(日光白根山・山雪登山) Mt. Nikko-Shirane Winter Hike

The highest point in the Kanto region, wikipedia's claim that Nikko Shirane is often hidden by clouds throughout the year was confirmed by yours truly. I went in summer and winter, both with cloudy weather. 

Budget: JPY7,100 (~USD59) from Tokyo

• JPY4,000. Share in car expenses. 
• JPY1,100. Required cocoheli rental. 
• JPY2,000. Ropeway, round trip. 

Hike Date / Difficulty (Elevation: 2,578m / 8,458ft)

• April 24, 2022
• Summer hike log here. 
• Difficulty: 3 out of 5. 
• Route below is around 6.6kilometers, with an elevation change of ▲755m/ ▽755m (4h10m)
• Map link

When to Go
Winter season is around November to end of April, but do take note that this has avalanche risk. 

Special Notes

• Weather forecast. English / Japanese. 
• For winter hikes, a beacon is required. In Japan, there is only one allowed beacon - the cocoheli. Rental (JPY1,000 per day) is available when buying the ropeway tickets. One cocoheli per person required.  
• I have the ACR beacon, but based on the blogs I've read, ACR is not allowed in Japan due to the waves it uses.
• I do not have the cocoheli as it is subscription based and unlike the ACR, it does NOT have a button to call for help if you need it. Basically, you need to call the police (110) and tell them you have a beacon to locate you. If you do not have a signal on your phone.... well, hope that someone will be looking for you and will call the police on your behalf.  
• BUT, if you are not taking the ropeway, I doubt that there will be a way to check if you have the cocoheli or not.  
• Trailheads.   I have seen logs coming from Suganuma Parking Lot and Nikko Shirane Ropeway, though I would say that the ropeway is the more popular route. 
• Nikko-shirane Ropeway (日光白根登山口ロープウェイ). Google maps pin. 
• Access here. There is no public transport, but a shuttle is organized from the hotels in Yumoto Onsen to the ropeway. So you'll have to stay in the hotels, or have the guts to ask those hotels for a ride. 
• Suganuma Parking Lot (菅沼駐車場). Google maps pin. No public transportation. It has a camp area near it. 
• Mountain huts. 
• Paid. None. 
• Free. 
• 五色沼避難小屋.  It was in a pretty sad state when we got there - inside was messy and definitely not a good place to stay at, but it'll provide a roof over your head in an emergency. 
• 七色平避難小屋. Cordoned off when William checked (Thanks William!) as of April 2022. Even if you want to use it, it's also pretty sad. 
• Camping. One near trailhead Suganuma. There are a couple of flat spots though, mainly at forks, that can be used for wild camping. 
• Side trip: Fukiware falls (吹割の滝), the oriental Niagara Falls. 
• On the way to Nikko Ropeway, we noticed a LOT of parking spaces. Apparently there's a tourist trap spot that was one of the best waterfalls I've seen in Japan. Not in height (Kegon Falls gets that honor), but in... uniqueness? Just check this site. 

Itinerary / Actual Log
Itinerary was simple - take the earliest ropeway up at 8:30am, and be back before the last ropeway, 3:30pm. 

• 05:00am. Start driving, Tokyo to Nikko Shirane Ropeway. 
  
• 08:10am. Arrived at Nikko Shirane Ropeway. Got ready for the hike. 
• 08:30am. Bought our tickets for the ropeway (the tickets for hikers are in a different shorter line from the snowboarders, under "Information"). We had to fill up the Hiking Notification (登山届) / one per group and the cocoheli rental form (per person). Unfortunately, all in Japanese. It will just ask for your name, address, phone number and contact in case of emergency. 
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