We had our own car so had a drive over the mountain, early November and snow on the sides of the road which we were hoping would not get worse, it is a very scenic area and worth the walk ride or drive if you are able

I climbed Shirane in September 2015, which was perfect weather wise. The views of the crater lake, the surrounding hills and forest, and the endless sea of clouds are among the most amazing I've seen anywhere in the world. I was staying in Nikko and took an early (before 6 AM) bus to Yumoto and got there around 7 AM. I wanted to do the full hiking trail in one day, and you need to get there this early to do it in one day (though there is a cabin along the course you can stay at). I walked to the pond in the centre, then up to Mt Shirane, reaching the summit around 1 PM. I then continued on the route back to Yumoto and got there around 5 PM just before it was starting to get dark, then caught a bus back to Nikko. I'm reasonably fit and while long, the hike was not super challenging, but not easy either: there were slippery sections at the beginning and end (this was shortly after Storm Etau had hit) and the road to the summit has a lot of loose rocks. It was a whole day endeavour, but absolutely worth it for the sights I saw at the top.