Investigation of congestion in Mt.Fuji using GPS logger

Mt.Fuji is the centerpiece of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park among the busiest in the world with over 110 million estimated annual visits. There are four trails (Yoshida, Fujinomiya, Gotenba and Subashiri), and no matter... [ view full abstract ]

Mt.Fuji is the centerpiece of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park among the busiest in the world with over 110 million estimated annual visits. There are four trails (Yoshida, Fujinomiya, Gotenba and Subashiri), and no matter which trail, it is typical for all climbers to be aiming for the summit. Most of the climbers are looking forward to admire the view of the sunrise from the summit, so around sunrise time, there are instances of large-scale congestion just below the summit. Since the time period falls in the middle of the night, and the spots are at high elevation areas, studies have been difficult, which is why accurate information had not been obtained up to this point. In this research, we conducted a survey using GPS loggers to determine movements of climbers and congestion levels on the trails in Fuji.
The survey was conducted five times in the four trailheads in July-August 2015. We distributed GPS loggers to climbers at each trailhead, had them carry the loggers during their climb, and then collected the loggers when they reached the trailhead. We gathered valid sample data from 1,402 people. To determine the density and average speed of climbers at each spot on the trails, we divided the trails into 100-meter sections and gathered all the data for each section. In accordance with the gathered data, we calculated each section's average speed and density, and used ArcGIS to visualize the numbers.
The most crowded area was beyond the 8th station on Yoshida trail, where it joins Subashiri trail. However, on Yoshida trail, heavy congestion did not occur on days where climbers were few in number. On Gotemba trail, which is the least crowded, congestion did not occur even on days with high numbers of climbers. The timing of occurrence of congestion on each trail corresponded to the time of sunrise.
By analyzing collected GPS loggers, it was possible to visually comprehend the level of congestion for each survey date, trail, and time of day. The results of this survey will be an important data for consideration of measures to encourage dispersed usage of trails.