Soaring to a height of 2,909 meters, Mt. Nishi-Hotaka lies in the steep Northern Alps and is affectionately known among mountain climbers as "Flower Mountain." In July, snow lingers in the valleys just below the summit, where colorful alpine flowers bloom. Many birds can be found during the summer months, including rock ptarmigans that inhabit the rocky moraine and Japanese accentors that raise their young under low-growing Siberian dwarf pines.