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American Man Missing After Trip to Mt. Fuji

A search is underway for Matt Johnson, an American man who disappeared after apparently going on a hiking/camping trip to Mt. Fuji:

Johnson has been an engineer in Eaton Corp.’s vehicle business unit in Galesburg since 2003, according to a company statement published on the website for television station WOOD-TV 8. He went to Japan on a business trip on Jan. 8.

Johnson’s car was found at the base of the mountain, the highest peak in Japan at 12,385 feet, but rescuers were unable to begin searching for him until 5 p.m. Tuesday, local time, because 16 inches of snow had fallen.

Friends and family have set up a “Please Pray for Matt Johnson” Facebook group. Over 900 people have joined the group.

Most travel guides warn against visiting Mt. Fuji in the winter months. There are also numerous warnings issued by Japanese authorities, such as this one on the Fuji-Yoshida city homepage:

Mt. Fuji is 3776m above sea level and has conditions that kill climbers every year. The official climbing season is limited to two months, July and August. It is considered very dangerous to climb during the off-season.

Winter conditions on the mountain are similar to those found on 8000m Himalayan peaks and are dangerous for even the most professional alpinists.

Three Deadly Reasons to Stay off Mt. Fuji in the off-season:
● Avalanche. Mt. Fuji is the perfect domain for avalanches due to its steep slope and lack of vegetation. When a slab of ice breaks free, hikers are pummeled against snow, ice, and trees and buried as if encased in wet concrete.
● Winds. Strong winds literally blow climbers off the slippery slopes. There have been several cases of tents flying off of the slopes with their occupants onboard.
● Hypothermia. Though not limited to the off-season, hyperthermia is a life-threatening condition that proves fatal if not diagnosed and treated properly. It is the result of a hiker’s core body temperature dropping and internal organs succumbing to the cold.

Those wishing to climb Mt. Fuji in the off-season face considerable danger and a lack of:
●Rescue Personnel
●Mountain Huts. Most mountain huts close at the end of season, but some stay open into September. After September, there is no lodging, food, or water on Mt. Fuji.
●Transportation. The road to the 5th Station is closed for most of the year. Buses, if running, are infrequent and thus climbers become stranded on the mountain over night.

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31 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - January 18, 2012 at 1:02 pm

Categories: Foreigners in Japan Tags:

http://heykay15.myopenid.com/ kk

hate to say it, but he did it to himself

Diamond Sutra

No kidding. There’s a reason it’s technically illegal to climb the peak in off-season. My father-in-law is a grizzly bear who has made the trip in Jan up Fuji, but with lots of prep and equipment. But my wife basically writes it off, “If you die on such a trip, it’s your own fault!”

When I climbed, it was the first day it was open (summer) for climbing, and I honestly nearly froze to death: We made it up before dawn broke (the first folks up there), and the blasted wind and freezing took us all off guard. we thought we were prepped with heavy sweaters and pants, but were totally unprepared for the horror of the cold… IN THE SUMMER.

RMilner

Ambient air temperature drops nearly 2 degrees Celsius for each 300m of altitude gain. Thus at the top of Fuji a fine late May day, perhaps 25 degrees, will present a temperature of about freezing. Then you have the wind chill factor.
Piglet

It is not illegal, it is just strongly advised to avoid climbing off season. However the official season is very short and it is still possible to climb in late spring and early fall. It is actually not a bad idea to climb in June, September or early October (as I did) as the crowds are not there anymore (there are still a lot of climbers but it is not as bad as July or August). Just bring some cold weather supply with you and you should be OK (don’t forget to check the weather report beforehand).

Simon

Why would you hike Mt Fuji in the very middle of winter? :psyduck:
http://twitter.com/ThyGoddess Michelle

Sigh. I’m not gonna pray, I’m not a fan of speaking to myself on someone’s behalf. However I’m gonna say that if you ignore dire warnings, you’re sorta stupid.

Catcat7

Let’s hope you never make a mistake that could end up disasterous. Regardless of how wreckless or not this was, a man, a really nice and kind man, is missing on that mountain and his really wonderful family is agonizing. Let’s hope no tragedy that perhaps could have been prevented ever happens to any of you. This isn’t the time for judgement…people are suffering.

Sakat

Darwin
devoted friend

Despite the stupidity in attempting such a dangerous task, there are still people who care about this person and doesn’t change the affect of losing your son, brother, cousin, or friend. If he is gone, he’s gone, but the affect of his actions will forever change these people. That is the real tragedy. I am one of those people. I am very frustrated with my dear friend’s choices, but I will miss him and I want him back.

Missing Matt

That makes two of us. Matt and I have had lots of adventures together and I understand his desire to do things like this. But the pain this decision is causing his family and his friends is just brutal. .

https://profiles.google.com/havill Eido Inoue

Climbing/hiking most mountains in the off-season is a bad (as in really dangerous) idea. To compare, Mt. Rainier in the U.S. is one of the tallest mountains accessible to amateur/beginner climbers, and even that one claims the lives of a couple of pros (usually doing non-standard routes and climbing in the off season) every few years. The media referred to him as an experienced “hiker”, but it’s not clear to me what level of training and experience he had when it came to mountain climbing.

