History
The Mt. Fuji volcano has been dormant for over three centuries. Its last eruption period began in November, 1707 and concluded in February, 2008. Prior to 1707, Mt. Fuji is believed to have erupted approximately 20 times dating back to the year 781.
Features
At its peak, Mt. Fuji reaches 12,388 feet, or 2.34 miles above sea level, which makes it the highest mountain in Japan. The warmest average temperature for one month occurs in August when the average is 43.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature is typically about 40 degrees warmer at sea level than at the top.
Hiking and Climbing
Over 200,000 visitors climb to the top of Mt. Fuji each year, and a variety of hiking trails is available. Trails consist of paved surface, packed dirt, cinders and volcanic ash.
Warning
Hikers will receive quite a workout due to the the decrease in the air's oxygen density as a hike progresses upward. If you're planning to ascend Mt. Fuji, you should be in peak physical condition to deal with air that contains only two-thirds the amount of oxygen as air at sea level.
Outlook
Although Mt. Fuji has been dormant for over three centuries, there were signs of seismic activity in 2000 and 2001. Experts believe that if Mt. Fuji were to erupt again, damages could be as high as 2.5 trillion yen, or over $28 billion in 2010 dollars.
