The Japanese have a famous proverb about its highest mountain. It translates roughly as, “A wise person climbs Mount Fuji once; only a fool climbs it twice.” An even bigger goofball does it twice in the space of a few days outside of the official climbing season — the second time to retrieve a smartphone lost during the first attempt. But that’s exactly what happened.
A Chinese national who recently visited the mountain clearly had no knowledge of the famous saying. Nor did he realize that scaling the 3,776-meter-high mountain at this time of year is extremely hazardous due to the harsh conditions that include snow, ice, and inclement weather.
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Last Tuesday, on his first attempt to climb the mountain, the 27-year-old Tokyo resident became stuck after losing his crampons, which were helping him to walk across the snow and ice. Unable to descend, he had to be rescued by helicopter.
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Undeterred, the same man decided to return to the mountain just a few days later to retrieve some belongings that he’d left behind — including his smartphone.
This didn’t work out well, either, as he ended up experiencing severe altitude sickness and — you guessed it — had to be rescued for a second time in the space of just a few days. This time, however, the helicopter was left back at base and a rescue team brought him down instead.
The man is expected to make a full recovery, police said. It’s not clear if he managed to find his phone.
Mount Fuji’s climbing season runs from early July until early September. An official website for those interested in tackling the famous landmark says: “Mt. Fuji is a charming mountain but should not be taken lightly. Please gather ample information prior to climbing,” adding: “From October to around mid June, climbing to the summit is highly perilous due to extreme wind and weather conditions, snow, ice and a risk of avalanches.”
BBC News noted how a number of users on X lambasted the climber, criticizing him for ignoring safety advice (and that proverb), while also suggesting that he should fork out for the rescue missions himself.
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