"(Visited on 19/01/2025)
The summit of Nishi-Azumayama is closer from Tengendai Kogen Ski Resort (Yonezawa), but we started from Grandeco Snow Resort (Fukushima) because the trail seemed to be clearer.
On weekends, you pay 1,000 yen for parking. At the lift ticket office, you pay 2,000 yen for a round trip gondola ticket. The wait for the gondola was 25 minutes at 9:00, and it was minus 10°C.
We got off at the summit station at an altitude of 1,400m, put on snowshoes, and spent an hour and a half climbing 600m in altitude to Nishi-Daiten.
After getting off the gondola, we climbed the edge of the ski resort for 20 minutes to the 4th quad (the 4th quad was not in operation), but the slope was the steepest on the way to the summit of Nishi-Daiten, and we would slide down if we didn't hold on tight with our poles. It was a clear, almost windless day, and it got hot, so at this point we were just wearing long-sleeved shirts.
From the 4th quad, we headed along the mountain trail through the forest. There had been no snowfall the day before, and the trail left by those who had gone before us was clear, so we didn't sink into our snowshoes the whole time (although we would probably have to break through snow immediately after a snowfall or early in the day). The frost on the coniferous trees gradually thickened, and after about 30 minutes of walking through the forest, they had turned into magnificent snow monsters.
The slope was moderate just before the summit, but we could see the vast expanse of snow monsters, and to the south we could see Mt. Bandai and Lake Inawashiro the whole time, so it was a blissful climb that naturally brought a smile to my face.
The 100 famous mountains that I could see from the summit were the nearby Nishiazumayama (70 degrees by compass, with Issaikyoyama and Higashiazumayama to the immediate right), the pointed Mt. Adatara (130 degrees) protruding slightly from the ridgeline, Mt. Bandai (200 degrees, with the silhouettes of the Nasu Mountains, Mt. Nantai, and Mt. Nikko Shirane just behind), the snow-capped ridgeline of Oze-Tanigawa Mountain Range-Chuetsu (220-250 degrees), the Iide Mountain Range (280 degrees), Mt. Oasahi (340 degrees), Mt. Gassan, and Mt. Chokai (360 degrees) to the immediate right. You can see half of the Zao Mountain Range in a 30-degree direction.
All of the mountains can be seen without being blocked by snow monsters from a point a little below the summit.
You have to descend to the nearby Nishiazumayama once and then climb up again. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the peak, but of course you have to go down and back up on the way back, so if you run out of energy it may take longer than expected (this is where the steep climb up to the first 4th quad comes into play). The last gondola to go down is at 3:30 p.m., so whether you go up to Nishiazumayama will depend on your energy and the time you want to reach the summit of Nishidaiten.
However, if you go to the summit of Nishiazumayama, you can see the entire Zao mountain range. Also, there is a great view of the Iide mountain range from the saddle between Nishidaiten and the summit."

イワダイ

"This peak boasts one of the best views in the Azuma Mountain Range.
You can see Lake Inawashiro, Urabandai, and many of Fukushima's famous peaks.
The approach from Shirafu Pass involves passing through Yahazuyama and a steep climb over slippery stones.
This is a famous spot that will satisfy you even if you don't do the traverse."

Ryo Sakurai

"You can reach Nishidaiten (1,982m) by trekking from Shirafutoge Pass coming from Grandeco, Wasezawa, or Yamagata. Currently (as of June 2020), there is no signpost and the summit is only a triangulation point, but the view towards Urabandai is unobstructed and spectacular."

Yoshimizu Yoshida