Winter Hiking in Karurusu, Noboribetsu

Hike a snow-covered mountain and explore the superb scenery enlivened by the bitter cold of winter. We'll find monstrous creations of ice and snow found only in winter. What wonderous sights await?

Transcript

00:01

Mountains and forests covered in glittering snow.

00:07

Here, you'll discover beautiful winter scenery

00:10

created by the most extreme conditions.

00:17

Sculptures of ice and snow appear only during the coldest period of winter,

00:23

cloaking the boundless terrain in mystery.

00:28

Join us as we go snow hiking in the Karurusu area of Noboribetsu.

00:35

Wild Hokkaido!

00:41

The Shikotsu Toya National Park is found in south-western Hokkaido.

00:46

Blessed with lakes, volcanoes, and forests,

00:49

it is overflowing with rich natural beauty.

00:53

Today, we'll explore the Karurusu region of Noboribetsu in the national park.

00:59

With its gentle hills and woodlands,

01:01

it's known for its beautiful winter scenery.

01:07

- Good morning, Todd.
- Hi, good morning.

01:10

This is Todd Thornley from Canada.

01:13

While Todd is a very experienced ski instructor,

01:17

he's never been snow hiking here before.

01:20

I think I'm mostly looking forward to getting out in the forest in a quiet walk,

01:25

and then hopefully seeing what awaits us at the top.

01:31

Although the area's low altitude means avalanche risk is low,

01:35

Todd will wear a radio transmitter beacon, just in case.

01:42

He also packs a small shovel and other safety equipment

01:47

to be prepared for anything.

01:51

On this hiking trip, he'll use snow shoes.

01:54

They broaden the sole of the shoe,

01:56

allowing you to walk even through deep snow.

02:02

Ready to start walking.

02:06

Ready to go.

02:10

Let's go.

02:17

Todd has enlisted the expertise of mountain guide Morishita Ryotaro,

02:22

who knows the layout of this forest very well.

02:30

Ryotaro will lead,

02:32

while Todd will literally follow in his footsteps from behind.

02:50

Not long after they set off,

02:52

the beautiful scenery unfolds before their eyes.

02:58

Look at this place! This is beautiful.

03:02

What a magical place.

03:09

The tree branches covered in ice and snow,

03:12

glitter as they reflect the sun's rays.

03:15

It's so cold the moisture in the air freezes onto the branches.

03:23

It's been 30 minutes since they started.

03:26

The two continue hiking through the snow-covered forest.

03:33

Todd, would you mind taking the lead?

03:36

OK.

03:39

Ryotaro and Todd switch places.

03:44

It's definitely different when you're leading, making the boot tracks.

03:52

Even snow shoes sink deeply into such soft snow.

03:57

Walking in front consumes a lot of energy.

04:05

Changing positions can help conserve some energy.

04:13

Here, Todd sees something.

04:17

Maybe our first animal tracks?

04:19

Maybe.

04:25

There are animal tracks, but who could have left them?

04:33

It's a racoon dog.

04:36

This is a "tanuki."

04:39

How do you know it's a tanuki track?

04:45

You can see how its feet follow one after the other, so it's a racoon dog.

04:53

I'm not sure why it's here, there's nothing to eat.

05:00

Maybe it was eating tree buds.

05:08

It's a good example of how animals can survive in such tough conditions.

05:19

Now for "SENSEI's Tips."

05:21

Finding animal tracks in the snow

05:23

is just one of the many things to enjoy while snow hiking.

05:29

The red fox leaves a straight line of footprints.

05:35

The mountain hare leaves three spots.

05:42

You can find animal tracks like these in parks close to mountains.

05:47

See if you can spot some yourself.

05:53

Our hikers have cleared the gentle sloping forest

05:56

and are walking towards a ridge with a clear outlook.

06:05

On the steep slopes, they create a track as they climb,

06:09

sinking up to their knees in the deep snow.

06:19

Todd is following at the back.

06:27

But his pole gets stuck in the deep snow, and he loses his balance.

06:38

Finally, they reach the ridge. And the view?

06:45

Look!

06:53

Before them is a spectacular wintery landscape.

06:58

Over there is the summit of "Bakemono Yama."

07:03

This mountain is known by climbers as "Bakemono Yama."

07:07

That translates to "Monster Mountain."

07:14

That's where the monsters live.

07:15

Yes.

