Summer Info
Today, I took the Kurobishi 3 Pair Lift, which begins operating at 4:30 a.m., watched the sunrise, and then set out for Mt. Karamatsu. Early on, I met a family from Nagano City (pictured) who told me, “It’s the kids’ first time hiking, but we’re aiming to reach the summit of Mt. Karamatsu. Before we left, we put a bag of potato chips in one of the backpacks, and we’ve all been guessing what it will look like by the time we reach the summit!” After taking some time to have breakfast beside Happo Pond, they continued almost nonstop all the way to the Maruyama Cairn.
[Trail to Mt. Karamatsu・Maruyama Cairn]
Having set out before dawn, I reached the Maruyama Cairn at around 8 a.m. With the clouds lingering in place at lower elevations, the view from the cairn at 2,430 meters opened onto a spectacular sea of clouds rolling across the landscape below. After a short break, I set off once more toward the Karamatsu-dake Summit Lodge, enjoying views of the dramatic ridgeline beneath a crystal-clear blue sky (pictured).
[Trail to Mt. Karamatsu・Maruyama Cairn to Karamatsu-dake Summit Lodge]
Another hiker who, like me, had taken the first Kurobishi 3 Pair Lift of the morning happened to be climbing at almost exactly the same pace on the approach to the ridgeline. Before long, we naturally began exchanging a few words and encouraging each other along the way. Encounters like these, brief connections with people you may never meet again, are another of the special pleasures of hiking.
[Trail to Mt. Karamatsu・Maruyama Cairn to Karamatsu-dake Summit Lodge]
Just below the Maruyama Cairn, where patches of snow had lingered until late in the season, chinguruma were still producing delicate blooms. Between the Maruyama Cairn and Karamatsu-dake Summit Lodge, large numbers of kobaikei-so, kijimushiro, miyama-kinpoge, and iwagikyo were also flowering. Meanwhile, the clouds were gradually rising, and by around 9 a.m. they had climbed almost as high as the ridgeline itself. (*Continued in Mt. Karamatsu, Pt. 2)
[Trail to Mt. Karamatsu ・Maruyama Cairn to Karamatsu-dake Summit Lodge]
*From 7/11 (Sat.) to 8/30 (Sun.), the Kurobishi 3 Pair Lift will begin operating at 4:30 a.m. for sunrise viewing on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, 8/10 (Mon.), and 8/12 (Wed.) to 8/13 (Thu.).
[Happo-One Nature Trail Opening Information]
*Period … 2026/5/30 (Sat.) & 5/31 (Sun.), 6/6 (Sat.) – 11/3 (Tue.)
*Hours … Happo Alpen Line: Aug 8–16 and Aug 22, 23 from 6:30 a.m.; weekdays Aug 3–7 and Aug 17–21 from 7:00 a.m. Kurobishi Line: Aug 8–16 and Aug 22, 23 from 6:45 a.m.; weekdays July 21 – Aug 7 and Aug 17–21 from 7:15 a.m.
*Fees … Happo Alpen Line round trip / Adults ¥3,500 · Elementary school children ¥2,300 →Adults ¥3,200, children ¥2,000 with early-discount tickets! (No need to exchange at the ticket counter—bring it directly to the gondola gate!)
