Climber has to be rescued from Mount Fuji twice in one week after making ridiculous mistake
Authorities in Japan have been forced to rescue a climber for the second time in a week from the slopes of Mount Fuji.
More than 200,000 hikers climb the mountain every single year, according to Japan's National Tourism Organization, with the most busiest time coming between July and September - the official climbing season.
That doesn't mean people aren't venturing up Mount Fuji this time of year, however, as one man has climbed the dangerous slopes, not once but twice, this week.
The unnamed 27-year-old student was first rescued from off the slopes on Tuesday (April 22) after falling sick, Shizuoka prefectural police told CNN.
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The man, who hailed from China, was walking the Fujinomiya trail, which is 3000m above the sea level, on off-peak season before being rescued by a helicopter, The Independent reports. He'd also lost his crampons - a spiked device on the bottom of hiking shoes - so he was unable to descend from the trail.
However, after his first attempt, he decided to return back to the scene for a particular reason.
According to reports, the individual went back to collect his belongings, including his mobile phone, which he had left behind during the initial rescue mission.
While his life was not in danger, police added, the man is said to have fallen ill once more on Saturday (April 26) before he was rescued for a second time.
The student was found by another off-season climber over the weekend at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters.
"He was suspected of having altitude sickness and was taken to hospital," a police spokesperson said on Monday.
All trails to the summit of the famed mountain is shut off during the off-season, according to the Mount Fuji website and the environmental ministry, while most of the trail signs are nowhere to be seen, CNN reports.
According to the BBC, Shizuoka police have urged people to not hike during the off-season, as the weather could change and make it harder for responders to respond for help.
Mount Fuji was in the headlines last October due to a lack of snow found on the peaks.
Typically by the start of October, Japan's highest mountain has a cover of snow covering its impressive peaks, but this is certainly not the case in 2024.
CNN said that as of late October, the summit of Mount Fuji remained bare, leading to many questioning the impact climate change is having on our planet.
Japan’s weather agency state that snow beings to land on Mount Fuji on average on 2 October, with the first sign of snowcaps confirmed as being on the 5 October in 2023.
Callum Jones