Introduction

By using this record, the user is deemed to have agreed in full to the contents of this record and to the separate General Disclaimer.

About This Record

This is a record of the day I skied Mt. Asahidake’s north face, on 25 April 2026. Everything set out below — the content, the ratings, the photos, the route map — is based on my own personal observations and judgment on that single day. It does not indicate the conditions the user will encounter, nor the difficulty or safety for the user. The decision to enter the mountains, and all responsibility for it, rest with the user alone. Mt. Asahidake is an active volcano, and fatal accidents occur there almost every year. This is not a description of a “safe route”; it is nothing more than a report of how I once climbed, how I skied, and what I watched out for.

For what it is worth, across the winter-to-spring seasons I have summited Mt. Asahidake only twice: in March 2022 and in April 2026.

Route Map

Below is a map of the route I actually walked. Base station → Sugatami Pond → up the summer trail to the summit (Mt. Asahidake) → wrapping around to the north to descend → back to the Visitor Center. This is a past record — not a recommended route, and not the safest possible path at the time.

Map source: GSI (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) Maps

* The route overlay itself is my own work.

Quick Facts

• Summit elevation: 2,291 m

• Elevation gain: approx. 1,202 m

• Distance: approx. 12.8 km

• Reference time (me, that day): 4:10 (total incl. breaks approx. 4:56; ascent approx. 3.5 hrs; ski descent approx. 45 min)

• Physical demand: ★★★★☆ (4)

• Hazard: ★★★★★ (5)

• Recommendation: ★★★★★ (5)

Note on ratings: Physical demand, hazard, and recommendation are all my own personal, subjective ratings. Actual difficulty and danger vary greatly depending on the day’s snowpack, the weather, and the user’s own skill and equipment. These numbers are not a guarantee of safety. On the hazard rating in particular: on a good day it can subjectively feel like a 2 or 3, but for the reasons given below, I set it at the maximum of 5 as a general baseline.

Overview

Mt. Asahidake is 2,291 m — the highest peak in Hokkaido. There is free parking near the base station, and a ropeway runs up toward Sugatami Pond. The “classic” line that most people ski is to climb the summer trail from Sugatami to the summit, then drop into Jigokudani (“Hell Valley”) just below the top.

For this record, rather than that classic line, I skied a north-face route that wraps around to the north side from the summit. The north face is off the classic line, so it sees fewer people, and it is gentler in gradient than Jigokudani — which suited my level and made for easier skiing.

Although it is Hokkaido’s highest peak, Daisetsuzan is, in my impression, gentler in gradient than mountains such as Tokachidake, and the climb itself is relatively approachable. That said, the elevation gain is around 1,200 m — please bear in mind that this is by no means a light outing.

You can read more details here

If you are interested in this ski touring record, you can read more details on the following page.

https://su3hokkaido.gumroad.com/l/20260425-asahidake-north-face-ski-record?layout=profile

Introduction

By using this record, the user is deemed to have agreed in full to its contents and to the separate General Disclaimer.

About This Record

This is a record of the day I climbed Mt.Sandanyama on April 1st 2026, and skied its great open face. Everything written below — the descriptions, the ratings, the photographs, and the route map — reflects nothing more than my own observations and judgment on that single day. It says nothing about the conditions the user will find, nor about the difficulty or the level of risk the user will face. The decision to enter the mountains, and all responsibility that follows from it, rests with the user alone.

This record does not present a “safe route.” It simply shows how I climbed on one occasion, how I skied down, and what I paid attention to.

Access Restrictions

On June 18, 2026, the Sapporo Meteorological Observatory raised the volcanic alert level for Mt. Tokachidake to Level 2. A small eruption followed on July 22.

As of July 31, 2026 — the time of writing — the warning remains in force for the area within 1.5 km of the crater, where large volcanic blocks may be ejected, and entry is discouraged.

Check the latest information before you go. Even if restrictions have been lifted, treat the area with care.

Reference: Japan Meteorological Agency: Tokachidake Volcanic Activity

Basic Information

• Summit elevation: 1,748 m

• Total ascent: approx. 757 m

• Distance: approx. 6.4 km

• Reference times: total trip approx. 1:52 (approx. 2:08 including breaks), ascent approx. 1 hour 30 minutes, ski descent approx. 30 minutes

• Physical demand: ★★★☆☆ (3)

• Danger: ★★★★☆ (4)

• Recommendation: ★★★★★ (5)

A note on the ratings: physical demand, danger, and recommendation are all my own subjective assessments. Snowpack, weather, and the user’s own skill and equipment change both the difficulty and the hazard substantially. These numbers guarantee nothing. On the danger rating in particular: in good conditions the day can feel more like a 2 or 3, but for the reasons described below I give 4 as the general figure.

