Mt. Fuji . Photo: Ningyu He//Unsplash
There are some pretty good reasons why climbing season has start and end dates. Truthfully, it’s not all that complex. Weather conditions can complicate things pretty fast, from winds to extreme temperatures and, of course, precipitation, just to scratch the surface. In Japan, and Mount Fuji, this all adds up to just a three-month stretch between July and September being designated as “in-season” for climbers. Trails leading to the summit are closed outside of that window and climbers are “discouraged” from attempting to summit the country’s tallest peak.
One climber threw all that aside not just once last week, but twice, and had to be rescued both times when things went awry.
The 27-year-old student from China first took to the Fujinomiya Trail early last week, which has one of the shortest distances to Fuji’s summit starting at about 9,800 feet. He was rescued on Tuesday by helicopter after losing his crampons and being unable to descend. He’d also developed altitude sickness, according to reports.
Just a few days later, the same man returned, apparently not because he was determined to summit Mt. Fuji, but because he was determined to get his phone. He’d reportedly lost the phone and other belongings when rescuers got to him on Tuesday. On Saturday, he had to be rescued again because he was suffering from altitude sickness. Another out-of-season climber had found him there unable to move and called in the rescue.
A permit to climb Mount Fuji runs about 4,000 yen or $27 USD. Because of the mountain’s popularity, officials require climbers to book time slots online when securing those permits. Tourists also have to take a short class that covers safety for hikers and local rules. Once a prospective hiker is done with the class they are required to take a test.
