Ninety minutes of riding to and then sidling the foothills of the volcanic mountains took us to Higashikawa in plenty of time to work out the bus timetable, eat at the farmers market inside the bus station, browse the Mont Bell store and work out where to leave our bikes in town for hours. Broad daylight in a public thoroughfare should be fine…
Very poor timing out here.
Nice to see little rail cars still trundling around the countryside.
I dived off the road seeing a sign for Canmore Ski Village. Canmore being the town in the Canadian Rockies I lived in for a year – what is going on here?
Not the Canmore I was used to.
Amused by the replacement of the maple leaf in the flag.
<
Curious.
Curiouser.
Turns out Canmore, Alberta, is twinned with Higashikawa. Makes some sort of sense.
The bus to the ropeway was fair packed, but it beat riding up the narrow mountain road in the heat. The ropeway took us to 1600 m, we had four hours to get back before the ropeway closed. Only 700 m left to climb to the summit of Mt Asahidake – the highest mountain in Hokkaido. Surely that would be enough, it was only three-ish kilometres.
At least it was cooler up here. (That’s the summit elevation, bit misleading.)
Path flat for a little before beginning the climb. Plenty to look at though, misty peak, nice lake and some geothermal activity.
Up we go. Pretty rocky and loose, but easily walkable.
This section was better underfoot!
Pausing to look around most worthwhile.
Volcanic colours starting to show. Also, typically well-covered Japanese hiker.
We, on the other hand, not as nearly protected from the sun in our bike gear.
I do like fumarole fotos.
Misty clouds continually blowing through as we ascended; occasional views.
Fair bit of traffic, but not overwhelming.
Made it to the top to find we were only three hours’ walk from Kurodake – where we’d been two days before.
Not much of a view down the way we came.
But summit lunch wasn’t bad – some views in the opposite direction.
Bit clearer on the way down.
The descent was good fun, trying to stride, or jump, between large stepping stones and avoid the scree. Back to the flatter section, we still had two hours to spare – it was excellent to have the time to wander around the lower paths as the sky was clearer and it was absolutely gorgeous. So stunning in fact, I’m just going to put all these photos here and not write anything for a bit (!).
Easily making the last gondola, we hitched a ride back to town with an Australian couple – nice to avoid the crowded bus and fun to hear their experiences driving around Hokkaido. Six hours later, our bikes and all our gear were still where we left them against a shop wall in the busiest part of town. Touring in Japan so easy on many counts. An easy cruise down to Asahikawa on cycle trail alongside the Chubetsu River.
A bit neglected early on it soon became a top-notch piece of trail and then very well used.
A free campground in a big city park was home for the night – its point of difference in my mind was the absurdly loud music that played in the toilet block when one entered! After bathing at the largest public onsen of our trip, it was up the street for a barbecue dinner. Excellent day, still remains one of the highlights, if not the highlight, of my time in Japan.
Another camp visitor at breakfast time. Well, we were the visitors – this one probably a local.
We soon spotted it from afar.
Rachel towering over me as I muck around taking photos.
Looks a prime candidate for a rail trail.
Very tempting to ride along it, but previous experience reminds us that it might be blocked or a bridge out quite soon. Alas.
Back to the highway to find we may have entered a Mad Max world. What is this?!
Many deer around happy doing their thing next to passing cars and cyclists.
Oh, it’s a mower; even we could pass this.
Except one poor young deer got a little close to the traffic; Rachel showing her veterinary side and helping it off the road – little else to be done for it unfortunately. 
Rachel’s photo.
Very cute outside and in. 
Coffee art was also top-notch, I’m told.
Recommended for hungry cyclists, or in general. I’m still disappointed I didn’t find a similarly excellent jug to buy and bring home.
To the tunnel! Relatively short, but cut out over a hundred metres more climbing.
Spotted a lot of these fake-trees – we assumed for avalanche control.
Flattening out a bit.
Water levels definitely low.
Rolling into the small alpine village of Sounkyo – only a few steep streets and some big empty waterways, we certainly wouldn’t be seeing any flash floods.