Overview

Mt. Sandanyama is a 1,748 m peak in the Tokachidake range. There are several trailheads — Bogakudai, Hakuginso, Yumoto Ryounkaku — and it draws hikers and skiers year-round. In winter especially, you can climb from Hakuginso, ski back down, and soak in the Hakuginso hot spring on the way out; or stay the night and start skiing at first light. Among Hokkaido’s backcountry ski areas, this one is genuinely popular.

What sets Mt. Sandanyama apart from other peaks above 1,500 m is the short approach from trailhead to summit combined with enormous open slopes — you can skin back up and ski a different line, again and again.

This record covers the standard route from Hakuginso. The distance is modest and the elevation gain reasonable, but neighboring Mt. Tokachidake is an active volcano and accidents happen here. This is not a mountain to take lightly. Specific hazards and countermeasures are covered below.

Route Map

Below is the route I actually traveled, drawn on a map. From Hakuginso it follows close to the summer trail up to the summit — the standard line. This is a record of the past. It is not a recommended route, nor was it the safest line even on the day.

Base map: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan

＊The route overlay itself is my own work.

You can read more details here

If you are interested in this ski touring record, you can read more details on the following page.

https://su3hokkaido.gumroad.com/l/20260401-sandanyama-ski-record

Introduction

By using this record, the user is deemed to have agreed in full to its contents and to the separate General Disclaimer.

About This Record

This is a record of the day I climbed Mt.Shokanbetsudake from Shokanso (the Mt.Shokanbetsudake hut) on April 16, 2026, and skied its great open face. Everything written below — the descriptions, the ratings, the photographs, and the route map — reflects nothing more than my own observations and judgment on that single day. It says nothing about the conditions the user will find, nor about the difficulty or the level of risk the user will face. The decision to enter the mountains, and all responsibility that follows from it, rests with the user alone.

This record does not present a “safe route.” It simply shows how I climbed on one occasion, how I skied down, and what I paid attention to.

Basic Information

• Summit elevation: 1,492 m

• Total ascent: approx. 1,238 m

• Distance: approx. 16.2 km

• Reference time: tour approx. 5:00 (approx. 5:25 total including breaks), ascent approx. 4 hours, descent by ski approx. 1 hour

• Physical demand: ★★★★☆ (4)

• Danger: ★★★★★ (5)

• Recommendation: ★★★★★ (5)

A note on the ratings: Physical demand, danger, and recommendation are all subjective assessments of my own. The actual difficulty and danger shift dramatically with the snowpack, the weather, and the user’s own skill and equipment. These numbers guarantee nothing about safety. As for the danger rating in particular, on a day with good conditions it can feel more like a 2 or 3 — but for the reasons given below, I set it at the maximum of 5 as a general benchmark.

Overview

Mt.Shokanbetsudake is a 1,492 m peak in the Mashike area. There is a free parking lot in front of Shokanso, and most people come during the roughly one-month window from early April to early May, once the winter road closure lifts. It is an exceptionally long course on which you can descend while skiing almost the entire way back down, and many people come here to close out their ski and snowboard season.

This record covers that popular main route. Because it is not a 2,000 m peak like those of the Daisetsuzan or Tokachi ranges, it may look easy — but the vertical gain is around 1,200 m and the distance around 16 km, so keep in mind that it is by no means an easy mountain.

You can read more details here

If you are interested in this ski touring record, you can read more details on the following page.

https://su3hokkaido.gumroad.com/l/20260416-shokanbetsudake-ski-record

What this is

• When you write trip records, you naturally want to write about how you climbed and how you skied.

• But what really matters in the mountains, I think, is the decision that comes before all that: whether to go or not, whether to push on or turn back.

• This article isn’t about a specific route. It’s about how I approach the mountains — the unglamorous part. It applies to both winter and summer.

A note before reading

• Everything below is one person’s opinion.

• Everyone has their own way of relating to the mountains.

“But I came all this way” — the most dangerous thought on the mountain

You spent time and money to get here. You prepared. The forecast looked fine when you left. And now, even as conditions deteriorate in front of you, you want to push forward — because you came all this way.

I believe this thought is the single most common reason people get into trouble in the mountains.

The time and money you’ve already spent are gone. Trying to recover them by pushing forward clouds your judgment. What matters is not “what I’ve invested to get here” but only “what could happen from here on.” Turn back, and the time is wasted. Push on and get into serious trouble — and what you lose is something you can never get back. I try to approach every mountain with that in mind: minimize risk, and put life above everything else.

Three principles I follow to come home safe

Honestly, I’m not a veteran mountaineer. My bag of experience and technique is small. I own the gear but I’ve never done a tent bivouac. I’ve never cooked on a summit. What I am is a cautious, somewhat timid hiker and skier — and these are the three principles that keep me safe.

1. Choose the day carefully before you go

I try to pick days with the highest probability of safe conditions. Here’s roughly how I decide whether to go at all.

