Comment by mc3301
9 days ago
It's not that hard, though obviously this is subjective. Over 200,000 people every year climb it.
Many on a short holiday with minimal hiking gear or local knowledge.
Along the way you can meet many elderly people who have climbed it multiple times.
Kids climb it.
If one is in decent shape, brings some water and rice balls, it's a nice slow adventure to the top. Unless you get super unlucky with weather.
A good wind-breaker and glasses/face covering are pretty nice to haves. Even a little wind accelerates as it hits the mountain and picks up the tephra and turns it into a sand blaster. I just took water and yen personally since the numerous huts along the way will sell you food (and burn your stick for you). Both times I started in shorts and a t-shirt and by 8? 8.5? I switched into pants with wind/rain gear over it. There isn't anywhere to change, I just put things over my shorts (no bad American moments I hope!). I ended up blowing out my sneakers on the way down one time though. That tephra is seriously like sandpaper and it ripped the tread off one shoe. I was lucky the rest survived long enough to make it down. Honestly, down was in many ways harder than up. No huts, you are tired and it is still very steep. Totally worth it though!
I think I was wearing vibram fivefingers (it was 2012ish, they were cool!) when I did it, from 0 meters, as I started at the ocean. I had a little hip-bag with some rice balls and water. It was about 23 hours to reach the top. My accompanying friend did the whole thing in barefeet.