Mount Fuji climber, 27, rescued twice in 1 week after going back to retrieve cellphone from Japans tallest peak

These were steep screw-ups.A climber was rescued from Mount Fuji twice in one week after he was airlifted off the sacred Japanese peak once — and then returned to retrieve his cellphone, according to reports.The unidentified Chinese college student, 27, reached the summit, which is more than 12,000 feet above sea level, last Tuesday, but needed help after he faced altitude sickness, Shizuoka prefectural police told CNN.His bad experience didn’t deter him from taking another shot at Fuji just four days later.The student, who is living in Japan, went back to get his cellphone and other belongings Saturday, but fell ill again at about 9,800 feet, authorities said.Another hiker found him struggling and called for assistance.“He was suspected of having altitude sickness and was taken to hospital,” a police official told Agence France-Presse.The two attempts came during Mount Fuji’s off-season, during which climbers are discouraged from hiking Japan’s highest peak.

All trails to the summit are closed, as are first-aid stations and restrooms, according to the mountain’s website.The climbing season usually takes place between July and September. ...