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Ride Fuji Climbing from 3 Way

Mfebrian

Maximum Pace
Jul 28, 2019
88
120
Hey,

Does anyone has done this climbing before? I really want to try this course and could have some advice from whoever especially things such as what the best season to climb, where is the nearest place to start and probably also to stay for a night as i assume this might takes a whole day climbing.

My plan was to take also my family with me but either to stay in Gotemba or Kawaguchiko so Wife & Kids can go to Fuji-Q Highland..
Any thoughts or idea, feel free to jump and thanks before for all the suggestion :)

 
Hi @Mfebrian
I did something similar in August this year but clockwise and riding Azami Line, then Skyline, then Subaru Line. My Strava activity is here.
It's a huge amount of climbing, so I recommend mid-summer both for the long daylight hours and less clothing to carry. Also, the order we did it in really helped. Getting Azami out the way first was a nice boost, Skyline is actually deceptively tough, and Subaru Line is by far the easiest of the lot and is also best served with shops and amenities both on the way up and at the top, which really helped.
Basically, putting a 1,800 metre ave 7% gradient climb at the end of a long day is going to be a tough one :)
 
Once upon a time, did the Subaru Line (only) in May. Bonked hard since I was expecting some shops & (water) on the way up.
To be honest, the climb is very monotonous (and long, of course) and only a few switchbacks have decent views. The descend is awesome though.

Here's the link to my activity

That ride looks delightful as well! Spring next year is going to be challenging ;)

Is the weather so cold that this ride would be silly to try now? Looks like anywhere between 2-5 degrees at the 5th station at the moment.
 
That ride looks delightful as well! Spring next year is going to be challenging ;)

Is the weather so cold that this ride would be silly to try now? Looks like anywhere between 2-5 degrees at the 5th station at the moment.

Temperature itself is manageable if you're dressed correctly. The greater issue/risk is 'Ice'. If the night time temperature is hitting sub-zero, ice becomes a possibility. (Black Ice terrifies me). Other than that, may not be ideal but doable.
 
This looks like an epic of...epic proportions. I suspect waiting until next spring might be the way things have to be, but would love to do this once it warms up again
 
So @Mfebrian and I are planning to hit Fuji twice in the coming months.

First ride will be in the next couple of weeks, aiming up the 5th station climb only. Idea is to start in Otsuki and then finish somewhere like Machida - will post exact details once sorted and hope some more can join.

Second ride will be the full 3 Climb monster, with a view to tackle towards end of March 2020 (weather permitting). Plenty of time to train and mentally talk ourselves out of it, but again would be fantastic if there was a good crowd of us.
 
So @Mfebrian and I are planning to hit Fuji twice in the coming months.

First ride will be in the next couple of weeks, aiming up the 5th station climb only. Idea is to start in Otsuki and then finish somewhere like Machida - will post exact details once sorted and hope some more can join.

Second ride will be the full 3 Climb monster, with a view to tackle towards end of March 2020 (weather permitting). Plenty of time to train and mentally talk ourselves out of it, but again would be fantastic if there was a good crowd of us.

I'm fully in for both of these. I was thinking of doing a 5th station ride myself in the coming weeks, getting the last train to Atami and getting up there for the sunrise?
 
If you're well-equipped and used to riding when it's really cold... maybe. But I wouldn't recommend it. Fujisan area is notable for changeable weather.

About this time of year, many years ago, on a bright sunny day, I thought I'd try a loop around the mountain.

10 km later at Yamanaka-ko...

20061203-074005.jpg

A few minutes later - blizzard!

20061203-080353.jpg

And a few moments later - gentle crash and trashed derailleur hanger.

'Bus ride of shame' home.
 
wouldn't recommend this before May or so. fujiyoshida at the bottom already has low daily temps of 2C, and there's about 1,800m of elevation gain from there. you do the math, with each 100m approx 0.6C degrees fall in temp
 
