The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: July eighteenth, mounting Mount Fuji.

This week, we've been appreciating high places. The Japanese say who climbs Mount Fuji once is wise; who climbs it twice is a fool. Many of that nation's inhabitants make the trip at least once in their lives, often regardless of their physical ability. Foreign visitors seeking to gain perspective, both on the Japanese and on themselves, can also trek to the top of the perfectly cone shaped, 12,388 foot volcanic peak in Honshu province, some three hours southwest of Tokyo.

The season for climbing Fuji generally runs from early July, when the snow melts, through mid-September. You'll need no ropes or pitons, just sturdy walking shoes and bags of determination. Five well-worn trails work their way to the top of Fujiyama, with ten R&R stations spaced along the way, so carrying food and water is optional.

Walking from bottom to top and back takes an average of nine hours, but most visitors catch a ride to a trailhead at the fifth stage, about two thirds of the way up. Getting an early start is advisable because, after nine a.m., clouds at the peak often obscure the view.

That's why many climbers start out in late afternoon and stay overnight in one of the spartan huts at the seventh and eighth stations for about $75, including a traditional dinner and breakfast. Others set out from the fifth stage at four a.m., and climb in the dark. That avoids the summer's heat, but makes for a more difficult journey.

Yet, who knows, see the rising sun from the peak of Fuji San, and you may be fool enough to climb it again.

FMI For Japanese National Tourism call 212-757-5640 or www.japantravelimfo.com or www.jnto.go.jp

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