Golden Week - Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route 立山黒部アルぺんルート

30th April 2012

After a night of sleep, we woke up before 5am so that we could take the 5.42am train from Toyama to Tateyama. We used forwarding service for our bags at the Toyama station, and picked it up after finishing the tour in Shinanomachi 信濃町. We booked our ticket early online. So, once reached the station, we didn't have to queue up to buy the cable car tickets, we just claimed our tickets at a designated counter and proceeded to queue for the cable car. The slope from Tateyama 立山 to Bijodaira 美女平 was very steep and up to 29 degrees, so it was kind of scary!

reaching Toyama Dentetsu 富山電鉄 before 5.30 am to take the train 

trains and beautiful labels at Toyama Dentetsu Station

on the way to Tateyama Station 立山駅

fully dressed in winter clothes to get ready to board cable car in Tateyama Station

After reaching Bijodaira, we took Highland Bus to Murodo 室堂, the Japan's highest railway station. It was so refreshing to see snow, however it was so cold! Luckily we wore winter clothes, adhered to the guidelines. Inside the Highland Bus, it showed a video of the Alpine's natural attractions. It looks nice on summer too. 

taking cable car from Tateyama 立山 to Bijodara 美女平

during summer, a waterfall can be seen from here (the bus driver stopped the bus to tell us about the waterfall)

white snow and white tree trunks!

the road seems so interesting from the bus as it goes higher!

After reaching Murodo, we walked to Mikurika pond area みくりが池. The water was reputed to be crystal clear and it reflects the greenery around it, making the scenery breathtaking. However, it was difficult to walk on the snowy and icy road, it was slippery. Cissy tried to walk on the snow instead, but she dropped into a hole where beneath was a void, I was unable to pull her out, luckily a gentleman helped to pull her out. We behaved and walked on the slippery road after that, don't dare to do anything stupid. After reaching a restaurant where we could see the lake, we rested there and ate Toyama speciality, Masu no Sushi that we bought the day before at the train station. It was wrapped in bamboo leaves, kind of special, but I don't like the taste. 

the restaurant near mikuriga pond みくりが池

Masu no sushi ますの寿司 (made from trout)

Mikuriga pond みくりが池 (too far so cannot see the beauty of it)

After the meal of sushi, we continued our journey, we were so lucky, we saw a ptarmigan a.k.a. thunderbird (雷鳥). It just rested on a stone. First, we were worried that our presence would make it fly away, however, it just stationed there, so we walked nearer and started to take photos. An uncle with a really big lenses told us that the bird was a male ptarmigan. After satisfying ourselves with the bird, we continued our journey. Then the bird flew away and landed near us. The ptarmigan chirping sound was unlike the usual bird, it sounds like a "toad"!

Ptarmigan 雷鳥 (a.k.a. Thunderbird)

Ptarmigan 雷鳥 (a.k.a. Thunderbird)

were all excited to see the ptarmigan, some even lied on the ground to take photos

after the crowd got bigger, the bird flies away and landed near us

We were surrounded by snow and snow. It was quite tiring actually, my shoes were not suitable for snowy place, the snow began to melt inside my shoes, it was very uncomfortable with wet feet.

from afar, I thought it was grass. but it was actually tree buried under the snow

the vehicle helped to clear the snow away from the walkway

the pond covered by snow!

see the tiny black dots? it was people hiking up the mountain to ski down because there are no ski lift 

So, we walked one round and went back to Murodo station, a bright yellow vehicle was displayed outside the station. It was a snow groomer that helped clear the snow corridor for years!

snow groomer

Then, we went to the snow corridor 雪の大谷, our main target for this place. The feeling I felt was, "Wow, すごい, amazing, wah, cantiknya, 太棒了!". 

snow corridor 雪の大谷

the Highland Bus

the highest peak for the snow corridor, 17m.

it would be more beautiful if the sky was blue!

From the information plate, the snow layers could tell us the date the snow fall. If it was a cold day, the snow layer would be hard with clear white fine powder. If it was a hot day, it would be a granular layer (coarser). If it was a rainy day, it would be hard layer of ice because it melted and frozen again. By looking at the layers, the experts could tell the daily climate for the whole winter, very interesting!

snow layers

besides snow corridor

After snow corridor, we went for lunch at the restaurant in Murodo. There were many tour groups, so we had to wait for a while before we got our seats. The set lunch was quite expensive, probably due to the fact that all the materials were all brought from outside because this place was quite remote.

Finishing lunch, we visited a information center next to Murodo station. It provides information on the hiking in Tateyama, the plants, the mountains, the birds, etc. Quite informative!

recommended hiking gear

Murodo

Then, we walked around Murodo for one last time before taking trolley bus to Daikanbo 大観峰. I think the bus was powered by electricity because it was connected to cable.

