Unfortunately, clear weather wasn’t on the cards for my winter trip this time, and I was actually considering skipping the journey up to Sugatami via the Asahidake Ropeway. But then I thought, it’d still be cool to experience the pure white winter wonderland that Asahidake is known for, and since I brought my wakan (traditional Japanese snowshoes), a short walk around wouldn’t hurt. So, I decided to take the ropeway up to Sugatami Station after all.
When I reached Sugatami Station, it wasn’t a blizzard, but everything was shrouded in pure white. If it weren’t for the faintly visible sun and a few people, it would have been a completely white canvas with absolutely no way to distinguish the ground from the sky or anything else. Even in these conditions, I saw what appeared to be Western visitors eagerly skiing down, while those who seemed to be from China, Korea, Thailand, or Vietnam were enjoying a stroll in snowshoes. It’s quite interesting to observe such a clear difference in how people from different regions enjoy their time here.
After checking Tenkura (mountain weather forecast), it didn’t seem like a blizzard was coming today, and visibility had improved a bit. So, relying on YAMAP’s offline map, I headed towards Sugatami Pond. Even though I’ve been to this area in winter before, I made sure to take a cautious stroll. Thanks to the snow, I could mostly walk in a straight line, and I reached Sugatami Pond fairly quickly.
Sugatami Pond, of course, was completely hidden beneath the snow. Near the pond are Jigokudani (Hell Valley) and its fumaroles, and thanks to the snow, it seemed like I could get a relatively close look at them, so I decided to check it out. I usually imagine it billowing with much more steam, but it felt relatively calm that day.
If I could ever find myself here during a period where the weather forecast promised several days of clear skies, I would absolutely love to attempt a winter ascent of Asahidake.
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