Yamanashi Prefecture plans to charge for helicopter rescues on Mount Fuji
Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan plans to charge people who have to be rescued by a prefectural emergency response helicopter on Mount Fuji outside the official climbing season. The measures are intended to deter reckless ascents of the mountain, The Japan Times reports.
Mandatory climbing plan
Under the new plan presented on Monday, people intending to climb above Fuji's sixth station during the closed season will be required to submit a climbing plan in advance. Authorities will recommend changes if the equipment, route, or other elements of the plan are deemed insufficient.
The official climbing season on Mount Fuji runs from July to early September. Outside this period, the routes are closed and conditions on the mountain can be significantly more dangerous.
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Conditions for charging a fee
Fees will be charged to those who require rescue by a prefectural helicopter after failing to submit a climbing plan. The fee may also apply to climbers who submitted a plan but deviated from it or did not heed the prefecture's recommendations.
In such cases, experts will determine whether the equipment, manner of climbing, or other circumstances indicated a reckless ascent.
