Japan's Mount Fuji and Lakes Trek

Level of Difficulty

A “tough” trip should be undertaken by someone with previous experience and interest in the activity – whether cycling or trekking. It will usually involve camping, and will certainly be in a remote environment, where facilities are not what you would expect at home. A tough challenge will test you both physically and mentally. Both cycles and treks will be hilly, and training is essential to ensure you are well prepared.

A typical day

A typical day will see you hiking on average 15km a day with some steep ascents along trails and paved paths.  The trails are well-trodden routes but afford you some beautiful views.  To get to from the hotel to the start of the trails most often there will be a short transfer.  Your meals will be provided for you as stated on the itinerary.

Safety

Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount.

Responsible Tourism

At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism, and work closely with bodies such as the International Porter Protection Group and Climate Care to ensure that our challenges benefit the local environments and communities in which they take place. We ensure that all rubbish is disposed of responsibly, and following local guidelines on cultural and environmental protection and respect, we aim to limit our impact on the natural environment. In addition to taking these practical steps to ensure that our challenges are sustainable, we also make a contribution each year to a number of local community projects, so as to give something back directly to the communities that we visit. Since 2000 we have donated almost £200,000 to such projects, supporting a range of initiatives, including schooling for children in Africa, shelter for street children in Brazil, and Orang-utan conservation in Indonesia. We recommend that any gifts brought over for children are given to the UK challenge leader and distributed where needed by them and our local Ground Agent. If you wish to do more, you should consider buying drinks, postcards and souvenirs from the local vendors. For many, it is their sole source of income. For more information, please visit our Responsible Tourism pages, where you will be able to view a list of the projects that we currently support.

Extension

If an extension is available for your itinerary, this info will be included on the respective expedition website. If you wish to book an extension, you will need to do so no later than 4 months prior to departure.

Flights

You will be flying from London Heathrow to Narita. The flight time is approximately 11-12 hours if flying non-stop. Your flight info can also be found in your Account Area under 'Flights'. Your flight tickets will be emailed to you before your departure. 

Visa

If you have a ‘British Citizen’ or ‘British National (Overseas)’ passport, you can enter Japan as a visitor for up to 90 days without a visa. You may need to provide evidence of a return or onward ticket.

If you have a different type of British nationality, or you wish to enter Japan for other purposes (long-term stay, study, settlement, employment); if you have any doubts about whether you’re eligible to enter Japan (eg, if you have a criminal record or have been arrested even if it did not result in a conviction) or about visa matters generally, contact a Japanese Embassy or Consulate. Visas aren’t issued after arrival in Japan.

Insurance

It is a condition of travelling with Charity Challenge that you have a suitable travel insurance policy which covers you for your entire challenge. We have a special policy which covers among other things, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, cancellation and curtailment of the challenge, and more specifically for the adventurous activities undertaken on this challenge.

If you have your own travel insurance policy, you must ensure that it provides at least the same level of cover as our recommended policy, including protecting the charity in the event of your cancellation 56 days or less prior to departure. If you choose not to purchase our recommended policy when you book we will send you a disclaimer which you must complete and return to Charity Challenge prior to travel.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations

For up to date vaccination information please check the Travel Health Pro website https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/114/japan 

Charity Challenge team are not medical experts and we would encourage you to visit your GP or travel nurse to discuss vaccination requirements. Your GP may ask questions about the specific locations that you are visiting, it may be useful to take a copy of your itinerary with you.

Medication

• carry medicines (including those bought over the counter) in their correctly labelled container, as issued by the pharmacist, in hand luggage
• consider packing a spare supply of medication in the hold luggage in case of loss of hand luggage
• a letter from the prescriber detailing the medicines with the generic names for the medications can be helpful for border control checks, and in case medicines have to be replaced or medical help is required
• carry a note from the prescribing physician on letterhead stationery for controlled substances and injection medications
• take out an appropriate level of travel health insurance including repatriation and specific cover for any pre-existing illnesses

N.B.  Some medications are banned abroad so please check you can find further information at https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/43/medicines-abroad

Food & drink

Breakfast will be buffet style, both western and Japanese style will be served.  Lunch and dinner will both be provided unless otherwise stated.  If you have any dietary requirements, please add these to your booking during the registration process.

Phone & Wi-Fi

Phone connectivity is available at all locations as long as your carrier has international roaming arrangements, so check with your service providers but bear in mind it could be expensive.  There are free Wi-Fi access spots at limited locations.

