High on Hokkaido III: Cold Feet
KH had planned a day of physical exertion on Mount Asahi-dake . Before leaving Furano, we topped up our fuel. Our first experience was at a full-service Japanese petrol station by Idemitsu. Upon driving in, grim-looking staff gave a deep bow and directed us to an available island. While one guy was filling our tank, another jumped to the front and started to rub our windscreen rigorously. Bug splatter is really difficult to clean. When we were ready to go, they gave us another deep bow. Didn't even need to get out of the car. Fantastic. The drive up to Asahi-dake Ropeway was quite leisurely with many slopes and tunnels. The slopes have timber fencing at regular intervals to avoid snowfall from inundating roads during winter. Along the way are also parking areas where drivers can stop to put on snow chains on their wheels. The gondolas at the Asahi-dake Ropeway were large and empty. Perhaps not the season to be at Asahi-dake. But even in spring, the snow on Mount Asah