To the Rainy Alps with a Camera

For the third year in a row, the usual group went on an expedition to the Hakuba area.
This time, I brought my camera for the first time.
I was excited to see what kind of spectacular views I could capture.
It was a three-day trip with huge swings, from rock bottom to the best weather.

We drove 6 hours from Osaka to Ogizawa in Nagano, parked the car, and took a pre-booked taxi to Goryu in the Hakuba area.

Day 1.
We took the gondola and lifts to Goryu Sanso.
It wasn't that cold, but as forecast, it rained from the morning...
From the start, I wore my rain gear, and I carefully tucked my camera deep into my backpack, wrapped in two layers of plastic bags.
I resigned myself to a day of endurance training and walked silently.
Since I had been carrying an 8kg weight for training, the 13kg pack for the actual trip didn't feel too bad.
Preparation is important.
But after being rained on all day, my rain gear was useless and I was soaked to the bone.
As the altitude increased, the temperature dropped, and the driving rain was freezing.
In the end, I ran to the mountain hut as if I were sprinting.

The mountain hut was empty due to many cancellations caused by the weather, which made it comfortable.
Hanging a large amount of clothes in the drying room and talking to other hikers who had gone through the same thing made even a disastrous day feel like a good memory.

Come to think of it, there was also a Filipino girl working part-time at the mountain hut.
Mountain huts usually have a solemn and quiet image, but her cheerful personality was a nice, fresh accent.
Still, I'm impressed she made it all the way up here.

After drinking shochu with hot water and having dinner, I fell asleep at 7 PM.

Day 2.
A long day ahead.
Mt. Goryu to Mt. Kashimayari to Tsumetai-ike Sanso.
Since we would be walking for over 10 hours, we woke up at 4 AM, put on our headlamps, and left at 5 AM.
There were many clouds, but I could see some stars, and it wasn't raining.
The sun, which we couldn't see yesterday, started to peek out from the eastern sky.

By the time we reached the summit of Mt. Goryu, one of the 100 Famous Mountains, the clouds had cleared and the weather had improved.
Finally, it was time for the camera.
By setting up a PaaGo Works Pathfinder in front of my body and connecting it to the backpack belt, I could take photos smoothly.
The 'how to carry a camera in the mountains' problem is solved.

I tried black and white photography for the first time, and it was interesting how clearly the shadows of the mountains stood out.
In the city, I sometimes wish I had a telephoto lens, but in the mountains, a 35mm wide-angle lens is just right.
The scenery is so good that even if your skills are mediocre, it looks great lol
The views were so spectacular that I ran out of memory card space...
I hurriedly deleted heavy video files.
I spent 11 hours walking to the mountain hut while taking photos at a leisurely pace.
Before that, the Brocken phenomenon and white rainbows were so surreal that I was already satisfied.

Tsumetai-ike Sanso.
This mountain hut was also spacious, with four of us sharing an eight-person room.
The beer I drank at the mountain hut was the best I've ever had!
We had dinner, had a shochu party, and went to sleep.

When I went to look at the starry sky at night, I was surprised.
It was close to a new moon, and there were stars everywhere.
I was frustrated that I couldn't take good photos, but I'll study for next time.

Day 3.
Mt. Jiigatake to Taneike Sanso to Ogizawa Parking Lot
Today was even more perfectly clear than yesterday.
The sea of clouds was also perfect.
I had thought about going to photograph the sea of clouds in the autumn, but I enjoyed it to the highest possible level, so I might be good for a while.
Waiting for the sunrise in front of the mountain hut.

The final day was also a series of spectacular views.
Mount Tate, Mount Tsurugi, Mount Yari, and Mount Fuji faintly in the distance.
It was perfect.
The view from the summit of Mount Jiigatake was especially the best.
The route from Ougisawa to Mount Jiigatake is highly recommended.

The scenery of Mount Shiroumadake and the Hakuba Yari Hot Spring from the previous year were also amazing, but this scenery surpassed them.

Since I started carrying a camera, my excitement for the scenery has grown, and my sensitivity has increased.
My sense of happiness also went up, making this a mountain trip where I felt the hundreds of thousands of yen in expenses (currently being paid off in installments) were practically free.

Where should I go to see spectacular views next year?