Money

Japan is mainly a cash society. The Japanese currency is the Yen. You may have difficulty using credit and debit cards issued outside Japan. Cirrus, Maestro, Link and Delta cash cards are not widely accepted. Japanese post offices, 7-Eleven stores and JP Post Bank have cash machines, which will accept some foreign cards during business hours. Cash machines at banks and post offices generally close at 9 pm or earlier and may not operate at the weekends or on national holidays, however, ATMs in convenience stores and some shopping centres are available 24 hours a day. Check with your bank before travelling and take sufficient alternative sources of money for the duration of your stay.

Climate & Terrain

Climate

Early July to mid-September is the official climbing season when the trails and mountain facilities are open. During this period the mountain is usually free of snow, the weather is relatively mild and the mountain huts are operating. Anyone without much hiking experience is advised to tackle the mountain during the official climbing season.

Terrain

The trails are well marked and wind through woodland and up the side of the mountains, providing you with views of the lakes and surrounding cities.

Mount Fuji

The ascent to the summit does not pose any major difficulties regarding climbing skills. Only at some points, the terrain is rather steep and rocky. There are gusts of wind that kicks up the volcanic dust so a buff may be wise. There are signs warning of rocks falling, however, the main challenge of the climb is the fact that it is very strenuous and the air gets notably thinner as you gain altitude.

Training

Training and fitness is definitely required. It is important that you work specifically on your stamina, leg and joint strength, and balance in order to get as much out of the challenge as possible. You will be trekking up and down thousands of steps so climb stairs as often and wherever you can! The trek takes place in a mountainous environment, so the best training advice is to get outdoors into some of the mountains of the UK to familiarise yourself with walking on rugged terrain, while carrying weight in your daypack. You need to be able to sustain around 4-7 hours of trekking for 5 continuous days, so if you can then replicating this over a weekend would be fantastic training. You can also look to join one of our training weekends.

Challenge Training

If you would like to get a feel for our challenges ahead of your departure, why not consider booking on a 1 or 2 day UK Challenge?

We have a variety of challenges, covering all levels of difficulty, taking place in stunning National Parks across the UK that are led by highly qualified and experienced expedition and mountain leaders. These challenges will give you the perfect opportunity to monitor fitness levels, test out your kit, meet people in the great outdoors, share fundraising stories and gain valuable advice and support for the challenge ahead. We encourage participants to make use of our highly knowledgeable leaders and ask them any questions you may have about clothing and equipment, expedition health and wellbeing, trekking skills, walking techniques and teamwork!

We are offering all participants 50% off the registration fee when you book on one of the UK challenges listed via the link below. Just use the code TRAINING when booking. T&C’s – you must have an active booking on a challenge to avail of this offer. Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Find out more here

Luggage allowance & valuables

There are no specific restrictions on valuables and luggage allowance for trekking, except for  Mount Fuji, please see the kit list for Mt. Fuji Climbing for reference.

Leadership

There will be an English-speaking challenge leader who will be responsible for the logistics and co-ordination of your challenge. There will also be numerous local support guides and staff to assist them. The challenge leader will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.

Group size

Each group is intended to be 20 people minimum in order to run and a maximum of approx. 25 people. We will be able to run this challenge for smaller groups but charging a small group supplement which will be added to your final balance invoice (self-funders) or charged to your charity (minimum sponsorship or flexi).

Clothing & equipment

Good quality, durable kit could mean the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For this challenge, waterproof, well-worn in boots will be indispensable, particularly coupled with some really good quality walking socks. The benefits of a comfortable day sack cannot be underestimated, so make sure that you train with this. Other essentials are a high quality gore-tex waterproof jacket and technical/wicking t-shirts rather than cotton shirts. Walking poles are also highly recommended, as the steps on this challenge are very tough on even the fittest knees, and descents can be tricky, however we would recommend training with these prior to your trek. A full kit list for this challenge can be found on our website, and once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners Outdoorhire, Cotswold Outdoor and Cycle Surgery.

Accommodation & toilets

Hotels

Throughout your challenge, you will be staying in 3* hotels with western style toilets.  You may spend a night in the mountain hut on the evening that you climb Mount Fuji.

The Mountain Hut

The mountain huts are 100% communal and there are no private rooms. The huts are basic, but they are also the only choice you have if you are hiking Mt. Fuji.  You will be provided with a futon sleeping pad, pillow and sleeping bag/blanket and sleep on the floor or in a bunkroom with all other climbers.  The mountain huts are accommodation facilities that include a dining space, common sleeping space, kiosks where souvenirs are sold, food, beverages and bathrooms (with charge, approx. 200 yen). Men and women all share the same sleeping space, so it can become very crowded. Sometimes they are so crowded that the available sleeping space for one person is less than one mattress in size. This is particularly true during the summer vacation season starting after July 20th, weekends and on holidays.  There are no showers in the huts.