Quote:
The Sounkyo-Kurodake Ropeway is a magnificent gondola ride that takes passengers from the Sounkyo Village to the fifth stage of Mt. Kurodake. For the price of about $18 per adult ($10 for students and children), you can take a leisurely 10- to 15-minute ride that reveals the gorgeous scenery and undeveloped wilderness in the Daisetsuzan National Park and surrounding areas. Make sure you have your camcorder or digital camera! This is definitely the top tourist attraction in the area.
We were in Sounkyo from October 5th to the 7th, 2005, and the fall colors were just a few days before the peak, as you can see from the photos. The top of the ropeway is the fifth stage of Mt. Kurodake. You can take another ski-lift ride to the seventh stage. From there, you can hike about 1 hour to the very top, which is the tenth stage. We actually did that on our second day in Sounkyo. That was the highlight of our trip to Hokkaido. It was early October, and there was already snow at the top of Mt. Kurodake.
Sounkyo is a very small resort village, and the ropeway station is an obvious landmark at the top to the village. The gondola station at the top of the fifth stage has a nice viewing platform, and you can take a walk around the area. The last ride down is at 5pm.
From journals
Sapporo and Hokkaido Travel Companion