Mount Furano
Mount Furano (富良野岳 Furanodake) (1,912 metres) is a strato-volcano in the southwest of Daisetsuzan National Park near Tokachidake Onsen hot springs. It forms the southernmost part of the Tokachi Mountains (十勝連峰 Tokachi Renpō), a zone of recently-active stratovolcanoes dominated by Mount Tokachi, which last erupted in 2004 (see Daisetsuzan Mountains).
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Flora and fauna
Furanodake is well-known for its wild flowers. Animals commonly encountered on the mountain include northern pika (Ochotona hyperborea yesoensis).
Hill walk
The walk from Tokachidake Onsen hot springs (1,280 m elevation) to the peak and back again takes about five and a half hours in good conditions. The first section is a gentle climb up to the barren hillside of Anjō Volcano, then a long approach to Mount Furano, much of it relatively flat, with a final steeper part up to the peak.
The peak is also described as a side trip to the Daisetsuzan Grand Traverse in the Lonely Planet Hiking in Japan guide (see sources below). This walk starts from Mount Kamihorokamettoku and finishes at Tokachidake Onsen.
The walking season is from July to October.
Access
The trailhead is at Tokachidake Onsen (next to Ryounkaku inn 凌雲閣) is at the end of Route 291, 20 km east of Kamifurano, which is directly linked to Asahikawa by Route 237 (about 45 km).
Clothing and equipment
Hiking boots are recommended, and walking poles are helpful, also layered clothing for a sudden change in the weather. As always in Hokkaidō you take water and don't drink from streams! Most Japanese walkers carry bells to alert bears of their presence, though these can scare off the timid pika.
Skiing
Mount Furano is a popular site for winter off-piste ski mountaineering.
Contour maps
- Map 654205 1:25,000 (Tokachidake Northwest) Kokuto Chiriin (国土地理院) [1]
- Attack Tokachidake Renpō 1:25,000 ISBN 4-87641-436-X (Yen 1,000) (This includes a pamphlet in Japanese explaining routes and estimated times for individual sections.)
Google map
Geographic coordinates are 43.395° N, 142.636° W
Reviews
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We went up Mount Furano in mid August - a pleasant, easy walk. Too late in the year to see the wild flowers at their best, though we did see pika. Stayed the night before in Ryounkaku (Tokachigawa Onsen) which was comfortable. Simon 01:22, 24 February 2008 (JST) |
Sources
- Florence, M et al. (2001) Hiking in Japan Lonely Planet Publications, Victoria
| Coordinates | 43°23′42″ N, 142°38′9.6″ W (Latitude: 43.395° N, Longitude: 142.636° W) + find maps Google maps Mapquest |