Tarumae-zan
樽前山42°41′ N 141°23′ Eintermediate1,041 m
The active volcano above Lake Shikotsu gives a long, mellow tour to its outer rim at 1,023 metres beside a steaming lava dome.
Photo T DMY · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Read the terrain
A long walk up the closed road to the 7th-station hut, then open volcanic slopes to the outer crater rim at Higashi-yama. The upper ridges are often stripped by wind to ice and rock.
Watch for these hazards
- Active volcano: JMA alert Level 1, with hot vents at the lava dome and a warning for gas and ash near it
- The local disaster council treats everything inside the outer rim, including the dome, as a danger zone
- Wind-stripped ice and rock on the upper ridges; crampons likely
- Disorientation above the hut in low visibility
- No avalanche forecast covers the area
Pick a route that suits the dayルート
Winter road and 7th-station route七合目ルート
687 m ascent · intermediate
From the Route 141/276 junction up the closed road to the 7th-station hut, then to Higashi-yama on the outer rim. Hokkaido Wilds rates it 5/10 over 15.7 km.
Follow the published lines in 3D立体地図
1 trip reports
What riders report from the hill山行記録
2019-02-23 · Hokkaido Wilds trip report
The closed road took about two hours of gentle climbing, and the north face above the hut was stripped to rock and sand. The pair switched to crampons and left skis about 15 minutes above the hut as a northwesterly rolled in.
Read the source
Tarumae-zan rises south of Lake Shikotsu between Tomakomai and Chitose, and its lava dome still steams at 1,041 metres. Climbing the dome is off limits. The local volcano disaster council treats everything inside the outer rim as a danger zone, and the Japan Meteorological Agency keeps a warning for gas and ash near the vents. Ski tours aim for Higashi-yama on the outer rim at about 1,023 metres.
In winter the road to the 7th-station hut is closed, so the tour starts with 6.5 kilometres of road from the junction of Routes 141 and 276. Above the hut the slopes open out. Wind scours the upper ridges down to ice and rock, and most parties carry crampons. The skiing is gentle, and the reward is the view over the caldera to Lake Shikotsu and Eniwa-dake. The emergency-only hut at the 7th station is the last shelter.
Quick answers about Tarumae-zanよくある質問
How long is a tour on Tarumae-zan?
A typical tour on Tarumae-zan climbs about 690 m to Higashi-yama (1,023 m) and takes 5 hours.
When can you ski tour Tarumae-zan?
The touring season on Tarumae-zan runs january to March.
Do you need a guide for Tarumae-zan?
Experienced, equipped groups tour Tarumae-zan on their own, though a local guide finds better snow.
Where do you check avalanche danger for Tarumae-zan?
Read the day's bulletin from Japan Avalanche Network (https://nadare.jp/) before every tour on Tarumae-zan.
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