TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Climbing mountains is often underestimated by tourists, such as a couple from England who climbed Mount Yotei in Japan. The 30 and 29-year-old couple climbed on May 13. At that time, some regions of Japan were approaching the end of the spring season with a fairly cool air temperature. However, Mount Yotei was different because it still had snow, making the air very cold.
At 18.10, the male climber had to contact the emergency number 110 in Japan because he admitted he could no longer walk. He said they had been walking on the trail, but now could not move because of the cold temperature on the mountain. They could no longer reach the mountain hut or other shelters on their own.
Inadequate Clothing
Both climbers had reached an altitude of about 1,750 meters, about 90 percent of the way to the summit. When the helicopter arrived, the rescue team was surprised to see them in the wrong attire. The man was wearing shorts and a long-sleeved shirt. The woman was indeed wearing long pants, but her top was short-sleeved. Therefore, neither of their clothes could protect against the cold weather.
It should be noted that on the day of the incident, the city of Kucthan had a daytime high temperature of 20.5 degrees Celsius. Visitors would not expect to need warm clothes. However, at night, the temperature dropped to 5.8 degrees Celsius. The temperature on the mountain would be colder.
The couple was taken to the hospital for further examination. Fortunately, neither the man nor the woman suffered any injuries or other adverse health effects from the experience.
Rescue of Climbers
Lately, Japan has often performed emergency rescues of tourists climbing mountains outside of the official season. This English couple became the third case in a month.
Not long ago, a 27-year-old man had to be rescued twice from the slopes of Mount Fuji within five days. First, he was rescued by helicopter. Then, a few days later, he had to be rescued again after he returned to the mountain alone to look for his smartphone, which had fallen during the previous climb. Due to this tourist’s carelessness, the Mayor of Fujinomiya, Hidetada Sudo, even proposed that those who request to be rescued when climbing outside the climbing season should bear the cost of their rescue.
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AloJapan.com