Winter Hiking in Mt. Mokoto

Mountains surround Lake Kussharo,

the largest caldera lake in Japan.

It's here you'll find a snow field to enjoy Hokkaido's winter season,

and a variety of activities

to make the most of the harsh natural environment.

In this episode,

we enjoy hiking on snow-covered Mt. Mokoto by Lake Kussharo.

Wild Hokkaido!

Lake Kussharo, in eastern Hokkaido,

is a caldera lake formed by ancient volcanic activity.

Its 57-kilometer-long perimeter is completely surrounded by mountains.

One of those peaks is Mt. Mokoto.

With an altitude of 1,000 meters,

it's the highest of all the peaks here.

Mid-March.

Ryan Gilbride from Ireland

has arrived at Mt. Mokoto as the snow begins to fall.

So it's not really any trouble to us.

We've been in some really bad blizzards.

At least today the wind's not too strong,

so it should be fine, I think.

Ryan met Mark, who's also Irish, six years ago here in Hokkaido.

They've been all-season hiking buddies ever since.

Whenever they go hiking on snowy peaks,

they wear personal radio transmitters.

A potentially life-saving piece of equipment in case of an avalanche.

The next piece of equipment is...

a child's sled!

Although Ryan has hiked Mt. Mokoto many times,

he's decided to try something a little different today.

OK, are you ready?

Let's go.

If I get tired, you can carry me, OK?

No worries!

On the sled.

They set off for the mountain's ridge.

The carpark from which they started has an altitude of 600 meters.

Even in winter,

they should be able to reach the peak in around two hours.

Both are familiar with the mountain.

But the snow can be heavy and treacherous at this time of the year,

so they will still proceed with caution.

- OK, are you ready?
- No problem, my turn.

Let's go.

It's quite deep, so it's quite tiring to break in.

They each take turns in the lead to conserve their strength.

In the snow-blanketed forest, they come across an unexpected find.

You can see the footprints of a squirrel

that just ran past a few moments ago.

Ran to that tree and then the next.

Mark, who has a wealth of knowledge about wild animals,

has recognized the footprints as belonging to a Eurasian Red Squirrel.

It appears to have been searching for food

when it ran off through the snow.

It's been an hour since they started hiking.

The trees surrounding them have changed.

The taller trees have disappeared,

and have been replaced by shorter Mountain Birch trees.

Once they pass through here,

they should have a clearer view of their surroundings.

But everything has become shrouded in fog.

I can't see anything.

So, we've reached the ridge,

and the wind picks up pretty strong.

Also, there are less trees.

The trees that are here are pretty small

and they grow pretty crooked due to the influence of the wind.

Visibility's low but feeling good!

The moment they reach the ridge,

they're greeted by a gusting, icy wind.

But the landscape here still offers some spectacular scenery.

See the icicles?

It's about an inch thick here.

It's really beautiful.

As the bitter winds blow, the trees become coated in snow and ice

that cling to the branches and trunks.

Even in such severe, cold conditions,

they spot more evidence of wildlife.

What is it?

This is a Mountain Hare's droppings.

So they eat the bark off the trees and the young saplings and grass.

It's incredible that they can survive in these conditions.

They don't hibernate either.

No, no. Tough animals.

It's about another 20 minutes to the summit.

It's just beyond this slope.

But more difficulty awaits.

Buried beneath the snow is a forest of Mountain Birch trees.

They keep sinking into the gaps as they struggle to climb.

Ryan pulls himself up using his hands and feet,

and finally scrambles free to reach the slope.

Good work.

Good job.

- We made it!
- Made it to the summit.

We did it.

Good work.

A thousand meters above sea level.

On sunny days, there's a majestic panoramic view

over Lake Kussharo from the peak of Mt. Mokoto.

On the mountain slopes, countless white objects appear.

They are Sakhalin Fir trees, covered completely in ice.

This landscape is the result of heavy snowfall

and extremely strong winds blowing through the forest.

We're back with Ryan and Mark, and they're ready to have some fun.

This is practice for the Irish Olympic

- sledding team.
- That's right.

We're hoping to get on there in four years' time.

They retrieve the children's sleds

and are ready to slide down some snow.

Let's try it.

I'm going to give this a go here.

- OK.
- Wish me luck.

Good luck!

Being from Ireland,

the two have never tried sledding in such deep drifts of snow before.

All right, feet up.

Here I go!

He manages to keep his balance on the sled as he glides...

then stops.

Do you want a push?

Mark steps in to help.

Watch out for all the trees.

You positioned OK?

I'm ready, I'm good to go.

Legs up.

Now he almost flies down the hill.

- You OK?
- Yeah, totally fine.

It's fun.

It's a recommended method of transport.

They have the whole mountain to themselves as they sled down.

Ryan is enjoying being a big kid.

Barrel roll.

Still going!

Nice technique!

I don't think they'll let you on the Olympics yet, though.

I've got a few more years of practice time.

Ryan has found a different slope to try.

Mark is mapping out a course for him.

Try and go straight down the slope.

Here I go!

Mark can't help but laugh as Ryan ends up covered in snow.

Are you OK?

What?

Are you OK?

Oh yeah, it went exactly like I planned.

I don't believe it.

I'll shake off the snow.

Shall we stop for a cup of tea or something?

Yeah, where's good?

It's been a fun-filled day of sledding.

Now it's time to take a coffee break.

It's just a nice temperature.

I needed that.

The two of them have rediscovered the thrill of playing,

even in the harsh conditions of the snowy mountains.

I like coming out to the mountains even on these kinds of days

when it's kind of challenging.

It's also fun, I think. I enjoy that as well.

It's a pity, normally I would like to eat lunch up at the peak

and enjoy the nice view,

but today I just couldn't see anything.

That's a pity, but this is pretty good.

It was a very interesting and stimulating experience.

So that was interesting to see the real winter,

and Mt. Mokoto on a real wintry day.

Midwinter on Mt. Mokoto.

It's yet another great place in Hokkaido

to try out a wide range of fun outdoor activities.