In summer:

• The forecast chart shows a high-pressure system extending over the area (raising the odds of clear weather)

• No more than three isobars crossing Hokkaido (to avoid strong wind)

• Whether there has been heavy rain in the past one to two weeks (rivers may be swollen, or landslide risk may be elevated)

In winter, avalanche and snow-related risks are added, so I adjust my criteria:

• For high peaks above the treeline, like Asahidake or Kurodake: a strong high-pressure system and no more than two isobars across Hokkaido. I want both clear skies and low wind.

• For lower satoyama (the small mountains near town): I don’t worry as much about the pressure pattern. Instead I check snow-cloud forecasts on SCW, and if the clouds aren’t too heavy, I’ll go. Satoyama have tree cover that blocks the wind, and as long as visibility is decent, overcast is fine.

• However, if the snowpack has been through repeated melt-freeze cycles, or if there’s been a heavy dump, and avalanche risk is elevated — I don’t go, regardless of the weather.

In any case, if the conditions don’t meet these criteria, I cancel — even if it’s a beautiful day. (I’ll admit that seeing someone else’s trip record from a day I chose to stay home still stings a little.)

2. If conditions feel wrong on the ground, turn back

No matter how carefully you read the weather charts, the mountain doesn’t always match the forecast. When the wind is strong enough that I feel I might get blown off my feet. When just standing there freezes my eyelashes and I can barely keep my eyes open. When the snowpack feels deep and unstable. In those moments I turn back — even with the summit right in front of me. (Mt. Asahidake and Mt. Chitokanushi are the mountains where I’ve made that call most often.)

In winter, avalanche risk is added to all of this. What makes avalanches particularly treacherous is that they happen on clear, beautiful days. “The weather is good, so it’s fine” simply doesn’t hold. The higher and steeper the mountain, the greater the risk. On Sandanyama, for example, the northwest-facing tiers (first, second, third) are gentle and carry relatively lower risk (I did not say low). But the south side toward the Ansei crater is steep and takes direct sun — freezing at night and thawing by day, over and over — creating conditions ripe for surface-layer avalanches. In March 2026, an avalanche of unprecedented recorded scale broke loose just below the summit on that south face, and a ski tourer died (field investigation report by the Snow & Ice Disaster Survey Team, Hokkaido Branch of the Japanese Society of Snow and Ice: https://jac-hokkaido.com/avalanche/3075/ ).

So even on a fine day, I look at the past several days of weather — snowfall, temperature, wind — to judge whether avalanche risk has built up, and from that decide whether to go at all and which slopes or routes to choose.

3. Don’t make other people’s records your baseline

There are people out there who summit calmly in a blinding gale — genuinely impressive. But the fact that they made it up is no reason at all that I can. Not overestimating yourself, and seeing your own ability objectively, matters more than any piece of gear.

You don’t need a respectable reason to turn back

When people hear “turn back,” they may feel it requires some decisive danger to justify it. It doesn’t.

I once gave up a May attempt on Asahidake simply because the snow had run out in patches and taking my skis off to walk seemed like too much hassle. Not even dangerous — just mood. And I think that’s fine. “I’m just not feeling it today” is a perfectly valid reason to turn around. Not ignoring that small sense of unease is itself a kind of judgment.

The days you turn back don’t become records. They don’t get posted on social media. Almost all the mountain records that reach you are from the days people made it. So we slip into the illusion that “everyone is summiting.” But in reality, the days not summited — the days not even attempted — surely outnumber the successes many times over. I myself have headed for certain mountains again and again and only reached the top a handful of those times.

Being timid is a legitimate mountaineering skill

YAMAP and Yamareco are full of dazzling trip records, and it’s natural to be drawn to them. But I think the courage to ignore the dazzle and turn back — to be a coward — is a genuine skill in the mountains. Trusting the feeling of fear. Having the nerve to retreat. Not comparing yourself to others. These are unglamorous, but they matter — in the mountains and, I think, in life.

The mountain isn’t going anywhere. Turn back today, and you can come again. What that requires is not the courage to push forward, but the courage to retreat so you make it home.

And still, the risk never reaches zero

Even if you do everything described above, the risk of a mountain accident does not become zero. No matter how careful you are, you can bring the risk close to zero, but never to zero. The only way to truly eliminate the risk is to not go to the mountains at all.

This isn’t unique to mountains. You can drive carefully and still have an accident. You can study hard and still fail an exam. You can wash your hands religiously and still catch a cold. But that doesn’t make careful driving, studying, or hand-washing meaningless. Lowering risk genuinely matters. It’s just that lowering it and eliminating it are not the same thing.

What I’ve written here is not a method for making the risk zero. It is my own way of thinking about how to live with that risk and come home safe as often as possible. Whether to accept the risk that remains and go to the mountains is, in the end, for you to decide.

Finally

This article describes my personal way of thinking. Any decision to enter the mountains must be made on your own responsibility, based on the conditions of the day and your own skill, experience, and equipment.

Appendix: Relevant digital product

https://su3hokkaido.gumroad.com/l/20260425-asahidake-north-face-ski-record