Kirigamine snow shoe hike

Snow-shoe walk at Kirigamine area, Nagano-ken on January 7-9.
This is a three days trip and the car basis for transportation.
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This snow tour allows a wide range of people from beginners to well experienced hikers to join open-hilly snow hike on the purpose of refreshing your body and mind with cold air in the open hill. Hence the route is normally far from any dangerous element on snow pass unless heavy snow blizzard comes across ( very rare).

The rate for accommodation is ¥8600 per night including 2 meals.
The snowshoe rent is ¥1000 per day.
Please bring your own lunch ( 3 lunch for 3 days). Alternatively you could ask this hut to set up your rice ball lunch for 8 and 9th.
Another cost is taken into consideration in case we use the ropeway (¥1000 for one way).

The travel cost from Tsukuba includes gas fee, motorway cost and rental car fee.
All cost will be shared with non-driver participants from Tsukuba.
( my rough calculation indicates ¥10000 per person ...)

• Well insulated, very warm clothing, including good socks and gloves.

(As this area is open space, it would be very cold if it is windy….)

• Fully-water-proof outer layer. This means everything except for your hat.
  You must have water proof gloves and water proof boots. Sneakers and hiking shoes
  are not acceptable, you need high-ankled, water proof,well-insulated winter hiking boots.
  You must have gaiters. It is also recommended that your jacket must be wind proof.
• Sun glasses or ski goggles (It is essential on snow….).
• Suncream (up to your skin condition…..).
• A water proof hiking pack. Ideally, it will have a rain cover.
• Lunch. Tea, coffee and miso soup in a thermos would help you to keep yourself warm
  from inside…
  You do not need to bring your own snow shoes or poles for this hike, unless you
  already have some. We will hire snow shoes for those who don't have their own.

Accommodation: Kirigamine-hutte with Onsen

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hutte-k/index.html
http://www.hutte-kirigamine.jp

Cost: Hut ~\8500yen(2meals) + rental snowshoe(3 days)\3000 +transportation ( cars) \ 6000 or (train+taxi)~\14000 + lunch, snack and drink…\2000? = The total ~\~26000yen(at most, \30000yen)

In winter tour for snow walking we have always fundamental difficulty in finding car owners who can drive with snow tires in order to come directly to Kirigamine from Tsukuba.

(1) In case people use rental cars, the transportation fee may be cheaper...
Cars from Tsukuba with snow tires can come directly to Kirigamine hut.

(2) No car from Tsukuba : this case needs taxi transportation from Kamisuwa JR station after getting off express train Azusa. I also give rides to some participants ( 3 people correctly) from the station.

Also, I need sub-organiser to be able to assist group of people in traveling
from Tsukuba to Kirigamine as usual in my organized hike.

Twelve people were able to join the hike in 3 cars (one rented) from Tsukuba. Rick acted as co-leader from Tsukuba and the group met Toshi at the Kirigamine hutte at around 9:30-10 am.

Because of snow shortage the first day ended up to normal" late autumn" Kirigamine hike. However, from the second day we could somehow enjoy snow hike with the mixture of fresh crispy snow and icy patches of old one on the various terrain around Shimagare Yama and Mugikusa mountain pass.

Although there was a bit limited time schedule on the final day, the fresh snowfall brought us much fun along the hike heading to Kurumayama (radar station on the top).

Probably some may have felt unsatisfactory on relatively primitive condition of snow equipment from the hut. I apologize them for this incident and I will figure out the way of not happening again next time ( by prior check-out of equipments and further consideration to chose the walking route).

Again many thanks to have joined my hiking and hope I could organize better one next year.