REPORT

The 58th Annual “Teiitsu-sai,” which formally marks the opening of the climbing season for the Northern Alps’ Hakuba range, was held on 5/25 (Sat.). Following the short ceremony to pray for a safe climbing season at 8:20 a.m., Hakuba Village Tourism Ambassador Aiko Uemura (pictured, right) and Hakuba Village’s official mascot character Victoire Cheval Blanc Murao III (pictured, left) joined the festival participants for a commemorative photo shoot before the trekking departure ceremony.
[Sarukura Parking Lot]

Heavy cloud cover and a strong southerly wind meant that it was a chilly morning for the more than 250 people who participated in the two trekking tours led by Hakuba mountain guides. The participants were seen off from the Sarukura trailhead (pictured) with songs sung by the Hakuba CLS Choir, who was joined by Hakuba Village Mayor Maruyama-san.
[Sarukuraso]

The stretch of trail between Sarukura and the start of the Hakuba Daisetsuekei is currently at the peak of new, vibrant spring foliage. Alpine plants such as nirinso (soft windflower), okame-no-ki (viburnum furcatum), and murasaki yashio-tsutsuji (rhododendron albrechtii) were blooming at the foot of the trail early on, while shirane-aoi (glaucidium), sankayo (skeleton flower), and kinugasaso (Paris Japonica) were beginning to bloom closer to the Daisekkei snowfield. Our guide told us that there is more snow remaining in the Hakuba Daisekkei this year than last year at this time.
[Gotemba to Hakuba Daisekkei]

By 10:00 a.m., the clouds had melted away and the sun was shining for extended periods of time. At the bottom of the Daisekkei, it was possible to follow the footprints of others and walk up the snow with just trekking boots, but as the slope angle increased from around Hakubajiri, I had to put on crampons. The entry-level Daisekkei trekking tour group stopped at Hakubajiri, while the group of the more experienced group had lunch about 300 meters further up the snowfield from Hakubajiri. I was greeted by members of the advanced group who told me they were fans of Snownavi.
[Hakuba Daisekkei]

[The 58th Teiitsusai Festival & Hakuba Renpo Mountain Opening Ceremony]
*Place … Hakuba Village Sarukura Parking Area
Date … 2024/5/25 (Sat)
*Reception … Apply in advance to Hakuba Village Tourism Bureau
*Fees … Trekking Tour JPY1,000 (Children under 12 y/o Free)　The fees of each tour include the guide fee, memorial badge, insurance.
*Directions … Temporary shuttle bus from JR Hakuba Station or Happo No. 5 parking lot to Sarukura (JPY1,000 round trip, JPY2,000 with registration fee)

reported by Snownavi