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Aug. 2002, Xene #29
GETTING INTO AUTUMN
By Allyson Ashfield |
Summer-lovers out there know that the coming of
autumn heralds the arrival of winter. Before you
resign yourselves to curling up under the kotatsu
and watching videos or propping up a bar until the
rays of the sun blast forth, why not get into the
change of seasons by going hiking?
Hiking isn't just for Olympic athletes, nor does
it mean scaling a mountain with a 90-degree face.
It's about being outdoors, enjoying the scenery,
leaving towns and cities behind and reflecting on
the day while sitting in an onsen. After all, most
of Japan is mountainous, so why ignore it? Autumn
brings spectacular scenery and breathtaking views.
So come on, get out there and enjoy it.
Having decided to put on your sturdy waterproof
boots and hit the trails, what else are you going
to take? It's a good idea to have a tough rucksack
with a waist strap to distribute the weight, a waterproof
jacket and trousers, water, food (onigiri is good),
warm foul-weather clothing including gloves and
a hat (not cotton, which loses its warmth once wet).
Having a mobile phone for emergencies and a whistle
to attract attention is a good idea. Around Kita-juni-jo
Subway Station you'll find several good places to
get gear: ICI Sports (pronounced "Ishii Sports"),
Shugakuso and Patagonia.
 Now
that you've got your gear together, where are you
going to go? Are you going to do a day hike, or
an overnight hike? Near where you live, or farther
afield? The good thing about Japan is the fantastic
public transport system, which lets you get to most
places with a little time and patience. You can
even get English information about buses at the
East Exit of JR Sapporo Station.
Japan also has a great system of mountain huts,
due to the numbers of hikers and the popularity
of yama ski (backcountry skiing). These make it
possible for you to overnight without lugging lots
of gear. The huts are basic shelters and not luxurious
hotels, so you do need to bring a sleeping bag and
mat, food, a cooking stove, gas and drinking water.
Now for a friendly word of warning. Always make
sure to boil water from rivers in Hokkaido; otherwise,
you could find yourself playing host to the deadly
parasitic tapeworm larvae of Echinococcus. Incubation
can take years, and once detected it's too late:
The larvae destroys the liver of the host. Don't
let this put you off hiking. For shorter hikes,
carrying your water is not a problem, and if you're
using a hut you can leave any water you won't need.
With all that in mind, let's check out some mountains.
In the Sapporo area there are plenty of hikes within
a bus ride of the city. A good hike with various
options is Soranuma-dake ("sky pond mountain").
Take the bus from Makomanai Subway Station to Soranuma
Tozan Guchi, the last stop. It's in what looks like
part of a quarry. Follow the signs through the "quarry"
to the trailhead (tozan guchi).
From the tozan guchi the trail meanders upwards,
passing through forests and by small mountain ponds
(numa). There are two mountain huts near Aonuma,
the first pond. One was shuttered up when I was
last there (perhaps it's the hut of a university
or mountain club), but the newer and bigger one
is open and accessible to all for a nominal fee
for upkeep. From the huts proceed upward, passing
Bankei Pond, which is to the right of the trail,
and moving on to the summit (1,249 m). As you reach
the ridge, be careful to go left at the fork, unless
you want to traverse to Sapporo-dake and come out
near Jozankei, six hours away. The summit offers
views of the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, the
Ishikari Plain, and the higher peaks southwest of
Sapporo.
 The
hike to the huts takes about two hours, making this
an ideal overnight hike. You could start later in
the day and stop at the hut for the night, proceeding
on to the summit (a further two hours away) the
next day, soaking up the autumnal scenery and views
of Mt. Yotei, Hokkaido's very own Fuji, at the summit,
and descending later in the day. Alternatively you
could leave early in the morning, drop off your
overnight gear at the hut on the way to the summit,
spend the night in the hut on the way down, and
have a leisurely hike back to the bus stop the next
day. Check the bus schedule carefully, as this is
not a major route and weekends tend to have a different
schedule. You could also get a bus to Soranuma Futamata
and walk about thirty minutes to the trailhead.
Another good one-day hike out of Sapporo is Kamui-dake.
From the bus terminal at JR Sapporo Station or from
Makomanai Subway Station, take Jotetsu Bus to Jozankei
and get off at Hyakumatsu-bashi. The trail starts
on the side of the bridge opposite the bus stop.
In the small wooden hut is a climber's registration
book. It's a good idea to fill in your details --
name, address, number of people you're hiking with
and start time -- so that if anything happens people
know where you are. That said, I'm not sure who
those people would be or when they might check,
but it's better than nothing.
