Hi,

I will be visiting Japan from mid-May to early June and am planning to climb some mountains including Kitadake, Hotakadake and Fuji-San. I will be travelling around a bit therefore don't fancy carrying an ice-axe or crampons around with me. Am I likely to need these at the time of year I will be visiting? How much would it cost per-day to hire them if necessary?

Also does anyone know of any good English language websites for anyone planning a trip to the Japanese mountains? Thanks.

Steffan,

If you're going to climb in the Japan Alps in May, you'll more than likely need an ice axe and crampons. Last year I was hiking in mid-May at an elevation of 2400m and it snowed, so you can imagine how much snow there'll be at 3000m. I'm not sure if there are any places that rent equipment. Montbell does snowshoe rental, but not crampon rental. Now, that being said, if you're an experienced hiker and have got some really reliable shoes, then maybe you could forgo the equipment for Kita-dake, which will have much less snow than Fuji or Hotaka. Another option if you're worried about lugging around equipment is to head the the southern island of Kyushu, where all of the show will be melted. or you could do some lower elevation hiking on the main island.