Happo pond — Attraction in Hakuba

We hiked Happo on Aug 15th and we already had predicted the weather. It was cloudy but no rain day, but we did not get demotivated to hike. There is 1 Gondola lift and 2 chair lift . Total round trip cost for each person is ¥3300. From the 3rd station you get to hike for about 1hr30 mins to reach the top where you can enjoy the Hakko Ike and the Alps mesmerizing view. We were fortunate to have less heat while the climb but a little unfortunate for getting the perfect view of Alps. But the total hike was worth it. Sometimes, nature do not behave as predicted in weather apps but, it’s not bad to give a try😉

There are two ways to hike. One is through the Rocky Mountains and the other is a little long route but managed to make stairs. We ascended with tough trail through rocky stones and descended in the easier trail. Also, they suggest taking stony rocks while ascending because it might get slippery in mist and descending might be tricky.

You can also hike beyond Happo Ike, but we have sign a form at the entrance if we are hiking further. Also that area needs you to have perfect hiking equipment.

Overall a best summer...

We took the bus from Nagano. Arrived at bus stop at 8am for the 8:20am bus and there was already a long queue. The bus was full and we had to wait 1.5h for the next bus. A lot of people left the queue due to the long wait.

It was a Sunday and the Happo pond area was crowded. The trail consists of rocky terrain for some parts as well as boardwalk. Advisable to bring hiking poles for some support on the rocky areas. Hiking shoes with good grip is recommended because the rock surfaces are slippery even tho it was a dry weather day.

The walk from the final chairlift to the Happo pond took about 1h at a medium pace. It can be difficult to navigate the rocky sections when there are a lot of people in both directions. The descent took less time (45 mins).

Take note of the last chair lift timing as well as the connecting time for the Alpico bus. There can be a long queue for the chair lifts and cable...

Would have been a perfectly wonderful hike if not for the rain and the mushy and slippery rocks and planks along the trails. It takes 1 gondola and 2 ski lift rides to get to 1680m before we can hike to the Happo pond. If you have lower limb injuries or weak muscle groups here, be cautioned that this trail can be hazardous. Seniors should abstained for fear of ankle sprains and knee injuries. When trekking up, be mindful of the distance to keep from the front person/group as there is a danger of a domino effect of falling or slipping. A pair of good hiking shoes is a must for comfort and safety! In the morning, it is always misty. So, do have your water-proof jacket and a small tower handy. For non-Japanese, the climb/hike traffic is to keep to your left. Please do not barge through the line up or down, most of the time, you will be allowed through if...