These trails are a great introduction to Daisetsuzan, or Nutakukamu-ushuppe in Ainu (this area is also known by the Ainu name Kamuy Mintara, romantically translated as Garden of the Gods).
The last time I came here was by chance – the access to our planned route was closed due to a typhoon so Jeff and I backtracked to Sounkyo and rode the ropeway up to do Hokuchindake. It was early in the season with plenty of snow still around and swirling mist added to the sense of wilderness.
There were no views from the top of Hokuchindake, though it cleared up a bit and rained briefly on the way back to Kurodake. It was still a bit early for the full glory of alpine flowers, but near the hut a Siberian Rubythroat was singing away madly.
After a break at the hut, we climbed up Kurodake in the late afternoon. There was nobody else around so we took the opportunity to investigate the sheer cliffs on the north side of the summit. We then realized the time was getting on, so rushed quickly down to the chairlift. Drifts of slippery snow on the trail slowed us down and we only made it just in time – it stopped running at 17:30 that day.
Then it was down to the onsen at Kurodake no Yu for a good soak, followed by a well-earned plate of delicious pasta in the unassuming looking restaurant on the ground floor. It doesn’t look like that kind of place but is now one of our favourite stops if we are in these parts.
9 thoughts on “The Asahidake to Kurodake Traverse Hike”
Hello! Last summer (or the summer before?) I hiked this route starting from the bottom of Kurodake (I used no rope ways at all). I parked at the rope way, but walked across a bridge and the trailhead was near the other side of the bridge. The trail up Kurodake was quite clear and easily identifiable the whole way up. But on the way back down the next day in the afternoon, wasps, horseflies and other biting bugs wanted to eat me for the last 15 minutes of the hike! I couldn’t believe I could run so fast at the end of 2 days of hiking like that, those biting bugs even surrounded my car. Just as a warning. Park away from any trees or high grass to get away from the biting bugs. The hike was a lovely experience otherwise.
Hi Sheila, I’m glad it was a good trip despite the wildlife! As you say, insects can be a problem in the woods, I also remember a nasty afternoon walking back to Asahidake Onsen plagued by mosquitoes. The suzumebachi hornets are scary but for me the little black ones called buyo are definitely the worst, the bites draw blood and leave an itchy bruise for a week or more. I hope you managed to avoid those!
Went on 18 July 2020. Took Asahidake Ropeway and departed from the top of the ropeway at 0800. Took 2.5 hours to the top of Asahidake. We could see the peak of Kurodake and the trail leading up to it. There was still a bit of snow on the back side of Asahidake on the descent. Saw two tents at that camping area (think it’s a good place to camp if you were doing the hike from Kurodake and you wanted to camp a night and likewise the Kurodake hut is a good place to camp if you wanted to camp a night. We choose the north side section loop (going left from Asahidake). There was also snow on the descent of Mamiyadake but neither would warrant the use of special snow gear. With frequent short breaks, we made it to the Kurodake chairlift at 1645 (confirmed last chair was at 1730) and then took the tram/ropeway down to Sounkyo. Stayed at a local hotel. Bused it to Asahidake Station and then took a taxi (13200 yen) to Asahidake ropeway (didn’t feel like waiting for a bus for 3 hours). NOTES: I thought the descent of Kurodake was steep, rocky, and brutal. Very hard on the knees. The actual hike was 8:45 hours and included frequents breaks. For reference (Male, aged 52, average health). I think it was a great hike but if you don’t want to feel rushed, you should plan on camping a night. Love this site! Very useful info!
Brilliant! Thanks very much for the write up and feedback. It’s useful (if painful) to know how much a taxi costs. Did you do Hokuchin-dake on the way round?
Wanted to hike up Hokuchin-dake on the way but couldn’t chance it not getting to the chairlift/ropeway at Kurodake in time before they closed. Logistically, it might make more sense to stay the night at a hotel on one end and hike back the next day to the car at the other end!
Hello!
Firstly I would like to say that this website is an incredible resource, so thank you very much for your time and effort. I am thinking of doing this hike in July or early August this year as an overnight hike, staying at the Kurodake Refuge. Being a bit stingey, is it possible to hike down to Sounkyo from the Kurodake chairlift, as opposed to taking the Daisetsusan Kurodake ropeway? I can’t seem to find any info online, but I believe I see a marked trail on the route map above.
Thank you 🙂
Thanks Sam! That is the original trail from before the ropeway opened in 1967 and sees little traffic these days. I’ve never done it. The Hokkaido Natsuyama Gaido 2 (2010) says that it should take just over 2 hours down to Sounkyo from the top of the ropeway. If you do it, please leave some comments here about the condition of the trail etc, that would be much appreciated!
Hi Rob! I’m planning our trip to Hokkaido this coming spring and I’ve stumble across your website. All information is super helpful, so thank you very much for putting it together. I was wondering if this particular hike would be too dangerous at the beginning of May? I’m trying to search it up, but most blog posts are referencing Jun-Sep months.
Any info is appreciated.
Thanks!
Hi Iva, thank you for the kind words. If you are well equipped and experienced with snow-shoeing long distances, you could do this route in early May. However, you would probably need to overnight in the snow somewhere. That is, the route is still very much covered with snow. Here is a trip we did in early May, which includes part of the traverse route – we were on skis! I hope this helps.