The earliest place in Hokkaido to see autumn foliage is in the mountains of the Daisetsuzan range. Among these, Mount Kurodake, located near Sounkyo Onsen, is one of the most popular mountains.
Mount Kurodake stands at an elevation of 1,984 meters, but there is a ropeway that takes you up to the 5th station, and from there, a lift can take you to the 7th station.
However, from that point, a steep slope continues for 581 meters. It might seem easy to climb, but it’s actually quite a challenging ascent. Therefore, be sure to prepare proper mountain gear before tackling it.
On clear days, you should be able to see the summit from the lift heading toward the 7th station. Yes, the slightly pointed peak ahead is your goal—Mount Kurodake.
On September 29, 2024, the weather was perfectly clear from the morning, making it an ideal day for hiking. We left Sapporo by car at 4 a.m. and arrived at the ropeway’s parking lot around 6:30 a.m. The ropeway operates from 6 a.m., and the parking lot was already starting to fill up with cars.
We boarded the ropeway shortly after 7 a.m., and after taking the lift, we reached the 7th station around 7:30 a.m. From there, we started our ascent toward the summit.
Looking back during the climb, a long sea of clouds stretched below us in the valley, extending eastward, while the sky remained perfectly clear. Since we had taken the ropeway and lift up to the 7th station all at once, our bodies might not have been accustomed to the mountain’s altitude yet, so we took our time and ascended slowly without rushing.
The climb from the 7th station’s trailhead to the summit is about 1.8 kilometers. Since we took our time to take photos along the way, it took us about two hours to reach the top. For faster hikers, it might take just one hour (that’s really fast!), but generally, it should take about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Once you finish the final steep slope that feels like a wall, the view suddenly opens up.
For those climbing Kurodake for the first time, the breathtaking scenery will leave them in awe. I felt the same way! The Ainu people call this place “Kamuy Mintara,” which means “the playground of the gods.” Once you see it, you’ll understand why!
The view extends far into the distance with mountain ranges continuing as far as the eye can see. From here, you can hike across to Asahidake, Tomuraushi, the Tokachi mountain range, and more. However, this requires proper equipment, and depending on the destination, a single day may not be enough, so make sure to plan thoroughly in advance.
On this day, we turned back near the Kurodake stone hut and descended.
On the way to the stone hut, we encountered a Siberian chipmunk in the low bushes. What luck to meet such an adorable animal so high up in the mountains! If you’re even luckier, you might spot a pika around the rocky area on the descent to the stone hut, as they would be gathering food to prepare for winter. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see any pikas that day.
We had lunch at the summit and leisurely descended afterward. The round trip took us about four hours.
I was surprised to see so many foreign hikers this time. I’d say about one-third of the hikers were from abroad. It made me realize just how much the allure of Hokkaido’s great outdoors has spread across the world and is drawing in so many international visitors. After all, Hokkaido has so much magnificent nature to offer.
I highly recommend visiting Mount Kurodake in autumn. Kamuy Mintara is waiting for you!
