I woke up at 3:30 and left at 4:30 to go ride the Asahidake Ropeway. I arrived at Shiribetsu Station early in the morning and had breakfast. I was hungry and it had been a while since I had fried food, so the croquette and potato mochi were incredibly delicious. I was grateful for the hot and tasty food prepared early in the morning. After that, I walked around the Shiribetsu Pond, and the weather was great with stunning views. It was worth the trip. I want to strengthen my legs and aim for the summit next time!

Asahikawa Report (lol): You can explore and climb up to the fifth station at Mount Asahidake Ropeway in Asahikawa! There is a delicious croquette at the shop at the top of the ropeway! "Handmade Croquette from the Mountains - ¥290" There is also a terrace seat where you can enjoy the amazing view of Mount Asahidake while eating the croquette, which is incredibly delicious! I want to return to Asahikawa city after descending and making a detour along the way! It was very delicious! Thank you for the meal.

You can take a 101-person ropeway to the 5th station at an altitude of 1,600m on Asahidake, the highest peak in Hokkaido. The round-trip ticket for adults costs 3,200 yen, and the ride takes about 10 minutes. The ropeway operates at 20-minute intervals. The view from the ropeway is beautiful with autumn leaves, but it feels like it ends too quickly in just 10 minutes. When you arrive at the summit station, there is a brief explanation from a guide on how to enjoy hiking, which takes about 5 minutes. Inside the station, there is the only toilet at the summit and a shop. The shop sells items such as curry bread, frankfurters, and potato cakes, but I recommend trying the "homemade croquette" for 290 yen, which is exclusive to the summit station. The croquette, made with local ingredients like Daizetsusan pork, Higashikawa potatoes, and onions, is crispy with a distinct potato flavor and well-seasoned. I walked the beginner-friendly 1.7km loop trail for about an hour. The weather on the mountain can change quickly, as I experienced clouds at the pond near the summit station but clear skies when descending. During the hike, I found a ropeway ticket that someone had dropped. Replacing just one-way ticket costs 2,000 yen, so be careful not to lose yours. I handed the found ticket to the ropeway staff and continued down the mountain. Upon visiting the shop on the first floor, I noticed a similar selection of items as the summit station shop, but the homemade croquette was only available at the summit station that day. While it may not be worth buying a ropeway ticket just for the croquette, if you happen to visit the summit station, be sure to try it out. The view is great, and it's a treat for your taste buds!

I suddenly decided to fly to Asahikawa Airport on the weekend using my miles, and then took a bus to Asahidake. I didn't rent a car mainly because the car rental fee was expensive due to the last-minute decision, and also because the parking lot in front of the Asahidake Ropeway was full, with many cars waiting in line for parking. The hiking trails at the foot of the mountain were already showing beautiful autumn colors, but the higher mountains still looked like they were just starting to change. The scenery of nature was very soothing. After finishing the hike, I decided to try something from the Asahidake souvenir shop - I bought two unusual sweet potato mochi for 300 yen and a curry bread for 300 yen. There were round tables in front of the shop, and a few bench-like seats on the terrace outside. Since the benches were all taken, I enjoyed my snacks at a table inside the shop. The sweet potato mochi came with a slightly sweet sauce. It was more like a mixture of mashed potatoes and potato starch. A quick search online revealed that the main ingredients are potatoes and potato starch. It was a snack that really captured the essence of Hokkaido. The curry bread was also delicious.

In early September, I took a 10-minute ropeway ride to Asahidake where the autumn leaves had just started. The walk around the Shiretoko Station at an altitude of 1,600m was about 1.7km. The weather was clear with a temperature of 16℃, wind speed of 5m/s, and good visibility. I leisurely strolled for about 1.5 hours (usually takes about 1 hour for most people). Since I had come all the way here, I thought of leaving my footprints! The prices at the shop weren't too high compared to similar places, so I bought two organic coffees for 300 yen each. My companion chose the limited edition "Mountain Homemade Croquette" for 290 yen. We borrowed a tray and sat at a table since the benches outside were full. The coffee had a low acidity, some bitterness, and was to my liking. Honestly, I prefer the coffee from a certain chain, but this organic-like taste was soothing and I would rate it 0.3 stars higher (laughs). The croquette I tried was soft with a high potato content. It was tasty on its own, but my companion poured sauce all over it, so I enjoyed it without any sauce. This experience has sparked my interest in hiking, and I plan to use it as a cover to go on various outings and engage in active food blogging. Don't worry, I won't be doing that (laughs). Thank you for the meal.