Two years ago I took some friends from abroad up to the Subaru line Fuji 5th station (~2300 m elevation) by car during the cherry blossom season around the 5 lakes. When we got to the toll gate I was told this was actually the first day of the season for the road to be open all the way up to the 5th station. That was April 20. Here is the view from the parking lot:

im4NwztBGApqqrzcvnDOxILDvgQQGP-CSV0N06mkkAt89vGzQOeffaD9tEfGN3li-D-fukF8kOCC0FkjrTt3uRYUlKVsSSA_H8a-GC-DG7SL6ccRkquD2mIEvYvx4DqWvvvVWm0fOqX6MQQlsulDccZrNdKxRc3VZUUNJxbpiXOpub14hQe25qcsE-sxUOaI8o8PzyHqis5Yvjxq_T0dufqvfyPWNsu4JaxZBdNYQ49YF3m5IbhcWO7GmPI7cyiQTAUa0_v73GUpfYPltPzUc0qPikoZbHZ45fJTHPIHm9TbpDdbMSo5X4fOpVAA3JInssqDBqtBLtCPimYYe1cXr5tD5mctSCsfesTXdNs5XL6A33bvkl1cMMMre3yR75Jr54Y8TI4isXNFrK-i7tWj-HrTAEqukHQ7hXdF69mxPBYxQNOFbno7BRFW1uHUwObXoyhXtt_-mSunVGv6s0y9c5J7MnZT0EfPSo9jEVN3ZPyP771aVoTulQe-eElyDEZBmerwoGQQOjrST4Fcyi_SyBsShR3nY2GuwOxQ74ta1cbjrCvZjfBFKzPLFdhAcfBzk88aBXndhDvBcQIrkEriDEKUVO4Ib2EGfUPCTqNujkTn-0JrEhyWt19gc6fxyeWYQO35TNPt1RR8wx81tDBaYpnHhXUkzCwRpZVAEXKff7UJEsIM7h5FD1M_tBJ8_xgfxKyjguQcYbQi9A0Eu24VWoEI4JHJAHhhjxwxTU-e00_KLSye=s800-no


I had specifically checked the website to make sure the road was open, as I recalled driving up there in May before and there still being snow by the roadside and the road being closed after the 3rd station gate.

This year on March 23 I rode a 300 km brevet past Kawaguchiko and Yamanakako and back via Doshi road. In the evening it was only just above freezing at Kawaguchiko and -4 C with black ice at Doshi road Yamabushi pass (just a few km east of Yamanakako). Two of us crashed and bent the derailleurs. That was at "only" 1100 m. I wouldn't want to be at 2300 m on such a day.

tqfBPUkGJCYUMJ76MxBkybuKxt8yTWe8JSsmH-XtxgbgEkXpCayZAxTaWWHnHlX8I54-JBXWK7aIsPgajUC2uucAWWBwXQAHGpEcl6uqvg9-VPPVn_5UyaMPTYThjwPGzZnlOs4PFMIqe4R9NZAlADNsFjfbx2TNxCiyILLKPglDHY8S2lOBPnFutb3kitK1iCq7IrzavxbUnBIepA8hNK7UJgw-Z8sjm57ZysXqrfHFfFMo8IlLsclb2oYVHypbscT_zleyOSJkF2-UZMuT3B44EtZF4-MaHDsytw9-sUbuBIKJ4lvc2bt2bYSoVs8sqQm2sEXCA_0kZyrjlBD4hKKc8_WmxpZZ2CWjNzUdG5Iv5kV2AtRB_25ofEJRA7B-N9zwYfcMuWY3nZSudc2U1KcxZvNMve11Z2fKEYfkGw5kvd_jJHhTSFB2nrnbq6c3DkwWOCf49FmxNhSTp3uyt0QpLH3o-mQWeMH6tGRkLGDr6N4gGmbLxSfhUcBXlTUfqtT3KsgFIoZsb5wpiZfudd2Ms3WqRsDXAukudd2YbDrwR1k0hEToEhnfJmrGEvtCsQ8wtoAztF7tSeisYXQvM3z6ooW7gqyH5ppOgW4S7PWp3Q5mpz9oJqkd1sQAReliXyzeut1nAcfZwVZVZCj5priUMUGhBJS8RPqXFFHjC32Bo0EHGt8kSB7PaADNDJvNNY0rBDlMcOVudOxz-ugqNmFKhZyHuGAY3nI2fsrNl23B9UwR=s800-no


The best time to do a 3 climbs of Mt Fuji ride is June or later, when not only the snow will be gone but you'll also have enough daylight. 210 km with 5000 m of climbing is, WOW!
 
I notice the light blue hue of the two bidons - is that with antifreeze down to -35 C?
Neat Blue Curaçao, probably.
what's up with that bar tape?
What was I thinking!?

Actually this was 2006, and HFC didn't get its colours until the following July. I didn't hit upon the eccentric bar tape idea for a while after that - sometime in 2009.

Rest assured - first order of business when my Niner arrives (it just shipped) will be to apply correct tape.

20091024-080227-oshima.jpg
 
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