07:18

What kind of monsters are lurking on the mountain?

07:22

They head towards the surrounding area to explore.

07:30

As the altitude gets higher,

07:32

the wind blowing from the side gets even stronger.

07:39

At 900 meters, the ice that covers the trees has transformed yet again.

07:49

Take a look at this tree.

07:52

It's a frost-covered tree. There's already snow on it,

07:57

but when the frost in the air hits the tree,

08:02

it blows upwind and keeps adding to it.

08:05

Okay, that's how this frost in the trees grows.

08:12

Here where the wind is strong, the tree branches hang heavy with ice,

08:17

with snow only adding to their size.

08:20

Could that have something to do with the monsters lurking amongst these trees?

08:28

Climbing up the mountain,

08:29

the trees are starting to get more and more cacked with frosty snow.

08:33

And the branches are starting to really droop down.

08:36

You can tell how heavy this snow build up is. It's amazing.

08:42

The monsters are coming out to play.

08:49

They're 1,000 meters up the mountain.

08:53

Suddenly, they appear!

08:58

Todd, it's a monster! We've found one.

09:02

I see it, yeah!

09:05

It's a huge cluster of snow.

09:08

These frost-covered trees are the snow monsters.

09:15

This is what it looks like from the inside.

09:18

An enormous amount of snow completely covers a single tree,

09:23

creating these mysterious shapes.

09:28

The snow monsters come in all shapes and sizes

09:32

depending on the wind and snow conditions.

09:40

Todd pushes ahead in search of even more monsters.

09:52

He's been looking for 30 minutes.

09:59

How about that one?

10:01

Then, Ryotaro finds something.

10:05

Monster.

10:09

They've come across a giant snow monster.

10:16

Their imaginations run wild with ideas.

10:20

A giraffe monster.

10:23

Yeah, like a giraffe but it's got some horns on it as well.

10:28

This one is over six meters tall.

10:31

Todd is thrilled to meet such a huge snow monster in the wild.

10:38

The frost in the trees is really beautiful.

10:41

The snow and the frost accumulating in the trees,

10:44

it's quite spectacular.

10:49

The two snow hikers had a great time discovering menacing snow monsters,

10:55

sculpted by the harsh weather conditions on the mountain.

11:01

There's one more interesting spot I want to show you,

11:04

so let's head down the mountain.

11:06

Ah, good we get to go downhill. Sounds great.

11:10

Okay, let's go.

11:19

They head back into the deep forest.

11:31

It's been an hour since they began their descent.

11:35

Todd, whose legs are tiring,

11:37

learns a good tip from Ryotaro for going downhill.

11:46

Todd, we can slide on our bottoms straight down here.

11:52

What!? Really!

11:55

Okay, please show me how.

11:58

I'll go first.

12:01

He finds a steep slope, then sits and slides down.

12:13

He made that look easy.

12:15

Your turn.

12:17

I guess it's my turn.

12:21

Todd jumps straight into the snow.

12:32

That was fun.

12:35

The fluffy powder snow is so much fun to play in.

12:39

Let's see if I can stand up.

12:45

Just ahead is the spot that Ryotaro recommends.

12:53

What do we have here?

12:55

What?

12:57

Appearing before them is a cave.

13:04

I've never seen anything like this.

13:07

It's a mysterious sight.

13:12

There are countless icy pillars stretching up out of the ground.

13:17

They're known as frozen bamboo shoots.

13:25

They look like bamboo sprouting from the cave floor.

13:34

But in fact, they're formed by water droplets from the cave ceiling above.

13:43

When the water drips onto the colder ground, the drop freezes instantly.

13:50

Each drop that freezes builds up over time to eventually appear

13:55

like sprouting bamboo shoots.

13:57

The tallest can reach over two meters.

14:04

The extreme winter cold creates fantastic natural sculptures.

14:12

Entering the cave is too dangerous,

14:15

but you can still enjoy the frozen bamboo shoots from outside.

14:22

I really like that we got to see the frozen bamboo.

14:26

And I thought the journey to get there was just incredible.

14:30

It's a very peaceful situation being surrounded by nature and some wildlife.

14:34

It was my first time to visit this area of Hokkaido

14:37

and I was just blown away by just how beautiful it really was.

14:42

I can't wait to come back.

14:45

Wild Hokkaido!

14:47

Discover great activities in the great outdoors of northern Japan.

14:53

Join us next time for another adventure!