I climbed to the highest peak of Hokkaido, Mount Asahidake... well, I actually just took the ropeway down to "Shimizu Pond" and walked around for about an hour. Honestly, my wife planned this trip and I just went along because it was too much trouble to argue. But I'm glad I did, the views were amazing. The weather was perfect and although we missed the peak autumn colors, there weren't many people around so we could really enjoy it. After about an hour, we had to head back before evening, so we took the 10 o'clock ropeway down. But before that, we stopped at the Shimizu Station for a coffee break, which cost 300 yen. It wasn't cheap, but the friendly staff and surprisingly tasty coffee made it worth it. The coffee was strong, not too acidic, and really delicious. As we finished writing this, the ropeway arrived at the lower station. "Let's get off," my wife said, and we headed out.

The croquettes were delicious.

I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy to those affected by the recent Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake. Moving on to the 120th entry, we return to the travel diary in Hokkaido. We checked out Lapis Ta Daisetsuzan and took a ropeway to explore the middle of Mount Asahidake, the highest peak in the Daisetsuzan mountain range. Luckily, the weather was sunny when we arrived at the Sounkyo Station via the ropeway. We received a brief lecture from a mountain guide at the station and hiked a 1.7 km trail. After the hike, we used the waiting time for the ropeway to purchase two pieces of sweet potato mochi for ¥300 at the Sounkyo Station shop. The sweet potato mochi had a crispy exterior and a soft, gooey interior with a delicious balance of sweet and savory flavors. The shop also offers handmade croquettes made with locally sourced potatoes from Higashikawa and Asahikawa bamboo pork, but we decided to pass on them as we had a lunch reservation. It was a wonderful hike in the beautiful Daisetsuzan mountain range. "Thank you for the meal."

Inside the Sounkyo Station building, there is a shop that offers a variety of Asahidake original goods, including T-shirts. The shop is open from the first rope way departure until 15 minutes before the last descent. There are tables and chairs available for resting. The "mountain croquette" (250 yen) is sold exclusively at the Sounkyo Station shop. It is made with Tokachi-grown onions, potatoes, and Tokachi Sasabuta pork from the foothills of the Daisetsuzan Mountains. The croquette is crispy on the outside, with a soft and flavorful potato filling. It is delicious.

I revisited Mt. Asahidake in June 2017 for the second consecutive year. My goal was to capture photos of the wild bird "Ginzan Mashiko" that breeds in the Daisetsuzan Mountains. Last year, due to scheduling conflicts, I missed the best season in mid-August, so this time I aimed for the end of June, closer to the peak season. Unfortunately, I did not encounter the bird I was looking for and the weather was not very favorable, resulting in another disappointing outcome for the second year in a row. To relax and soothe my tired body and mind, I decided to indulge in some sweet treats like ohagi. Enjoying ohagi and coffee on the mountain top had a nice and peaceful atmosphere. If you have the chance, I recommend trying it out! Most of the mountain images were shrouded in mist, but I was able to capture a few moments when the scenery was visible. If circumstances allow, I would like to challenge myself again next year.

I had always wanted to visit the main peak of Hokkaido, Mt. Asahidake, and although I had visited Asahidake Onsen on the mountainside before, I had never actually climbed it. My goal was to explore the walking paths around the Asahidake Ropeway Sounkyo Station. On a certain day in August, despite a typhoon approaching, I headed to Asahikawa. The first day was a washout due to heavy rain, so I spent it just enjoying the day spa and my hotel room. The next day, the weather improved after the typhoon passed, although the thick clouds lingered in the morning. I safely arrived at the ropeway base station, bought a round-trip ticket, and headed towards the Sounkyo Station. When I reached Asahidake, the area was completely covered in fog, but as I walked along the walking paths praying for the weather to clear up, the fog suddenly lifted and the sun started peeking through. By the time I reached the Sounkyo Station, the weather had completely cleared up. I took my time walking along the promenade, returned to the station for a toilet break and some rest. The station had a shop with a better selection than I had expected, and what caught my eye was the "Mountain Croquette" being sold as a hot snack. Honestly, it was quite expensive, but considering this was on the mountainside at an altitude of 1600m, it was within an acceptable range. Another thing that caught my attention was the set of ohagi and coffee. I wondered why ohagi, but perhaps something sweet is good for a tired body after climbing. If I ever visit again, I would like to try it.

I had croquettes and potato dumplings. I was surprised by the juicy and rich flavor of the Ooyama Rokusasu pork. The potato dumplings were sweet and delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I rode the Asahidake Ropeway, but unfortunately the weather was bad... I had to give up on walking around (>_<) There was still snow and... I met a cute squirrel.