Without a doubt Japan has the Best Powder in the World. Kita Yatsugatake mountains offer a fantastic world of powder snow. Here are the recommended courses for visitors to take a walk in the snowy mountains!
1. For beginners: Walking in a fantastic powdery snow forest
2. For intermediate: Enjoy climbing snowy mountains for the first time）
3. How to get to Kita Yatsugatake mountains
4. A spectacular view of Mt. Chausu from the summit of Mt.Shimagare (elevation 2,403m)
For beginners: Walking in a fantastic powdery snow forest
Yatsugatake is a mountainous area lies between Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures and is a national park. In winter, the temperature drops to 10 to 20 degrees below zero, allowing visitors to enjoy powdery snow. It’s easy access from the Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai regions.
The entrance on the Nagano Prefecture side is Kita-Yatsugatake Ropeway, a convenient sightseeing spot for Tateshina and Kita-Yatsugatake in Chino City.
You can take the ropeway from Kita-Yatsugatake base station (elevation 1,771 m) to the summit station (elevation 2,237 m).
Just off the summit station is the “Tsuboniwa Nature Park”. In summer, it is a beautiful natural garden where alpine plants grow in clusters. Below this is a ski resort, so you can also enjoy skiing and snowboarding in the powdery snow.
In the sub-zero world, both conifers and broadleaf trees become ice trees, allowing visitors to enjoy the natural formative art.
For intermediate: Enjoy climbing snowy mountains for the first time
If you are an intermediate climber with summer mountaineering experience, how about your first snowy mountaineering trip with a guide? Although crampons and warm clothing are required, there are mountain huts open year-round on Kita Yatsugatake, and you can climb within 3 to 4 hours.
Day 1 /outward trip
Kita-Yatsugatake ropeway summit station> Mt.Shimagare > Mt.Chausu > Mugikusa Pass (overnight stay at mountain hut)
After getting off the ropeway at the summit station, put on crampons and continue on the snow-covered trail. The Yatsugatake blue sky spreads overhead, and it is a winter wonderland as far as the eye can see! There is a mountain hut on the way so you can take a rest.
We continued over two mountains, Mt. Shimagare and Mt. Chausu, until we reached our goal at Mugikusa Pass. Near the summit was quite a steep climb, but the path was not icy and the smooth powder snow made it easy to walk.
After three and a half hours, we arrived safely at our goal mountain hut!
When I went outside at night, the sky was filled with stars and it was so magnificent.
Day 2 /return trip
Mugikusa Pass> Shirakoma Pond > Mt.Chausu > Mt.Shimagare > Kita-Yatsugatake ropeway summit station
On the second day, we went further and headed to Shirakoma Pond, about 30 minutes from Mugikusa Pass. It is a 30-minute walk around the lake, but it was all frozen! We could walk across the lake to the other shore.
* Please note that the thickness of the ice at Shirakoma Pond varies depending on the time of year.
Even if you do not intend to climb the mountain, why don’t you take the ropeway to the summit station? Tsuboniwa Nature Park, located just outside the station is a winter wonderland that anyone can enjoy and crowded with many tourists.
I highly recommend you to visit Kita Yatsugatake where you can enjoy fantastic snowy mountains and powdery snow.
How to get to Kita Yatsugatake mountains
Kita-Yatsugatake Ropeway（Google map)
You can reach Kita Yatsugatake mountains most easily from Chino Station. From Shinjuku catch the JR Azusa Chuo Line-Limited Express for Matsumoto and get off at Chino Station.
By bus: From Chino Station West Exit, Alpico Kotsu Bus Stop #2, bound for Kita Yatsugatake Ropeway (approx. 60 min.)
By car: 25 km from the Suwa IC of the Chuo Expressway (40-50 minutes)
Ropeway operation hours in winter: 9:00-16:00 (every 20 minutes)
A spectacular view of Mt. Chausu from the summit of Mt.Shimagare (elevation 2,403m)
(C) Yuhei Horibe
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