Three people die on Mt. Fuji less than 24 hours after official start of climbing season

Shizuoka opened its trails on Wednesday, and three bodies were found by the next morning.

On Wednesday, the Shizuoka Prefecture side of Mt. Fuji was officially opened for climbing. While Japan’s tallest mountain, in legal terms, can be hiked at any time of year, climbers are strongly urged to make their visit during the official summer climbing season, when mountain huts and other support facilities are open and make the trek much safer.

But just because it’s safer to climb in summer doesn’t mean there’s no danger at all, and in less than 24 hours since the official opening of the trails, three people have died climbing Mt. Fuji.

The first was found slightly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, when the body of a man believed to be in his 70s was discovered near Kengamine (the highest part of the mountain) but on a section of the mountain not on any established trail. He appeared to have fallen from a point five meters (16.4 feet) above where he was found. Later that same day, at around 5 in the evening, the body of a man who’d collapsed was found along the Gotemba Route trail. The man’s heart had already stopped beating when he was found, and investigators have determined that he was a 77-year-old resident of Tokyo’s Komae City. Finally, at around 4:30 Thursday morning, an unconscious man estimated to be in his 60s was found collapsed on the Fuji-san Route trail, and was later confirmed dead.

Causes of death have not yet been determined, nor have the identity of the first and third men found. However, officials believe weather conditions were likely a contributing factor. Japan is currently in the middle of an intense heat wave, and on July 10 the predicted daytime high temperature for Shizuoka was 33.6 degrees Celsius (92.5 degrees Fahrenheit), with rain and lightning were also in the forecast. Those aren’t conditions conducive to physical activity at any altitude, and inclement weather can be even more severe, and temperatures much lower, the higher up Mt Fuji you climb, as shown in the video here, filmed on Wednesday.

We’ve addressed this before, but Mt. Fuji’s famous profile, with its graceful curves and lack of thick forests, can be dangerously deceptive. From a distance, it looks like a straight, gentle stroll to the top, but much of the hike actually involves steep, rocky, narrow paths that can quickly become difficult to navigate when fatigue sets in, and that’s before adding in wind, fog, darkness, and slip-inducing rain.

So it’s important to remember that while Mt. Fuji is officially open for climbing, that shouldn’t be taken as a guarantee that it’s an infallibly good idea for anybody to climb it on any given day. The Shizuoka Prefectural Police are asking visitors to carefully consider factors including the weather and their own physical condition and hiking prowess before attempting an ascent, to remember that weather conditions can change unexpectedly, and to err on the side of caution by not pushing themselves in cases where their safety is marginal.

It’s also important to note that all three of the men who died are believed to have been hiking alone. So just like you might want to wait for another day for your Fuji hike if the weather is bad, it’s probably also best to wait until a day when you can coordinate schedules with a friend and do the hike together, just in case you get into a situation where you need someone to call for or go get help.

Source: NHK News Web, Yomiuri Shimbun
Top image: Pakutaso
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