We were on a week-long holiday on the eastern side of Hokkaido, and naturally had to drive all the way back to Sapporo, so why not go via Asahidake Onsen? The days before Mt. Asahi included an overnight hut trip ski tour on Mt. Mokoto near Lake Kussharo. We had amazing weather on the second day there (trip report and route guide here), so we were hoping for more of the same on Hokkaido’s rather unpredictable highest mountain.

We stayed in Asahidake Onsen village (resort?) at the Shirakabaso Youth Hostel (the cheapest but slightly overpriced accommodation in town), and woke to clear skies. A quick look at Mt. Asahi from the youth hostel viewing platform, however, suggested that conditions at the top of the Asahidake Ropeway were not going to be great. It looked to be blowing a gale.