Late snowcap

There will be a time where there won't be snow at all

So someone skinned up to the summit, but no sign of ski tracks down. I'd hazard a guess the journo needs a photo, skinned up with a drone in the backpack, got the photo, then skied down.

Dedication! Bravo.

The picture probably is taken from a chopper or a plane.

You can make out the Yoshida ascending and descending routes despite the snow.

Beautiful.

@ulysses

look at the zig zag skin tracks (ascend), no ski track descend (yet), someone hiked up there and photo taken before tgat someone descended.

Heli is too expensive these days, 1 million yen just to get off the ground.

You haven't quite grasped the scale of the mountain

??? elaborate please, I've skinned up, and skied down it...looks exactly like skin tracks to me.

@Sh1mon, please listen to wipeout and ulysses. Those zig-zags are the descending trails of the Yoshida route. I know as I've stumbled down them a hundred times.

I've skinned up, and skied down it...looks exactly like skin tracks to me.

They look nothing like ski or skin tracks!! Do you ski, stop, turn 45% then ski again? This pic was likely taken from a heli, or someone who climbed to the top and launched a drone.

@Sh1mon, please listen to wipeout and ulysses. Those zig-zags are the descending trails of the Yoshida route. I know as I've stumbled down them a hundred times.

The sun is on it so can't be Yoshida, that's the Fujinomiya side. The walking trails length of zigzags are also much shorter than the skin tracks on the photos, count the number and compare with your fav map.

Do you ski, stop, turn 45% then ski again?

That is exactly what skinning (ascending) involves, you ascend turn 90d ascend until you reach the top. There is no descend ski tracks on the photo. Descend tracks on skis are curved with deeper depression at the fall line.

Google 'skinning on skis', it involves putting skins on the bottom of skis (with a free heel binding) to get grip. You then walk on the skis (slide motion) in a straight line, turn, walk, turn. When you get to the top, you remove skins, lock in the heel of the bindings and ski down normally.

If the zig zags are skies then what about where there isn't any snow

I haven't summited this time of year, but in early may, we bootpacked until we reach sufficient snow cover, then put on skis to complete the ascend. I have gone with two different guides and they both do this. When I've gone with friends, they also do this.

or someone who climbed to the top and launched a drone

That's what I said!

@Sh1mon. They are mountain trails, not ski tracks of any sort.

OK, I concede, had a moment of clarity, it's very unwise to be hiking or skinning up there at this time of year.

@Sh1mon, thanks.

You can easily make out these are climbing tracks, even the mountain huts are visible and also the connecting path between both tracks at the 7th level. I've climbed Mt Fuji a dozen times.