REPORT

I set out from in front of ALPS360 (elevation 1,515m) at 8:30 a.m., aiming for the summit of Mt. Otomi. The trail climbs steadily toward Goryu Sanso, with several high points reached in the following order: the Jizo Cairn (pictured, 1,676m), Mt. Kotomi (2,007m), Mt. Nakatomi (2,037m), Mt. Otomi (2,106m), Mt. Nishitomi (2,268m), and Mt. Shiratake (2,541m). The cool 17 °C temperature and the passing clouds streaming eastward overhead kept the trail mostly shaded, allowing me to gain elevation on the climb from Jizo Cairn to Ichinose-kami in relative comfort.
[Alps-Daira Nature Trail]

There was more sun from Ichinose-kami to Mt. Kotomi, but a steady breeze kept it from feeling too hot. I met a group of four from Chiba and Kanagawa (pictured) who commented, “Aren’t you from Snownavi? We follow your reports all the time! Today we’re heading all the way to Mt. Nishitomi.”
[Mt. Kotomi Trekking Course・Ninose-Kami to Mt. Kotomi Summit]

Although the elevation difference between Mt. Kotomi and Mt. Nakatomi is only 30m, and just 69m difference between Mt. Nakatomi and Mt. Otomi, the ridge trail repeatedly climbs and descends, making it feel surprisingly tough. At the bustling summit of Mt. Nakatomi, I met two hikers from Osaka and Nagano (pictured) who told me, “We always follow your reports! Yesterday we climbed Mt. Karamatsu from Happo, stayed overnight on the mountain, traversed Mt. Goryu this morning, and descended here. It’s been such a fun mountain trip!”
[Hiking Trail to Mt. Goryu・Mt. Nakatomi Summit]

Along the way, the leaves of tsutsuji (rhododendron), nanakamado (rowan), and okame-no-ki (viburnum) had just begun to turn, signaling the start of autumn. At the same time, plenty of alpine flowers were still in bloom, including oyama-rindo, umebachi-so, miyama aki-no-kirin-so, and yama-hahako. After about three and a half hours on the trail, I reached the summit of Mt. Otomi. From here, it’s another hour to Mt. Nishitomi and about two more hours beyond that—three hours total from Mt. Otomi—to reach Mt. Shiratake.
[Hiking Trail to Mt. Goryu・Mt. Nakatomi Summit to Mt. Otomi Summit]

　
[Hakuba Goryu Alpine Botanical Garden 2025 Opening Information]
*Period … Sat. & Sun. from 6/7 (Sat.) to 6/15 (Sun.), Daily from 6/21 (Sat.) to 10/19 (Sun.)
*Hours … Goryu Telecabin 8/18 – 9/12 start at 8:15 a.m., weekends and holidays 9/13 – 10/12 and 9/15 start at 7:30 a.m., Weekdays 9/16 – 10/19 and 10/18 – 10/19 start at 8:15 a.m.
*Fees … Goryu Telecabin round-trip June, September & October: Adults JPY2,600, Middle and high-school students JPY2,080, Elementary School Students JPY1,300 , From 7/1 to 8/31: Adults JPY3,000, Middle and high-school students JPY2,600, Elementary School Students JPY1,500 (Free ride on observation lift, One preschool child per adult is free)

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*This season’s Goryu Report will be updated once or twice a week.

reported by Snownavi