The fact that he chose one of the most dangerous periods suggests to me that he’s either a highly experienced/trained climber & thrill junkie and was looking for a literal death defying challenge, or he was a completely ignorant and had no idea how life threatening a winter climb is.

I hope he returns safe, but the odds unfortunately are not on his side.
http://twitter.com/KanojoNoCarrera Reina Todoroki

Anyone wanna bet the widow and this guys family will sue the Japanese over this?

Piglet

I feel some much compassion in your post.
Missing Matt

He’s not married and his family isn’t like this. They are devastated but not vindictive.

devoted friend

I agree, I can’t imagine them suing. That would never even cross my mind. Coming from someone who doens’t know them, this is a ricidulous, ignorant comment.

Annalisapwestfield

Nobody is sueing anybody! For one Matt is mot married.
So sad

Wow!!!! You probably shouldn’t talk unless you know these people. This family is the nicest most loving family you will ever meet.
compassion please

How presumptuous of you. THis family is one of the most loving, compassionate I’ve ever seen. He’s not married and they have not a thought of litigation…only retrieving their really sweet son and brother. Gheez people…have you no ability to walk in someone else’s shoes. Must be nice to be so perfect. Let’s hope nothing tragic ever happens to any of you.

yankdownunder

“Please Pray for Matt Johnson”

I hope they also say a little prayer for the rescuers who are risking their lives because of his actions.

http://thehopefulmonster.wordpress.com/ Sublight

This is what I’m thinking. I hope he’s found and gets home ok, but he’s in trouble solely as a result of his own bad decisions, and those decisions are now putting the lives of rescue workers at risk. My hopes are more with them.
Missing Matt

We are

friend

Why don’t some you that think it was stupid keep it to yourselves!! This is a actual brother, son, cousin and friend to someone. I think maybe we have all done things that we wished we could do over! So instead of writing mean post why don’t you pray for the family and Matt.

http://twitter.com/KanojoNoCarrera Reina Todoroki

Because he ignored advice from people who know the area? And ignored basic common sense?

devoted friend

You’ve never done anything outside of common sense? We all take risks that may seem stupid. We all have that feeling of being invincible sometimes. It’s only when the outcome is undesirable do we begin to pass judgement. There are a lot of people that are hurting. I find it hard to believe you can’t find any sympathy in that.

Level3

Santa Claus isn’t real.
Also, everyone alive will die someday, including you.
Wow, am I a meanie!

I hope the guy is OK, but sadly it seems the silver lining of this cloud will be as a lesson to other people.
Don’t climb Mt. Fuji (or any mountain) alone in the middle of winter.

I did it in July, it was 0 degrees at the top. I was prepared with full winter gear. But I was shocked that, for what almost seems like a tourist attraction, where you see 70-year-olds slowly chugging up the mountain, it really is quite dangerous even in the summer on a fine day without wind. Plenty of places where a single step in the wrong direction will send you tumbling down the mountain for hundreds of meters to an uncertain fate (well, the fate is pretty damn certain if nobody knows you fell)

http://fujiclimb2010.blogspot.com/ fujiclimb2010

Any JNews reporting this?

I’ve climbed Fuji twice: September 2011 and in February, 2010.
For me, the winter ascent was much more rewarding.

Let’s hope there is a positive outcome to this story.
http://twitter.com/Notnato Nate

He undoubtedly took a big risk, and hubris and all that. Based on the comments here alone though, there are more than enough people that have made the ascent in winter to make it quite clear: this wasn’t a totally insane undertaking.

Even if that weren’t the case, you’re kind of a bunch of dicks. It’s still alright to hope he’s ok, and to feel for his family.

I hope he’s ok.
blueocean

I think it is so sad that so many of you have such negative things to say. There still is a family and friends who love this person very much and are hoping and praying for his safe return…is that so bad? Just as a good human being what happened to just hoping the best for Matt and his family. Hoping for your safe return Matt…
Missing Matt

They have yet to search the hits between 7.5 and the top so there’s some hop he’s holed up and will be found.

http://fujiclimb2010.blogspot.com/ fujiclimb2010

There are no “emergency” shelters on the mountain. The huts that are on there are not accessible at all at this time of year.

Dylan

Accidents happen on the mountain, and it’s a risk all climbers accept, but climbing (or doing anything in the winter backcountry) alone dramatically decreases your chances of surviving any mistakes.

I spend a lot of time in inherently dangerous areas (I work in high-altitude mountain glaciers) and a buddy system is essential, though still not foolproof. Anything that helps me get home to my family is welcome, and nothing beats a trustworthy partner.

My thoughts are with Matt’s family.

American Man Missing After Trip to Mt. Fuji

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