Typical flood control weir, barrier that we saw all over the country.
After the long cable car, a short walk to a long chairlift – starting to cool down exposed up here.
Village visible just, route of the chairlift obvious.
Suddenly up in the sub-alpine.
And with a bit of walking on the rocky trail, into the alpine.
The cloud kept blowing through, so at times we got a bit of a view of the plateau and then volcanic peaks and craters.
Heading for those buildings, a small lodge and even smaller store (!).
A good little base for further exploring; but we only had a few hours – so return to Sounkyo we must.
From the roof of the ropeway top station.
Most of Sounkyo village.
Jian recommended a ramen restaurant for dinner.
Hopefully as charming as this.
Very easy going to start.
Starting to steepen and become less paved.
Beautiful forest lower – spruces, various pines, silver birch were some of the trees we recognised.
Soon out of the forest, confirmation unfortunately that the cloud had rolled in.
It was easy to see just how much water must come down this track; the level of upkeep done to keep it serviceable obvious and impressive (Rachel’s photo).
Occasional glimpses of the top possible.
As the vegetation got shorter, it and the heat started to remind me of being in tea fields.
Three-quarters of the way up there was some respite from the otherwise relentless climbing – my legs were not looking forward to the descent.
It still looks a fair way off.
Back in the mist.
Plastic pipes filled with rocks made for an interesting staircase and erosion control option on this particularly steep section.
Although they started to feel like they would be ideal for people twice as tall as us.
Greeted by rain near the summit shrine.
Made it (two hours and twenty); we didn’t stick around for long on account of rain and no view, alas (Orlaith’s photo).
Curious number of boat propellors lugged up here.
Ferry leaving for Rebun, as we would tomorrow.
Rebun, not so far away as Hokkaido; spot the ferry.
That rather distinctive bridge that we saw yesterday, and would ride over tomorrow.
These cicadas were unbelievably loud; if I’d have had ear plugs on me, I’d have used them.
Back in the forest; legs jelly-like by now.
Still can’t see the top as we biked back to camp, after an ice cream at a konbini.
There it is.
Still a bit of the afternoon left; there may have been some swimming in the fishing cove – but not for me, onsen later on was most welcome.
Dinner at an izakaya, where we sat at the bar watching the action.
Happy with the tempura, and to be sitting down (Rachel’s photo).
Nice to see the lanterns lit tonight…
and a big moon come to join us, mountain finally clear of cloud.
Car park view not shabby.
Hudson inspecting the Potts while I try to remember which valley is the Havelock and which is the Clyde at the top of the Rangitata.
Katie soaking Hudson’s cooling jacket – hard work being an active black dog on such days.
Occasionally Hudson wasn’t off covering far more ground than we were; looking back down to the Rangitata.
One of the bigger scour outs down to the Potts.
Hot going, so the occasional swamp provided cooling opportunities for some.
Less mysterious when you’re right next to it.
Spot the tents.
Our exit route for the following day.
Down to Boundary Creek – on the other side of the range from Mystery Lake.
East to Mt Somers Range.
Heading back to camp for dinner, the hills that obscure Mystery Lake obvious here. Behind that, in the shade, the other side of the Potts – roughly showing our route up.
The wind at camp was fickle, but occasionally it dropped – conveniently at sunset.
Arrowsmith Range was a regular point of interest on the horizon throughout the weekend.
Preparing for another sunny day.
But pleasingly we were in the shade of some steep hills for the first five kilometres out, before we joined the Te Araroa trail and turned south-east.
Heading for the nearest extent of the gravel river bed, unfortunately not directly.
Over to Lake Clearwater and its curious village of off-grid holiday homes. Mt Harper on left.
Hudson ever hopeful, little did he know that I’d only just brought enough food for myself.
Back above the Potts again. Getting close now, thankfully as my feet starting to let me know it’s a long time since I’ve walked seventeen kilometres in a day, and over thirty in a twenty-four-ish hours.