Following Monday's deadly avalanche that killed eight people, including seven students, in Tochigi Prefecture, the authorities and experts are now assessing the decision making that led up to the incident even though an avalanche advisory had been issued for the area.
Ensuring safety on mountains is particularly difficult when groups of people are involved, according to experts — a point underscored by the deadly avalanche.
The climbing excursion, a three-day trip that began Saturday, has been held every year local high schools since 1963. This year, the group had originally planned to climb Mount Chausu on the final day, but due to heavy snow, the plan was revised to practice traversing deep snow near the ski area where the event is held.