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

Master Blaster Sep 16, 2025
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Another case for Back to the Future auto shoes.

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.

▼ It even has a rock shaped like a dolphin.

Much like Mt. Fuji, climbing Mt. Tsubakuro is more of a physically demanding upward hike than climbing up sheer rock faces with ropes, but those who make it to the top are still filled with a sense of accomplishment that makes the challenge worthwhile.

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.

Many readers of the news online seemed very sympathetic to her plight, while a few others have grown tired of people needing costly rescues from mountains.

“What can you do?”
“These things happen.”
“I always thought inactivity makes people throw their backs out, but she was climbing a mountain, and it happened. Maybe it’s more of a nutrition thing?”
“That kind of thing can happen even when you’re young.”
“One time I threw my back out from sneezing.”
“It’s because a lot of people lift heavy things with their arms and backs instead of their legs.”
“At least she was on land and not doing water sports when it happened.”
“I hope they make her pay for it and don’t use tax money.”
“Imagine if the helicopter medic threw out their back too.”
“Climbers should have to leave some kind of deposit or take out special insurance.”
“I feel bad for her. That’s the situation I would most not want to be in.”

Severe backaches can strike at any moment, but certain factors like high altitudes and lower temperatures can increase the risk of them occurring. Once they take hold, there isn’t much to be done except waiting it out. With that not an option on the top of a mountain, having her airlifted out of there would have been the most sensible thing to do, as embarrassing as it must have been for her.

At least, she can take solace in the fact that it didn’t happen on Mt. Fuji, where there would have been thousands of people gawking and talking about her shoelace-tying injury.

Source: FNN Prime Online, Itai News
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Pakutaso
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