In Japan, officials have had to rescue a climber from Mount Fuji twice within the same week.
Annually, over 200,000 hikers scale the mountain, as per Japan’s National Tourism Organization, with the peak period occurring from July to September, which is the designated climbing season.
However, this doesn’t deter individuals from attempting to climb Mount Fuji during other times of the year. Recently, a man has tackled the mountain’s challenging slopes twice in one week.
The 27-year-old student, whose identity remains undisclosed, was initially rescued on Tuesday, April 22, after experiencing illness, as reported by Shizuoka prefectural police to CNN.
Originating from China, the man was navigating the Fujinomiya trail, which sits 3,000 meters above sea level, during the off-season when he was rescued via helicopter, as noted by The Independent. He had also misplaced his crampons, which are the spiked devices attached to hiking boots, making his descent impossible.
Despite the ordeal, he chose to return to the mountain for a specific reason.
Reports indicate that the man returned to retrieve belongings he left behind, such as his mobile phone, during the initial rescue operation.
Though his life was not in immediate danger, he became unwell once more on Saturday, April 26, and needed another rescue.
Another off-season climber discovered the student over the weekend at an elevation exceeding 3,000 meters.
“He was suspected of having altitude sickness and was taken to hospital,” a police spokesperson said on Monday.
According to the Mount Fuji website and the environmental ministry, all trails to the summit are closed during the off-season, and trail signs are largely absent, as CNN reports.
The BBC notes that Shizuoka police have advised against hiking outside the official season due to unpredictable weather conditions, which could complicate rescue efforts.
Previously, Mount Fuji made headlines in October over the absence of snow on its peaks.
Normally, by early October, Japan’s tallest mountain is snow-capped, but this was not the case in 2024.
CNN reported that as of late October, Mount Fuji’s summit was still snow-free, raising concerns about climate change’s impact on the environment.
Japan’s weather agency states that snowfall typically begins on Mount Fuji around October 2, with the first snowcaps confirmed on October 5 in 2023.