Sounkyo gorge ropeway

Sounkyo has a ropeway that takes you right up into the Daisetsuzan national park.  Given how spectacular the views were from the bottom, we couldn't help ourselves and were keen to see things from the top.  We left our gear at camp and walked into town, spending the morning fishing in the river (no luck this time...) while we waited for a break in the weather. It finally stopped raining and we went up, the kids really enjoyed the cable car and the chair lift.  There was ice and snow at the top, and we met some friendly Japanese guys who were on holiday.  Like many Japanese tourists we have come across here, they had been to Australia in the past.
We returned to camp in the evening, worn out yet again but happy with the day's proceedings.  Sounkyo has a great vibe - it's nestled in a valley between towering peaks and has wooden boardwalks and hardy winter buildings.  We will have to come back one day on autumn, some of the pictures we have seen show great splashes of orange color.
We were careful to pack everything away so we could make an early start the next day, as we have planned to ride south towards Obihiro and it's a pretty long leg so we want to start early.