Daikanbo 大観峰

the bus was powered by electricity

In Daikanbo, there was a observation deck, from there, we could see a beautiful lake glowing in jade green. 

view from Daikanbo observation deck

Next, we took ropeway from Daikanbo 大観峰 to Kurobedaira 黒部平. The view outside the ropeway was very nice, however we were jam packed inside the ropeway, and my height doesn't permit me to put the camera higher,  so I don't have space to take the photos!

Daikanbo 大観峰 - Kurobedaira 黒部平 ropeway

the ropeway entering the station

around Kurobedaira station

around Kurobedaira station

tree trunk that is white (rarely seen)

Next, we took underground cable car from Kurobedaira 黒部平 to Kurobeko Station 黒部湖. It was Japan's only underground cable car. The first thing I noticed when reach Korobeko was the weather was warmer finally! The alpine route was opened after the opening of Kurobe dam 黒部ダマ. The construction of Kurobe dam even got a recognition from IEEE. It was a feat to build the dam in such difficult place on 1950s. 

underground cable car (Kurobedaira黒部平 - Kurobeko黒部湖)

Kurobeko station 黒部湖駅

tunnel to Kurobeko

First, we walked around the lake near the station. It was stunning to see the lake with the jade green water and white snow. The scenery was simply amazing! 

Kurobeko 黒部湖

Kurobeko 黒部湖

a bridge near the Kurobeko station

bridge near the kurobeko station

Kurobeko (with a crystal clear water and the half molten snow!)  Isn't it nice?

Kurobe dam 黒部ダマ

Kurobe dam 黒部ダマ

The weather got warmer but without winter jacket, it was too cold, so continued to wear it. We continued to walk towards the Kurobe dam station. Along the way, it was just so beautiful beyond words!

another side of the Kurobe lake

this side of Kurobe lake is on the opposite direction of Kurobe station

moved nearer to Kurobe dam

the center of Kurobe dam  黒部ダマ の中心 (Yeah!)

kurobe dam  黒部ダマ

kurobe dam  黒部ダマ

We have to take the 17:05 trolley bus to Ogisawa 扇沢 and we got loss, still we wanted to see the Kurobe dam from observatory deck, the "photo taking spot"! So, we rushed like hell to the Kurobe dam station after learning that it was quite a distance! When we reached the station, we were so shocked that there were no elevators to the observatory, we needed to climb up there! I was totally exhausted, however thinking that I would probably never come here again made me forced my myself to climb, I could feel my heart beats. By this time, although it was cold, I sweated and looked like a crazy woman when I finally reach the observatory!

going towards the Kurobe dam observatory deck

I was so proud with myself! I finished up and down the stairs in half and hour! We snapped photos quickly and went down to wait for the trolley bus. There were so many people, so worried that we wouldn't be able to make it. Finally, we got up the bus by squeezing our way through!

220 steps to the observatory deck in Kurobe Dam Station

view from observatory deck

Kurobe dam from the observatory deck  黒部ダマ (nice!)

amazing view from the observatory deck

After reaching Ogisawa station, we quickly buy bus tickets to go to Shinanomachi station 信濃町駅 to claim our bags and then catch train to Matsumoto and checked into our hotel for the next three nights, the Ace Inn Matsumoto. This hotel was very near to the station, just right besides it. I saw it right after we came out from the train station, but my friend was like, "really, you found our hotel, you can't even read a map!". Hahaha.

A tiring but very fulfilling alpine trip!

sakura blooming in front of Shinanomachi station

Shinanomachi station 信濃町駅

sunset on the way to Matsumoto

The transport alone cost us more than 10k yen. However, it was worth every cents!

Plus, I got the experience with many kinds of transportation!

the ticket from Tateyama station to Ogisawa station

from Toyama to shinanomachi route and transport!

Toyama 富山- Tateyama 立山: normal train

Tateyama 立山- Bijodaira 美女平: cable car

Bijodaira 美女平- Murodo 室堂: highland bus

Murodo 室堂- Daikanbo 大観峰: trolley bus

Daikanbo 大観峰- Kurobedaira 黒部平: ropeway

Kurobedaira 黒部平- Kurobe 黒部: underground cable car

Kurobe Dam 黒部ダマ- Ogisawa 扇沢: trolley bus

Ogisawa 扇沢- Matsumoto 松本: JR express train

Click here for my Itinerary!

Day 1 : Hikone & Dinosour Museum & Ojima, Tojinbo & Eiheiji
Day 2 : Kanazawa
Day 3 : Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Day 4 : Kusatsu Onsen & Around Matsumoto City
Day 5 : Kamikochi
Day 6 : Kawaguchiko
Day 7 : Mt. Fuji & Around Shimizu Area
Day 8 : Hamamatsu Matsuri 1 & Hamamatsu Matsuri 2 & Meiji Mura