Japanese Terrain Photos

[Oceanman]

nice gallery neck beard

[neck beard]

Thanks OM!

Drumond - The Kita Alps of Honshu are really low latitude - southern tip of Spain equivalent. The sun is strong and in March the typical winter Siberian High systems suddenly just stops - the air conditioner turns off - and you have some inconsistent mix between winter weather and then really warm weather. In March, plenty of thick warm crusts get buried by bouts of cold snow which come from thinner storms than in winter, leading facets on the warm crust. And then you get a temperature spike... you get it. It is popular for people to claim that March has "good stability" but I find it a bit more technical than mid winter, and typically produces some large cycles. As for wind - every storm is windy to very windy here, and the alpine band is poorer for it.

BFD - that in Yamada Onsen, a ryokan. That site has been used as a travelers onsen for a few centuries. It was popular with a big Daimyo during the Edo period. It is quite well known today and respected for maintaining some heritage in the area, as opposed to the endless ghastly eye-sore constructions you'll see from the last 30 years in the valley. I've skied from there to the Myoko area and there is plenty of terrain in that wider range. Also terrain traps. In winter you can ski tour into great terrain from that general vicinity, but trail breaking can be insanely deep and slow after a storm.

[Mike Pow]

Enjoy your new love, D1.

MikePow - forgot to add that if Murodo doesn't present an opportunity before access shuts at the end of November, then somewhere else usually does. This is Nov 30th, 3-4 hours tour from a lift in Hakuba, the spot that caught IslandBay's eye in the OP. Come down, I'll trade you a few tours for some performance ski lessons.



Attachment 154824

Sounds like a plan

[mtl_ripper]

neck beard, the mountains are my poetry power place. I've got to spend some time in Japan someday. Dreamt of it since childhood. These frames are getting the gears whirring...

[bigAK]

There’s certainly something very magical about touring around Hakuba. With ever fleeting memories of the small slice I’ve experienced, your photos bring that tranquil rush right back to the present. Many thanks…

[neck beard]

Sounds like a plan

Just saw this, been away for a week (skiing, of course). If you do consider a visit, let me know. I sure as hell need some coaching, and November-early December is the only time I can spare the time to invest myself in it. I don't want to be in your next season SR though

[Ted26]

Beautiful photos

[cyborg]

Incredible!

[Island Bay]

Just had a third (or was it tenth?) look at those photos, each times sinking deeper into the fabric of the place - vicariously.
Beautiful, if often scary, places - and beautifully photographed.

To me, aesthetics are hugely important in skiing, much more so than "radness". Solitude, or at least the absence of crowds, enhances the experience greatly. Waiting for snow, my runs have taken the dog and me ever deeper into the hills, finding little streams, massive climbs, exhaustion and bliss.

Hoping to get to Japan in April 2015 for corn time. Is there still lots of accessible terrain around Hakuba? Must have a good read of MountainLife Magazine for more info.

[neck beard]

IB - to be perfectly honest, I think April is by far the best non-powder month in Hakuba. Actually, it is probably better than any powder month if you look at it the right way.

I've skied knee deep in April, but I don't want to by that stage in the season. I want access to mountains and a good April gives that. This April just passed was incredible IMHO. Be aware though that some of the easy access big but low altitude terrain is poor or even terrible by then. The Happo ridge for example has plenty of terrain, but a lot of it starts at low altitude and from there skis down to 900m asl - very low altitude where it can be really hot. Higher along that ridge is still ok, but you'll still end up at 900m and crossing some busy river or another. Bring spare boot liners if so. Access from the Tsugaike area is a better option as you'll still get a lot of vertical to ski, yet your low point will only be 1500-1800m or so (unless you'd decide to ski out to the valley via access roads). It also has way more options to work with. But on weekends it is crowded.

And just because I hate to be misleading, I have to repeat that plenty of these pictures are not directly in Hakuba, and many are very inaccessible, or totally impractical.

You are probably about to have a really good day in April in Hakuba if you see this bridge:

[stuckathuntermtn]

Hard to believe that's Japan. Beautiful!

[DWski]

These are absolutely incredible! I've never really seen this side of Japan before. Most of my visual knowledge is based on what I've seen in Nimbus videos.

I'm planning a trip for 2 weeks in Jan '15 with a few friends. As I said, my knowledge is pretty limited. So far I'm the only one who's been doing much planning, and I've been looking at staying in a hostel in Niseko and doing a mix of resort and touring in the area. I get the impression that there's a lot of fun stuff inbounds for a first-timer. Would you recommend this, or something different for a first trip?

[sqikunst]

Keep coming back to this thread just to look again and again! great shots (had to be said again)

[neck beard]

Thanks skikunst. But I reckon all the photographers can tell what I've done, or what I have not done: camera on auto, a bit of cropping, then click auto-fix in Picasa, then click BW. I'm a hack who can find something ok out of 10,000 point and shoot images.

[Mike Pow]

Just saw this, been away for a week (skiing, of course). If you do consider a visit, let me know. I sure as hell need some coaching, and November-early December is the only time I can spare the time to invest myself in it. I don't want to be in your next season SR though

November works for me.

Your call for pics & vid

[shasti]

You will see me in Japan next winter because of this thread Neck Beard

[neck beard]

Get out there, Shasti.

[leifar]

The photos are stunning, fantastic images! Japan is a place I've really come to love over the last few winter trips, and hope to make it again this season. Figured this thread might be a good place to enquire: trying to find some accurate/detailed beta on the Kurodake Ropeway open/close dates, along with anything else that might be of help. Spent a week in Asahidake last winter and even up there info was hard to pin down.

[errrka]

These photos are stunning.

[Lomax]

very nice stuff! thanks! I made it there last winter for the first time, it will def. not be the last! we went to Myoko, Hakkoda, Miowa (<some really good BC stuff there). man those Japanese Businessmen know how to get drunk, haha

[Dromond]

very nice stuff! thanks! I made it there last winter for the first time, it will def. not be the last! we went to Myoko, Hakkoda, Miowa (<some really good BC stuff there). man those Japanese Businessmen know how to get drunk, haha

Do you mean Moiwa as in next to Niseko?

[Vt-Freeheel]

Missed this the first time around, Thanks so much for sharing with us NB!

[spook]

fucking awesome pics, man.

[Lomax]

Do you mean Moiwa as in next to Niseko?

meant Moiwa, and yes it is next Little Australia , aka Niseko

[WaistDeepGroomers]

Must....go....to...Japan... gaaaaah! Sick photos NB! Have always had Japan higher on my list than anywhere else on the planet to ride, but I think this just kicked JP up even father. Amazing photos...