A little climb to Hakuba area in 2009

2009/09/22 - 2009/09/24

I suddenly wanted to go to the mountain after watching nature tv program in NHK. I made a reservation for the hostel several days before traveling. I did not check much beforehand, so I asked about this area to the hostel person after arriving. Really unplanned trip!

エリア 栂池・白馬乗鞍(長野)

• 同行者: 一人旅
• 交通手段: 高速・路線バス 私鉄
• 旅行の手配内容: 個別手配

I decided to trip to Hakuba mountain several days before going, it was a king of quick decision trip. I stayed a hostel "K's House". I took a highway bus from Tokyo to Matsumoto, and a local train to Kamishiro station.

Second day, I went to 白馬大雪渓 (Hakuba Snow Valley), it is like glacier. I took bus to Sarukura, entrance of trekking road. There were some waterfalls, which water flowed from glacier.

A bright thistle flower.

After about 1 hour walk, I arrived at a lodge 白馬尻荘 (Hakuba jiri so). I just kept walking to see glacier.

Gradually, I could see big ice between the mountains. Exciting!

Quite big glacier more than I expected.

Needed to climb up here. I just had a hiking cloths and shoes, after 1 step on the ice, I slipped and could not proceed even 1 step!
The guy working in hostel said that you did not need any special gear for climb up the glacier, but completely no for me.
A trekker who looked at me, he borrowed me his crampons. So kind and generous... so I could walk on the ice at last.

It was quite steep actually.
Many climbers went up further to the mountains.

The next day, I borrowed a bicycle at the hostel and cycled to Aoki lake. Beautiful shiny color of rice field.

Local house.

Aoki lake. It is really deep lake, I read.
I was not good at cycling and that road was almost for mountain bike type, so I needed to get off it and carry half of the way... But the scenery was pretty good.

The last day, I went to 八方池 (Happo pond). I took the lift to the lodge in altitude 1830m and hiked about 200m high to Happo pond. It was a bit bad day for hiking, cold and wet.

Already nicely color changing to autumn.

It was the second cairn. Getting misty...

Happo cairn.

At last, arrived at Happo pond.

But mostly covered with mist and I could not see well... Pity!

Then, I went to Matsumoto to catch the return bus. There was a bit of time, and I did a little sightseeing of Matsumoto city.
This is Matsumoto castle, also known as Crow castle, because of their black outside wall.

It is "Kaichi" school, this building was built in the Meiji Era, with western style.

The manhole cover was nicely designed.