REPORT

After submitting my mountaineering plan, I boarded the Goryu Telecabin at 7:00 a.m. and headed for 2,037m Mt. Nakatomi. The intense sun had me sweating a lot from the start, even in the shaded sections of the trail before reaching Mikaeri-zaka. However, the fog that had started to rise up from lower elevations caught up with me at Ichinose-gami (pictured), and the sudden drop in temperature that resulted made me forget it was summer.
[Mt. Kotomi Trekking Course・Ichinose-gami]

The most recent weather forecast for the Obon holiday period is for clear skies from 8/10 (Sat.) to 8/12 (Mon., holiday), cloudy skies from 8/13 (Tue.) to 8/15 (Thurs.), and worsening weather from 8/16 (Fri.) to 8/18 (Sun.). Most of the people climbing up the Mt. Kotomi trekking course today were carrying large backpacks, and most likely were will be spending the next several days in the mountains.
[Mt. Kotomi Trekking Course・Ichinose-gami]

Several varieties of azaleas and miyama mamakona flowers are currently in peak bloom all along the stretch of trail between the Jizo Cairn and the summit of Mt. Kotomi. In the sandy areas above Ninose-gami, large numbers of miyama kogome-gusa (Euphrasia insignis, pictured), yamahahako (pearly everlasting) and shinano otogiri (hypericum erectum) flowering. Many okame-no-ki (viburnum furcatum, fourth photo), akamono (gaultheria adenothrix), kuromame-no-ki (bog bilberry) and gozen tachibana (creeping dogwood) were already bearing fruit.
[Mt. Kotomi Trekking Course・Ninose-gami]

I passed a hiker (pictured) coming down from Mt. Goryu who told me they were able to see a wonderful sunrise in the morning. Also, two people from Kyoto Prefecture whom I met at the top of Mt. Nakatomi said to me, ”Yesterday, we climbed from Happo through the fog and stayed overnight at the Goryū Sansō mountain hut. This morning, the weather suddenly cleared up and we were able to see a sea of clouds, the alpenglow cast across the mountain tops, and even a Brocken spectre.”
[Hiking Trail to Mt. Goryu・Mt. Kotomi Summit to Mt. Nakatomi Summit]

　
*Night gondola rides will be available from 8/10 (Sat.) to 8/12 (Mon.)!

 
[Hakuba Goryu Alpine Botanical Garden 2024 Opening Information]
*Period … Sat. & Sun. from 6/1 (Sat.) to 6/16 (Sun.), Daily from 6/22 (Sat.) to 10/20 (Sun.)
*Hours … Goryu Telecabin: Weekend & Holidays 7/6 – 8/12 and 8/13 – 8/15 start at 7am, Weekdays 7/8 – 8/9 and 8/16 – 8/18, weekends and holidays 9/14 – 10/14 start at 7:30am
*Fees … Goryu Telecabin round-trip: Adults JPY2,200, Elementary School Students JPY1,100 (from 7/6 to 8/31: Adults JPY2,700, Elementary School Students JPY1,350) / Panorama Pack (Goryu Telecabin round-trip + Tenbo Lift): Adults JPY2,600, Elementary School Students JPY1,300 (from 7/8 to 8/31: Adults JPY3,000, Elementary School Students JPY1,300)

*Click here to purchase photos found in this report.
*This season’s Goryu Report will be updated once or twice a week.

reported by Snownavi