Vieri, during climbing season Mt. Fuji trails are open 24/7, so you can start climbing at whatever time you want.
But because of serious climber safety issues in recent years related to bullet climbing ("dangan-tozan" (弾丸登山) in Japanese), prefectural & national park officials have worked diligently to educate and warn climbers against doing this, especially 1st-time climbers of Mt. Fuji from overseas, the segment of the climbing population where this seems to be the biggest problem.
One-day bullet climbing is considered dangerous as it increases climber susceptibility to injury, below-normal body temperatures, and altitude sickness, a condition that should never be taken too lightly. The shortage of oxygen supply at high altitudes can cause fatigue, lethargy, and headaches, which in turn may lead to accidents, physical imbalance, dehydration, circulatory system anomalies, and even the possible lethal condition known as cerebral edema, or swelling of the brain caused by excessive fluid buildup.
Furthermore, 14% of bullet climbers (compared to only 5% of standard climbers) give up climbing to the top because they become ill. Plus, the number of bullet climbers who seek help at 1st-aid stations is 3 times higher than that of standard climbers.
Climbing incidents most often involve people who view climbing Mt. Fuji like a sightseeing outing and thus fail to make adequate preparations. This sort of 1-day climber tourism is taking a toll on the Fuji-san's delicate environmental balance, and may accelerate future actions to limit the number of climbers on Japan’s holiest peak and newest World Heritage Site.
If you are not an experienced hiker nor have trained properly, there is a real possibility of altitude sickness, including headaches, dizziness, nausea, and even severe vomiting. The best way to avoid this is to pace yourself, take lots of breaks, and to acclimate yourself to the higher elevations. Perhaps you can even sleep for a while, say, at the 5th, 7th, or 8th Stations.
Let's be clear, Mt. Fuji can be quite dangerous and claims on average around 8 lives per year. Overconfidence results in deaths and injuries on Mt. Fuji every single year.
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