Back in 1985, Lynne Cox found her way to Japan during her unprecedented ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ event. She swam in 12 extremely challenging waterways around the world and in the course of her adventure became the first person to swim across the Five Lakes of Mount Fuji.

Those five famous lakes in Japan ring the majestic Mount Fuji, the largest mountain and active volcano in Japan at 3,776 meters.

The aquatic pioneer swam across Lake Yamanaka, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Sai, Lake Shoji, and Lake Motosu, five tranquil lakes located 100 km south of Tokyo.

Several years later in 1992, Steven Munatones replicated what Cox did because his planned swim from Russia to Japan had been cancelled due to political reasons (see here). “I was well trained and ready so I added a few twists to simply swimming across the lakes: I decided to run or bike between the lakes and then run from the hotel near the lake to the summit. The swim-bike-run course was 52 km in distance on Day 1, taking 5 hours 17 minutes on Day 1. On Day 2, the running total was 21 km in distance and 3 km in elevation,” recalled Munatones. “The Day 1 logistics were a bit cumbersome as I had to obtain an escort boat flotilla in five different lakes as well as organize an escort caravan of Harley Davidson motorcycle riders to escort me between each lake on the land routes. The Day 2 run up Mount Fuji was a solo attempt with a local runner, but because it was summer time, there would be plenty of other mountain climbers also walking up the path to Fuji’s summit.“

But now between February 12th – 18th, a quartet of seasoned ice swimmers, including 2 of history’s Ice Sevens adventurers, are going to go to even further extremes in the Five Lakes of Mount Fuji. They will attempt five Ice Miles across the five lakes in seven days.

• Ger Kennedy (56, Ireland, IISA bio here) is an Ice Sevens swimmer with 20 career IISA Ice Miles accomplished to date                      
• Stève Stievenart (48, France, IISA bio here) is an Ice Sevens with 7 career IISA Ice Miles accomplished to date
• Teodor Tsvetkov (31, Bulgaria, IISA bio here) is chasing the Ice Sevens with 4 career IISA Ice Miles accomplished to date
• Conor O Connor (63, Ireland, IISA bio here) is chasing the Ice Sevens with 4 career IISA-ratified Ice Miles accomplished to date

A hotel beside Lake Motosu will serve as their Ice Base Camp. They will travel to each lake to swim a mile in distance. If the water temperatures are below 5°C, then an official Ice Mile ratified by the International Ice Swimming Association will be accomplished by IISA representatives and a local interpreter.

“There are lava tubes that run down and through the volcano. They feed the five lakes with cold, melted snow,” said Steven Munatones. “That water shoots out of the lava tubes like a strong jet of really cold water. I cannot imagine swimming in that environment. If the water is let’s say 3 – 4 °C, that is tough enough. But then the swimmers are going to swim in sub-0°C fresh water, at least for several meters…tough.”

The Five Lakes (East to West)

• Lake Yamanaka is the largest of the five lakes and the closest to Mount Fuji. It is a popular summer resort known for its “Diamond Fuji” spectacle in February, where the sun appears to rest perfectly on the mountain’s peak.
• Lake Kawaguchi is he most developed and accessible lake, serving as the region’s main transportation hub. It features numerous museums, hot springs, and prime viewing spots for cherry blossoms in April and autumn foliage in November.
• Lake Sai is a quieter and less developed lake surrounded by the Aokigahara Forest. It is famous for its nearby lava caves—the Bat, Ice, and Wind caves—and traditional thatched-roof villages.
• Lake Shoji is the smallest and most tranquil lake. It is celebrated for the “Kodakura Fuji” or “Mother and Child Fuji” view, where a smaller mountain in the foreground makes Mount Fuji appear to be cradling it.
• Lake Motosu is the deepest lake (at 121 meters) with exceptionally clear water. Its northern shore offers the specific view of Mount Fuji famously depicted on the Japanese 1,000 yen bill.

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