Winter Ascent to Mt. Nishihotakadake! Breathtaking Experience at the Summit! Freezing Tent Camping at Nishihotaka Sanso! Winter Mountaineering in the Northern Alps.

Winter Ascent to Mt. Nishihotakadake! Breathtaking Experience at the Summit! Freezing Tent Camping at Nishihotaka Sanso! Winter Mountaineering in the Northern Alps.

I went to Mt. Nishihotakadake in mid-March 2023!

The winter Alps reminded me of my experience on Mt. Chou-ga-dake in 2020. It was a bit nerve-wracking.

As usual, I drove after work and took a nap at the free parking lot for climbers at Shinhotaka Onsen.

There was a storm so strong that it shook my car! I was worried that the gondola might be closed. I lost my motivation…

Since I couldn’t bring myself to go outside, I decided to go back to sleep. When I woke up around 10 am, the rain had calmed down a bit. There was no notice of the gondola closure on their website. It seemed like I could make it up there somehow! So I started preparing.

SHINHOTAKA ROPEWAY https://shinhotaka-ropeway.jp/en/

The duo in the neighboring car was also getting ready at the same time, as the rain had eased. They said they were going to Mt. Okuhotakadake. Impressive!

I took the 11 am ropeway. It was actually my first time. Although I have been to Mt. Nishihotakadake several times, I always walked from Kamikochi.

The gondola was incredibly beautiful! It seemed that they had been replaced during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It took about an hour and a half from the Shinhotaka-guchi Station to the Nishihotaka Sanso(Mountain Hut), where I would be staying for the night. Thanks to the unexpected snowfall since last night, I could step on fresh powder snow! It felt amazing!

Around 1 pm, I arrived at Nishihotaka Sanso. I immediately started setting up the tent. There were four tents that day. Since there was nothing else to do, I built a windbreak wall by stacking blocks and made chairs and tables. I had planned to go to Maruyama, but I decided to cancel due to the weather.

The snow, which was forecasted until noon, continued to fall until sunset. I was really worried if it would be sunny the next day… But when I crawled out of the tent in the middle of the night…

A sky full of stars!!

It seemed like there was nothing to worry about the next day.

A little past 6 am, just after sunrise, I left the tent. It immediately showed me a magnificent view. The wind was incredibly strong, though!

As I passed Maruyama, Mt. Nishihotakadake, a mix of snow and rocks, came closer.

Directly below the summit of Mt. Nishiho Doppyo. I managed to come here without any major issues.

However, I struggled a bit on the rocky terrain just below the summit, especially with the mixed ice and snow. Hmm, this is…

I somehow managed to reach the summit of Doppyo! What a view!!

The wind was strong, but thanks to the clear weather, Mt. Nishihotakadake was shining brilliantly. It was too cool.

Now, I gave up on continuing towards the summit of Mt. Nishihotakadake. I felt uncertain about my ice work just below the summit.

If I can descend safely, I can try again next year! I reassured myself.

However, it was such a magnificent sight that I didn’t want to leave. In the end, I stayed at the summit for less than an hour, but the wind was so strong that my body got completely cold.

Once I passed the rocky area below the summit, I could walk comfortably. I descended while enjoying the view of Mt. Yari in the direction of Mt. Yakedake.

I thought about staying another night, but I ended up packing up the tent and descending.

I bid farewell to Nishiho-kun and started descending.

From the Yari-no-Kairou at Shinhotaka-guchi Station, I could see Mt. Yarigatake! It’s still so impressive!

I want to visit Mt. Yarigatake in winter, but maybe I’ll start with the late snow season.

Safely descended!

As usual, I soaked in the hot springs at Nakazaki Sanso and headed home.

It was unfortunate that I couldn’t reach the summit of Mt. Nishihotakadake, but just seeing its magnificent appearance was satisfying. It was a great mountaineering experience that helped me understand my own abilities.

I vow to train and stand on the snowy summit of Mt. Nishihotakadake without fail!

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