A father in Japan got an earful from police after he left his young son alone on the country's highest mountain so he could keep hiking.
According to a report from the BBC published on Saturday, August 22, the unnamed father, 48, was reportedly hiking with his two sons up Mount Fuji. The youngest, a 7-year-old boy, complained he was too tired to do the full hike up to the peak. So, he was told to wait on a bench situated over 2,000m (6,500ft) with nothing but a soft drink and a small snack while his dad and older brother continued on.
The hike from that point, according to the BBC, takes roughly five hours to reach the summit and another three to get back down. Police noticed the boy after about three hours of sitting in foggy and rainy conditions. They tracked down his father to ensure he wasn't abandoned but had to wait with him the full eight hours until his family finally returned.
Police did not arrest or charge the man with a crime, but the report says he was "castigated" for his decision to leave the boy alone to go on a dangerous and lengthy hike. Police said the boy was unharmed but was "tired and fussy" after eight hours of waiting with nothing to do. The father reportedly felt remorseful for his decision.
The trio's original plan was to do the Fujinomiya route, which begins at the trail's fifth station — which is accessible by public transport — but the boy made it to the sixth station, where he was placed on his bench to await his father and brother as they spent the rest of the day on the hike to the summit at 3,776m (12,389ft).
According to CNN, this isn't an ordinary, scenic hiking trail. Mount Fuji has seen its share of rescue incidents. Some suffer altitude sickness or succumb to harsh weather conditions. Authorities have introduced rules recently requiring hikers to take a brief class on hiking safety as well as capping the number of climbers per day.
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