avatarAaron Paulson

Summary

Aaron Paulson and his wife R. embarked on a photo hike to Senjojiki Cirque in the Chuo Middle Alps, staying at the Hotel Senjojiki, and experienced diverse weather conditions perfect for capturing the autumn foliage.

Abstract

Aaron Paulson, along with his wife and trekking partner, ventured to Senjojiki Cirque in Nagano prefecture for a weekend of hiking and photography amidst the autumn foliage. They stayed at the luxurious mountain lodge, Hotel Senjojiki, which is also the highest ropeway station in Japan. The couple experienced varied weather, from cold and rainy conditions that offered an intimate view of the landscape to clear skies that showcased the stunning vistas of the Japanese Alps. The article includes a series of photographs capturing the beauty of the region, available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, with high-resolution images accessible upon request.

Opinions

  • The author describes the Senjojiki Cirque as a place where the autumn season transforms the landscape into a vibrant palette of "Halloween reds and yellows."
  • The Hotel Senjojiki is characterized as a "fancypants mountain hut/rustic hotel," suggesting a blend of luxury and alpine charm.
  • The weather conditions are portrayed positively, with the rain providing a quiet and intimate atmosphere, while the clear skies offered the expected grand vistas.
  • The author implies that the hike around the cirque is a serene and picturesque experience, with the trail described as a 50-minute walk around a space that could fit "1,000 tatami mats."
  • The article suggests that the Senjojiki Cirque is a photographer's paradise, with the changing weather and seasons providing diverse opportunities for capturing the natural beauty of the Japanese Alps.

Japan Photo Hikes: Senjojiki Cirque

2,612 meters up the Chuo Central Alps

All photos ©Aaron Paulson. These pictures are available for use under limited license.*

Hiking Senjojiki Cirque

It still felt like late summer/early autumn here in The Big Sushi, but in the mountains west of Tokyo, koyo autumn foliage season had already burned up the forests, all Halloween reds and yellows. My wife and trekking partner, let’s call her R., and I took a (longish) four-and-a-half-hour bus ride to Senjojiki Cirque, on the slope of Komagatake, in Nagano prefecture’s Chuo Middle Alps for a long weekend of hiking and photography. We stayed at Hotel Senjojiki, a fancypants mountain hut/rustic hotel attached to the ropeway station at 2,662 meters: the highest ropeway station in Japan (and Japan has a lot of ropeway stations!).

Weatherwise, we had the best of both worlds. Cold and rainy on the day we arrived, we saw the crags and slopes in a quiet, intimate moment as we hiked the 50-minute trail around the cirque (Senjojiki means “space for 1,000 tatami mats, which sounds about right). The following two days, the mountain put its public face back on, and we hiked around and up and out of the cirque bowl under clear blue skies, with all the expected vistas of the Alps vistas and sea of clouds we had come to see.

Japan
Travel
Outdoors
Mountain Trekking
Photos
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