Summer Info
My destination today was Mt. Karamatsu (2,696 m), which is often considered the perfect alpine summit to tackle for beginner alpine climbers. By around 8:30 a.m., after getting off the Grat Quad Lift, the lower section of the ridge trail (pictured) was already beginning to disappear beneath rising clouds. With the temperature a cool 13°C and only weak sunshine, conditions were ideal for gaining elevation.
[Ridge Trail]
A race against the clouds is part of summer hiking in the Alps, and this morning was no exception. I kept up a brisk pace, passing the Shakuji Cairn, the No. 2 Cairn, the Happo Cairn, the No. 3 Cairn, and the Shita-no-Kanba forest, but the clouds were just as determined—at times thinning enough to brighten the trail, then thickening again to plunge it back into shadow. On the traverse across the south-facing slope just before Kami-no-Kanba, the loose rocks demanded careful footing. As I passed a group of four hikers (pictured), I soon heard excited voices echoing from the forest ahead, saying, “Wow! It’s a festival of Shirane-aoi flowers!”
[Trail to Mt. Karamatsu・Kami-no-Kanba]
They weren’t exaggerating. Throughout the forest around Kami-no-Kanba, there were spectacular colonies of Shirane-aoi like the one pictured here. The sheer number of blooms this year far exceeded anything I’ve seen in a typical season, and even I couldn’t help stopping in amazement. Nearby, sakura-so and kiji-mushiro were also flowering in abundance.
[Trail to Mt. Karamatsu・Kami-no-Kanba]
Although this year’s snowmelt has occurred exceptionally quickly, patches of snow still remained around the Ogi snowfield and just before the Maruyama Cairn (pictured). Climbing across them was straightforward by following the existing footprints, but the descent was noticeably slippery. I would recommend carrying lightweight crampons or chain spikes for added peace of mind. (To be continued in Mt. Karamatsu, Pt. 2)
[Trail to Mt. Karamatsu・Ogi Snowfield to Maruyama Cairn]
*The “Trekking Together at Happo-One” event will be held on 6/27 (Sat.).
*The Kurobishi Forest Road and the Kurobishi Line are scheduled to open on 7/1 (Wed.).
[Happo-One Nature Trail Opening Information]
*Period … 2026/5/30 (Sat.) & 5/31 (Sun.), 6/6 (Sat.) – 11/3 (Tue.)
*Hours … Gondola (8:00～), Alpen Quad, Grat Quad
*Fees … Happo Alpine Line Roundtrip / Adults JPY3,500, Elementary School Students JPY2,300 → Advance Discount Tickets: Adults JPY3,200, Elementary School Students JPY2,000! (Skip the ticket window! Go straight to the gondola gate.)
