closest to the sky in Japan, and its summit higher than the clouds.
Although the situation is different from usual years, the majesty and beauty of Mt. Fuji remain the same, and there is no better way to realize it than the experience of climbing it.
Private tours guided by locals, in which Fujisan Curator is specialized, are a natural choice by many climbers who want to fully enjoy Mt. Fuji and make unforgettable memories.