18 Jun
This day involved 3 trains, over 4 hours of travel time, to bring us to Aso. We checked in about 430pm or so, and chilled the rest of the day.
19 Jun
Today we hope to see an active volcano and do some hiking nearby. In the photo below, we're lodging in the area of the big yellow rectangle, and will take a park bus up to just below the active volcano crater in the little rectangle, and then ride the bus back to the middle-sized rectangle to do a hike.
This day involved 3 trains, over 4 hours of travel time, to bring us to Aso. We checked in about 430pm or so, and chilled the rest of the day.
19 Jun
Today we hope to see an active volcano and do some hiking nearby. In the photo below, we're lodging in the area of the big yellow rectangle, and will take a park bus up to just below the active volcano crater in the little rectangle, and then ride the bus back to the middle-sized rectangle to do a hike.
Photo Credit -- Description: 日本語: 阿蘇山広域空撮画像 阿蘇山広域空撮画像。16 May 2014 Autho Sonata at ja.wikipedia
Before we go, we need to check reporting for today's hazards - possibilities include bad air, to flinging boulders, to relatively all clear - looks like we're good to go, all the way to the top.
From the bus stop, here's the view of the volcano, spewing out the usual vapors and steam.
We left the bus before the top, along with a handful of others, to make the final 1-mile climb to the top on our own.
The scenery is better not looking through a bus window.
The last eruption occurred in Oct 2021, without lava flow, but with boulders being flung out to the surrounding slopes. One such boulder hit the very hiking path we're taking to the top viewpoint.
We take a short break to check out a volcano shelter nearby - happy to not need it for a break from raining boulders today.
This sign warns of hazardous volcanic gases, but the hole is a rock fall from the October 2021 eruption.
The terrain is constantly changing around the volcano, including earthquakes and rainfall induced landslides.
Almost there now, the bus riders have beat us to the top.
Now we're looking into the gaping mouth of the beast, its "dragon's breath" emitting out.
Gerri is commenting: "didn't we just watch, this past March, a Netflix documentary of tourists killed in an eruption in New Zealand, too close at the wrong time, ......hmmmmm"
 |  |
No problem, they have shelters just a short sprint behind us, hmmmmm......hmmmmmmm.
Damaged structures are also nearby from previous eruptions - this one seems abandoned, but others are getting refurbished.
Threat warning system at the top....
Planet Earth looking like another planet...
...a little green, yes, we're on Earth.
A nearby hike takes you to the top of the far ridge, hmmmm, not enough time today, hike up we will not.
Back to the bus we must go...
As with Yellowstone, the broad area of the historical volcanic area is large - the edge of the ancient caldera is the mountainous ridge on the horizon - our lodging town of Aso is inside this caldera.
We begin part of two of today's adventures - hiking to the top of the summit shown below. The bus had taken us from the welcome center a bit away from the volcano, back down into the green zone.
As we approach the part of the trail zooming steeply upward, the summit beckons us onward...
...now on the ridge-line taking us to the top, we get treated to more views of the active volcano.
The summit is ours!
The little stone says 1336.7 meters (4,385 feet) above sea level at the top.
We started at the white building at the edge of this mini-caldera - this flat meadow area is maintained as rangeland for a group of horses.
We should wrap up our summit visit, the air so thin and so cold, it's taking a toll, not so much...yeah, the climb felt a smidgen like climbing Everest, but not exactly that scale, just 1/6 as high, and only taking 90 minutes vs. weeks.
Now descending an area affected by recent slide activity - it's much steeper than this seems to show.
Above Tim are workers refurbing trail affected by the slide.
Yep, there's our Everest...
| Back at lodging, it's time for a bath, Japanese-style. Gerri has taken advantage of the women's-only baths at previous hotels, but Tim has stuck to the room showers. However, this hotel features private baths that can be rented by the hour, here about $15. Gerri walked Tim through the process, basically washing up from the short stools, and then a dip in the hot mineral water bath. |  |
The baths usually include a nice selection of lotions and oils to finish up the experience.
Nice and clean till the next summit attempt.
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