Komagatake Ropeway climbs from the Lake Ashi shore to the upper slopes of Mount Komagatake, trading the lakeside resort scene for wide views over Hakone's volcanic bowl. The ride is short, but on a clear morning the payoff is big: Lake Ashi below, the Izu mountains beyond, and sometimes Mount Fuji on the horizon.
Autumn weekends can bring long queues, so go early if the weather is good. The summit is exposed and much cooler than the lakeside, which is part of the pleasure when Hakone is busy and humid below.