The trail traverses forests and passes through an
open area called Ganbodai before reaching a rocky
tabletop, the summit (983 m). It offers great views
of the surrounding mountains and is a perfect place
to sit, eat lunch and have a beer. The trail leads
on to the adjoining Eboshi-dake, but it was virtually
impassable the last time I was there and didn't
look like a whole heap of fun. Better to head down
and catch the bus back to Sapporo, or if you've
got time, why not go just up the road to Jozankei
for an onsen bath. The hike should take about five
hours.
 Farther
afield is Asahi-dake ("sunrise mountain":
2,290.3 m) the highest mountain in Hokkaido and
one of the most spectacular, especially in autumn.
The good news is that if you don't fancy hiking
up from the trailhead, there is a cable car (ropeway)
costing about 1,500 yen. This takes you a good portion
of the way up, leaving you with about a two- to
three-hour hike to the summit. You don't even have
to go all the way to the top to enjoy the scenery
and really feel like you're in the mountains. You
can just walk around at the cable car station and
drink in your fill. If you decide to go to the summit,
you'll find a steep climb from the cable car station
that passes steaming sulphur vents, Sugatami-ike
("mirror pond"), the Asahi-dake mountain
hut, and great spots overlooking the mountains of
Daisetsuzan National Park. Slightly easier but equally
rewarding is to hike up from the trailhead to the
top cable car station, which should take about two
to three hours.
Getting there is pretty easy. From JR Asahikawa
Station, you can take Asahikawa Denki Kido Bus to
the cable car station. The good news is that if
you spend more than 2,000 yen at the cable car station
and keep your receipts, the return bus is free.
If you feel like staying overnight there's the mountain
hut about a thirty-minute walk from the top cable
car station or, near the bottom station, there is
Asahi-dake Youth Hostel (a recently rebuilt wooden
building) and a plethora of hotels and lodgings
nestled together. There is also a campsite for those
of you with tents. A visit to the Asahi-dake Visitors
Centre is a good idea, as it has lots of maps and
information, mostly in Japanese.
Niseko, southwest of Sapporo, is another area with
many hiking trails and great views. It is home to
several famous ski resorts collectively known as
Niseko, although that name more accurately belongs
to one small town to the west of the resort and
its neighbouring mountain. Trains do run directly
to Niseko from Sapporo and Hakodate, but these are
not frequent, so check the schedules carefully.
The start point for most hikes is Niseko-yama-no-ie,
which is at Goshiki Onsen fifteen kilometres away.
It is possible to get a bus from JR Niseko Station
to Niseko-yama-no-ie, about a one-hour ride. Again
check bus times carefully so you're not hanging
around for ages. You could stay instead at Niseko
Annupuri Youth Hostel and head off hiking the next
day. Take the bus to Konbu Onsen, and after about
twenty minutes get off at Niseko Annupuri Kokusai
Ski Resort. The manager of the hostel has a good
reputation and may even pick you up from Niseko
if you call in advance.
From Goshiki Onsen there are various hikes including
the Niseko Circuit. This is a seven-hour hike starting
from the carpark and toilets on the main road. Follow
the path over the bridge and up the manmade steps
to the registration book. From here follow the trail,
which is marked with pink stripes of tape or arrows
spray-painted on rocks. Do the circuit anticlockwise,
going towards Nitonupuri at the fork. The trail
winds uphill to the rocky summit (1,080 m) and then
descends to the road. Crossing the road, continue
up to the summit of Chisenupuri (1,134 m) and then
down to Chonuma, a big mountain pond that will be
to your right and is an ideal place for a lunch
break. Continue on the trail, re-crossing the road
and passing through O-yachi, a marshland of wildflowers,
until you come to O-numa on your right. This is
another ideal place for a break and some food. The
final part of the trail takes you through old sulphur
mines and back to the fork. From here retrace your
steps from the morning back to the carpark.
 If
you decide to do any of these hikes, I hope you
enjoy them. Before you head out, get as much information
as you can about where you're going, including maps.
Good sources are The Lonely Planet Guide to Hiking
in Japan, and Hokkaido Trekking and Onsen Guide
published by the Sapporo International Communication
Plaza Foundation. The latter guide is in English
and Japanese, and costs about 400 yen.
A final word of warning before you're on your own.
Hokkaido is home to the higuma, the Hokkaido brown
bear. Although rarely seen by hikers on popular
trails, they are alive and out there. Japanese hikers
carry a bell to reduce the element of surprise,
and encounters are rare. In all my hiking in Hokkaido,
the closest I've ever come to the higuma is a mighty
roar, which sounded like a lion, up a valley in
the Daizetsuzan Mountains. Having said that, whilst
hiking in the Hidaka Mountains last summer, a friend
of mine popped behind a car at the trailhead for
a quick pee, only to find a large pile of fresh
bear poo.
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