REPORT

We’ve had mostly sunny weather over the past week, since the end of the rainy season, but today brought the first truly clear skies in a while. I boarded the Happo Gondola for its first departure at 7:00 a.m., and headed straight for the breathtaking views of Happo Pond. When I arrived at 8:07 a.m. (pictured), several people who had descended from the summit hut near Mt. Karamatsu or stayed overnight at Happo-ike Sanso were already there taking photos or enjoying a break.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Happo-ike Pond]

It was a weekday, but with clear skies during the summer mountain climbing season, a steady stream of hikers made their way up the trail, and eventually a light bottleneck formed just below Shita-no-Kaba (pictured). The sun felt intense, and the heat was noticeable, but thanks to the low temperatures and a light southern breeze, I didn’t expend as much energy as expected and was able to keep gaining elevation steadily.
[Climbing Trail to Mt. Karamatsu・No. 3 Cairn to Shita-no-Kanba]

Along the ridgeline route toward the No. 3 Cairn, many alpine flowers were in bloom, including oyama soba (pictured), miyama kogomegusa, kumoma miminasu, and takane matsumushi-so. On the boardwalk course, I saw Tateyama utsubogusa, yotsuba shiogama, kinkoka, oni azami, kuruma yuri, and more.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・No. 3 Cairn]

A mother from Tokyo whom I met along the trail commented, “I always check your reports! During the 2025 winter season, you took a photo on the slopes with my child and some friends. We love Hakuba in the summer too!” The view was stunning—not only the ridgeline of the Northern Alps to the west, but also Mt. Yatsugatake and the Southern Alps to the south, and Mt. Asama along with the Myoko-Togakushi mountain range to the east.
[Happo-One Nature Trail・Boardwalk Course]

[Happo-One Nature Trail Opening Information]
*Period … 2025/5/31 (Sat.) – 6/1 (Sun.), 6/7 (Sat.) – 11/3 (Mon.)
*Hours … Happo Alpen Line: 7/12 – 7/13 and Weekdays from 7/22 open at 7:00am, 7/14 – 7/18 open at 7:30am, 7/19 – 7/21, 7/26, 7/27 open at 6:30am.
Kurobishi Line: 7/12, 7/13, 7/19, 7/20, 7/21, 7/26, 7/27 open at 4:30 am, 7/14 – 7/18 open 7:45am, Weekdays from 7/22 open at 7:15am.
*Fees … Happo Alpen Line Roundtrip / Adults JPY3,400, Elementary School Students JPY2,200 → Advance Discount Tickets: Adults JPY3,000, Children JPY1,850! (No need to exchange at the ticket window! You can proceed straight to the gondola.) Kurobishi Line Roundtrip / Adults JPY2,300, Elementary School Students JPY1,400.
(*One preschooler free with each paid adult. The second preschooler will be charged at the normal children’s rate.)

*Hakuba Happo-one will be reported 1－2times a week
*To Visitors Requesting Original Data of Our Photographs.

reported by Snownavi