A 48-year-old father has been admonished after leaving his seven-year-old son halfway up Mount Fuji so he could reach the summit. The man set off with his two sons on Thursday, but when the youngest grew tired, he left him at the sixth checkpoint on the Fujinomiya Trail, roughly 8,169ft above sea level, which is higher than Machu Picchu.
The boy was told to “wait here” by his father, who wanted to reach the 8,000ft summit in Japan. The boy would have been alone in challenging conditions for hours had a worker not saved him.
Worker spots boy alone
According to the Mount Fuji climbing website, it takes more than five hours to reach the summit from this checkpoint, and two and a half hours to return. A mountain worker spotted the boy waiting on a bench at around 7.30am and alerted the police. Rain was falling and fog was beginning to come in, so the worker brought him inside a hut while waiting for authorities.
It is not clear exactly how long the boy was left alone for. Officers got in touch with the father when he reached the eighth checkpoint, which is around three hours away, and ordered him to return immediately.
Police condemn behaviour
Police denounced the behaviour while speaking to Japan Today. They said: “Even if it means having to give up on climbing the mountain together, leaving a child behind is unacceptable.” Police have not indicated whether the 48-year-old will face charges.
The child was unharmed and was safely reunited with his dad, who said he made a “rash decision” that he “deeply regrets”.
Advice for hikers
Following the incident, police have stressed the importance of caring for everyone in a hiking group. They advised hikers to pace themselves based on the slowest member.
Mount Fuji rises more than 12,000ft above sea level and is Japan’s tallest mountain. The Fujinomiya Trail is one of the main routes used by climbers attempting to reach the summit.
