Yoshigadaira – Yugama Crater

Sunday, January 15, 2012Gunma

湯釜

Cover photo: Yoshigadaira – Yugama Crater — The turquoise crater under snow
View 7 photos

Distance: 4.6km
Ascent: 281m; 103 m of descent
Walking time: 1 h 53; 3 h 48 with breaks
High point: 2,160m; low point 1,841 m
Season: Winter; January 2012

A glow on the plateau

The Yoshigadaira plateau appears in pink light, then behind a veil of mist. The stage climbs toward Yugama between scattered trees and bushes poking out of the snow. At the crater, the pale green water remains visible under the gray sky.

Daybreak on the snowy plateau, larches in silhouette — Daybreak on the Yoshigadaira plateau, near Yoshigadaira-Hyutte (芳ヶ平ヒュッテ), at about 1,850 m.

Before you return

Today’s trail conditions and recent trip reports:

草津白根山YAMAP YamaReco alert level (JMA)

Map and profile

Download the GPX track How to read this map Hover over the profile to follow the track on the map. The thumbnails show where each photo was taken; click one to enlarge it.

Topographic map of the day — GSI (国土地理院) topographic map with the day's track · original file

Photos 7

The winter sun through the mist on the Yoshigadaira plateau, near the hut.

A lone fir in the snow, near Yoshigadaira-Hyutte.

Bushes poking out of the snow on the plateau — Bushes poking out of the snow on the Yoshigadaira plateau, at about 1,870 m.

Lake Yugama, the turquoise crater of Kusatsu-Shirane — Yugama (湯釜), the turquoise crater lake of Kusatsu-Shirane, at about 2,080 m.

Hiker on snowshoes in front of Yugama and the Kusatsu-Shirane marker — At the edge of Yugama (湯釜), in front of the Kusatsu-Shirane marker, at about 2,080 m.

Snowy hollow lined with conifers on the plateau — Snowy hollow lined with conifers near Yoshigadaira-Hyutte, at the start of the climb, at about 1,860 m.

Dead tree stump and lava blocks in the snow — Stumps of dead trees and volcanic blocks poke out of the snow on the way up to Kusatsu-Shirane, at about 1,940 m.