When you come to Hokkaido, you’d better to enjoy hiking. There are many mountains for hiking, not only high mountains also small mountains.
Mt.Ichankoppe is one of the small mountains near the lake Shikotsuko. This is very popular for hikers and you can enjoy it in all season.
I show you some winter hiking photos and story on 21st February 2021.
You need to go there by car and park at the Poropinai observatory parking, see googlemaps below. The parking is located at the just before the hairpin curve down to the lake Shikotsuko.
Parking your car
The parking is called the Poropinai observatory parking. You’ll see many cars parking in the early morning on weekends and holy days. So that you’d better to go before 9 o’clock in the morning. You can not park on the side of the road of route 453. It is so dangerous for driving a car that you are very careful for parking. Watch oncoming-up cars when you cross the road to the parking. Sometimes young careless drivers and motor cycles coming up faster that cause serious accidents. Drive slowly and come back home safely.
Entrance to the Ichankoppe
After you carry heavy equipments, you walk left side of the road crossing the road, and move to the center of the hairpin curve. You will find the entrance Mt.Ichankoppe. There is a small box in which inside you write down your name, number of party and the entrance time. This is for in case of rescue. And write down your go-back time before you leave.
In winter, you need crampons. In the beginning of the route, maybe the first 30 minutes, the slope is so steep, you could consume your physical without them.
Tracking footprints show you the route most of the time. But you need check your route with your device such as iPhone’s GPS. Mt.Ichankoppe is located in the far right side of your route. If you go up to the left, you will see the plate of Mt.Horohirayama. This is not Mt.Ichankoppe. Sometimes you would be misled by somebody’s footprints that doesn’t go Ichankoppe.
We did it. Hahahahaha…
Walking as seeing the lake Shikotsuko on your right side, you are walking on the right route.
After 30-40 minutes going-up, you will little bit down to the right and walk another 20-30 minutes through the forest where You can’t see the lake Shikotsuko, but you will see the top of mountain that is the false peak of Mt.Ichankoppe.
People say that a view from the false peak is more beautiful than Mt.Ichankoppe. I agree with them.
Almost there, the false peak.
The view from the false peak of Mt.Ichankoppe. This is beautiful!
After that, we go to the top.
Another 30 minutes we have to walk.
This is the top of the mountain!
Enjoy slope down by hip slipping when you return!
