Tsugaike Nature Park / Cloudy & Sunny2020.Oct.26
As the 2020 green season draws to a close, we headed to the beautiful Hakuba Oike alpine lake for one final visit. Departing from the trailhead next to the Tsugaike Nature Park visitor’s center at 8:50 a.m., we arrived at the Tenguhara plateau after around 90 minutes of hiking. (See photo) Approximately 10 cm of fresh snow blanketed the area due to the snows falling throughout the day yesterday, overnight and into the morning, and the small ponds to the sides of the wooden walkway were frozen over.
[Climbing path to Hakuba Oike, Tenguhara]
Around 10:00 a.m., fog and clouds rising from the valley to the south met north winds directly above our position on the eastern face of Mt. Hakuba Norikura, and their tense back-and-forth battle resulted in intermittent periods of sun and shade. The snow cover filled and hid the gaps between the large rocks on the first part of the ascent (see photo), so it was important to stay alert and step carefully.
[Climbing path to Hakuba Oike, Mt. Hakuba Norikura east face]
The middle portion of the climb from Tenguhara to the broad summit of Mt. Hakuba Norikura is steep and riddled with large and irregularly-shaped boulders and is the most difficult section of the entire trail even in good conditions. When the rocks are partially buried in snow and only a portion of their surfaces are exposed, the difficulty level rises even higher. Walking on snow with crampons is safe and easy, but during this season and in areas like this with shallow snow and frequent rocks it’s a better idea to go without.
[Climbing path to Hakuba Oike, Mt. Hakuba Norikura east face]
Please be aware that although the Tsugaike Nature Park is open until the end of October, autumn has come and gone, winter is on the way and the park has already received several snowfalls. As the summer trekking season winds down, we would like to thank everyone who visited the Nature Park, Hakuba Oike and the mountains beyond in 2020. This is our final trekking report of the year and the Tsugaike Kogen Ski Resort is slated to open at the end of November, or as soon as their is sufficient snow cover.
[Climbing path to Hakuba Oike, Ropeway Summit Station-Tenguhara]
[Tsugaike Nature Park Availability Information]
*Summer Season … June 1 (Mon)－Oct. 31 (Sat), 2020
*Opening Hours … 8:00 a.m.－(Weekday)
*Price … Tsugaike Panorama Way Round-trip + Nature Park / Adult: JPY3,700, Child: JPY2,100
→Advance Ticket Adult:3,300, Child JPY1,850
*To Visitors Requesting Original Data of Our Photographs
*Tsugaike Nature Park & WOW! will be reported 1－2 times a week
