[Trip Report] Visiting the Alpine Route with my three middle/high school daughters and a chubby toy poodle ②

Good morning, this is koguma.
Following up on our Alpine Route trip with my three middle and high school daughters, this is the second part of our [Trip Report].

We went to bed before 10:00 PM the night before and fully recharged our energy.
The morning of the actual Alpine Route adventure had finally arrived.

1. Waking up at 4:00 AM! Enthusiastic crowd control

Mornings on the Alpine Route start early.
I woke up at 4:00 AM.
Anticipating that the washrooms would get crowded, I started waking the children up one by one from 4:15 AM to begin our preparations.

The sun's UV rays are strong in the mountains, so we were careful with sunscreen and other precautions.
The three sisters finished their preparations, and we were able to leave the hotel at 5:10 AM as planned.
The outside air was cool and clear, wrapped in a pleasant tension that hinted at the great adventure to come.

2. The benefits of staying in Omachi and the reason for an early departure

We stayed in Omachi this time, and it was a great decision.
Ogisawa Station, the gateway to the Alpine Route on the Nagano side, is just a stone's throw away.

Actually, our bus reservation from Ogisawa was for 7:30 AM.

It might seem like an early start, but through prior research, I learned that on the previous day, August 10th, the nearest parking lot was already full by 5:30 AM.
Once full, you get directed to a temporary parking lot and have to take a shuttle bus from there.
Since we wanted to park as close to the station as possible, we put in the effort to go early.

Here is one point of caution for those planning to go.
There are no convenience stores on the road from Omachi Onsen-kyo to Ogisawa.
Apparently, there is one about 5 kilometers back in the opposite direction, but that would waste precious early morning time.
If you are heading to the Alpine Route without a meal plan, I strongly recommend preparing all your food and drinks for the next morning the day before.
We had prepared in advance, so we were able to head straight there without losing any time.

Ogisawa Station sells a few bento boxes, and there is water at Ogisawa Station and Murodo, so filling up there is also a good idea!

3. Arriving at Ogisawa! Securing parking and an unexpected, flexible decision

Our early start paid off, and we arrived at Ogisawa and successfully parked our car in the free parking lot.

First, a sense of relief.
Once we got out of the car, we immediately headed to issue our web tickets (there was no line, so we issued them immediately).

As I headed to the ticket machine, a sign that read “500 yen per person for time changes” caught my eye.

I didn't know until then that you could change your reservation time.
Actually, a typhoon was expected to approach from the evening of that day.
It would be too sad to go all the way up the Alpine Route only to have the weather turn bad and miss the scenery.
Worried about the weather, I had an idea when I saw this sign.“Let's get up there as early as possible!”Although there is a 500 yen fee per person, Time is money. We decided to rush and change our 7:30 AM reservation to the 6:30 AM bus (only available at the counter).
After successfully getting our 6:30 AM tickets, we made good use of the time before departure.
We were very busy preparing, taking commemorative photos around the station, using the restroom, and filling up on cold, delicious mountain water.

And finally, we lined up for the 6:30 AM bus.
While waiting in line in the quiet early morning air, I heard a spirited voice from somewhere.
A famous staff member at Ogisawa Station was performing a lively sales pitch for the passengers.
Listening to the fun introductions of souvenirs and amusing stories, the boredom and tension of waiting completely vanished, and it became a wonderful memory even before we boarded.

4. Finally boarding! Heading up by any means necessary

The clock struck 6:30, and we finally boarded the Kanden Tunnel electric bus.
With a hiss, the doors closed, and the bus slowly began to move.

From here on, we just headed straight up, higher and higher.
For this trip, we anticipated the temperatures on the mountain and made sure to wear long sleeves.
We thought we were fully prepared, but as the bus entered the dark tunnel, I felt the air inside the bus change instantly.
It was just so cold...! The wind blowing through the tunnel and the drop in temperature as we gained altitude were beyond what I had imagined.
The chill was enough to make us shiver even in our long sleeves, and I felt the “harshness of nature” of the Alpine Route firsthand.

5. Changing vehicles and finally arriving at Murodo!

Shaking and shivering, we arrived at our first spot, and from there, we continued to transfer onto several more vehicles one after another.
Determined to get as high up as possible before the typhoon approached, we kept moving forward and finally reached the highest point of the Alpine Route, Murodo! The moment we stepped off the vehicle and outside, our whole family gasped in unison.
“Wow! This is incredible...!” What spread out before our eyes was an overwhelming, panoramic view that left us speechless.

I have never experienced being surrounded 360 degrees by such magnificent, towering mountains so close up before.
It was completely different from what you see in textbooks or photos; I was simply filled with emotion at the power of
the real, great outdoors.I was so glad we woke up early, got motivated, and moved up our schedule to make it all the way up here!
It was a moment where I truly felt that from the bottom of my heart.
Next time, I will continue with [Trip Report Part 3], where I will share our walk around the moving Murodo area.
Please look forward to it.