Enroute to Tokachidake...we first went up towards Sandanyama and realized we needed to go lookers left so crossed a series of volcanic gullies (note: don't go perpendicular on volcanic landscape) and then up the ridge to the summit of Maetokachi before realizing that to get to Tokachidake we had to go around the sulfur smoking from this crater. So JM and I took skis off and with boot crampons began the traverse as others watched. We contoured around and could look straight into the crater at times. As we traversed we caught sulfur cloud on far side and wondered whether this was a good idea. Others followed enroute to the summit of Tokachidake.