What kind of bad luck is this???

Mountain climber in Nagano reaches summit and throws back out tying shoelaces​

These days, it seems like everyone and their mother-in-law is climbing Mt. Fuji for the majestic experience and chance to say they’ve done it. But with the increasingly huge crowds congregating there each summer, it can feel more like a trip to Disney World than a way to reconnect with nature.

So, some are seeking out other mountains to get that same impressive sense of grandeur, without all the people around. One good peak that matches Mt. Fuji is difficulty is Mt. Tsubakuro in Nagano Prefecture, which is also rather high, at about 2,700 meters (8,800 feet) above sea level and offers some great views.

Click to expand...

On 9 September, a 58-year-old woman from Fukuoka had such a feeling after reaching Tsubakuro’s peak, and after a short stay at a hut on the summit, she prepared to make her descent. However, after conquering a mountain, this climber met her match with her own shoelaces. As she bent over to tie up her shoes, she threw out her back and became too immobile to make the climb back down.

A call was made to Azumino Police Station around 7:00 a.m., and a rescue chopper arrived on the scene about two hours later to take her to a nearby hospital. It’s certainly a problem that happens to all of us at a certain age; it’s just really unfortunate luck to have it happen on the top of a mountain and require a helicopter to take you away.

Click to expand...