happo pond stop : July 20 2025

let me be a spoiler, this is happo ike (八方池). this pond was a major spot in our route to the top of karamatsudake, our target destination in today's hike. i'm submitting this to around the world photocontest by @bucipuci as well. now that the cat is out, let me begin.

preparation

as blogged yesterday, we came to hakuba and had some exploration of the town, at least that part near the bus stop. and we settled at a pretty romantic era style hotel. knowing how strenuous the day would go, i had a hearty breakfast. glad it was a buffet.

another friend joined in and the four of us started the journey. we were supposed to use his car and ride to a higher elevation. but very unfortunately, at around 10 am road officers stopped us at the foot of the mountain; the higher elevation was fully occupied without any vacant parking slots. at least they informed ahead, it would have been a dreadful 30min ride just to be told to turn back around.

so after finding a parking slot at the town center, we headed by foot to the gondola station.

gondola, lift

we were riding this pretty closed off gondola, it was worrying at first. the sun was up there and this contraption could easily feel like a sauna room, but as the car rode up, those small air holes proved to be enough.

we rode two more lift rides after that, this time these were the open ones which were also used as skii lifts on winter season. the only difference was the height; at winter, these were set at the highest elevation. now, our feet touched the many vegetation on the slopes.

here comes the initial hike. the slopes had many people, this is one famous spot indeed.

and the hike began

wooden planks were used as hike trails. i guess this was done for easy access to none hikers. they were numerous, and clearly identifiable by the clothes and backpacks.

it was pretty clear in this picture who were and weren't hikers. but the sun was pretty strong so i'm sure this will be tough to both groups.

and we even reached areas still with ice. at july! ice this huge and wide is impressive. i really loved that sight and experience. it also confirmed that my clothes were just fine, i couldn't feel the cold.

cairns were also found along the trail. i had to look up what those mean, cairns were mad made piles of stones used as markers. these showed how close we were to the pond.

and then the path changed to stones. now this would be challenging to those with difficult foot wears.

and as we went up higher, the nearby mountains showed more ice.

we were even walking on one at some point. it was a great experience.

and a shrine was also up there. yes, these are also called shrines no matter how small they were.

the pond

and then we finally reached the pond. this was the happo pond. here is what the internet says about it.

Happo Pond (Happo-ike), located at an altitude of about 2,060 m, is one of Japan’s most famous “mirror lakes.” On calm days, it reflects the majestic Hakuba Sanzan peaks—Mt. Shirouma, Mt. Yari, and Mt. Shakushi—creating unforgettable views. With its scenic landscape and relatively easy access, it’s one of the most popular hiking spots in the Japan Alps. ^source

it was breathtaking! but we were lucky this time, it was pretty clear which showed the surrounding mountains. mist and fog often shows around here. but with everything nice and quite accesible, people will flock. can't blame them, the place was beautiful.

we went on with the hike, and a sign clearly said that hiking from that point onwards would require proper gears. that was clearly a sign of what is to come.

as always, AMPING KANUNAY!