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27th December 2002
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Powder for thought…
2003 season - what a start! Beaming faces enjoyed bottomless turns in
November, weeks before the lifts started moving. The first days of December
were ominous, bringing rain and then a little too much sunshine. However,
temperatures soon plummeted and conditions are back on track for a solid powder
season. All Niseko resorts now boast 100% lift operation, and as the sasa
(bamboo grass) continues to disappear, even the tightest tree runs are becoming
accessible.
Niseko-Hirafu Resort has some new additions. To replace last year’s motley
collection of rails and jumps spread awkwardly around the mountain, this year
there will be a park. Bowing to popular demand, the resort has placed it in a
prime position - right next Kogen #1 lift. With the help of an outside expert
(fingers crossed, no more flat landings!), park creation is to start Dec 20 and
should take no more than a week to complete. Initially, the size will be
limited and the rails/jumps beginner-orientated. However, for the free-style
enthusiasts, it is definitely a step in the right direction.
A further bonus for those unafraid of heights, Hirafu now offers
‘Bungy-Trampoline’ facilities. Otherwise known as ‘European Bungy’, the
spider-akin machine is situated just thirty metres up from the gondola. Jumpers
are secured into a harness that is connected to bungy cords, raised into the
air by electric motors, then dropped down onto a trampoline. The result is
repetitive jumps to heights over 5m, and complete freedom to front and back
flip. Owner Rod Hoy has added a spinning harness for those wanting more lateral
movement ? a painless way to practice those 360’s, 720’s, 1080’s… Up to
four people can bounce on the four different trampolines at one time, and it is
well worth a look. Preferably not after a heavy meal or too many beers…
For the free riders, ‘Niseko Local Rules’ will thankfully be back in force
again this season. Being able to ride out of bounds without losing your pass is
one of Niseko’s strong points. The locally adopted system doesn’t give you
the right to argue with a ski patroller, but it does open up a range of tree
runs within the resort, as well as a huge area of backcountry terrain.
In Niseko, backcountry area is not patrolled by the resort, so powder
seekers are out there at their own risk. This has prompted local avalanche
expert Akio Shinya to write the following article:
1)
Niseko is a winter sports haven. With four lifts providing easy access to Anuppuri’s
1300m high peak, anyone can enjoy fresh powder, regardless of ability or
experience. It is impossible to prohibit people from riding out of resort
limits, so rules are needed to help protect the safety of powder enthusiasts.
As a result, Niseko ski resorts and the towns of Kutchan and Niseko have come
together to create 'Niseko Local Rules' to help deal with this issue.
The basic idea behind the rules is to respect the freedom of the rider,
whilst highlighting the distinction between resort responsibility, and
individual rider responsibility. These rules were developed to maintain the
safety of riders both in and out of resort boundaries, and to stipulate that
those riding out of resort limits, do so at their own risk.
For these reasons, several areas are absolutely prohibited for entry. These
high-risk areas are Mizunonosawa, Harunotaki, and Yunosawa, and are commonly
accepted to be much more dangerous than other areas.
The legal issue of regulating National Park areas to the public still
exists, however, with the growing 'Niseko Local Rules' movement, free
riding from the peak, Kitashamen (North Face) and Higashione
(East Ridge) has become standard practice.
In the prevention of avalanches, common sense and knowledge is more
important than strict regulation. It is important to teach people not to over
estimate their own ability and knowledge, regarding avalanche safety.
Click
on the image for a larger (readable) version
Niseko Avalanche information is posted at every lift. Please read it carefully.
On days when there is a high risk of avalanche, out of bounds access will be
closed. On days judged to have a low level of risk, the resort will open access
to out of bounds areas.
The 'Niseko Local Rules' system has been developed taking into account the
wishes of powder riders. Riders, nevertheless, must be aware of where resort
responsibility stops, and where they become responsible for their own actions.
These rules have been established with the aim of decreasing the number of
accidents occurring in the Niseko mountain range.
2)
Those involved with mountains will no doubt have seen many articles
and books covering accidents involving “slab avalanches”. It is accepted
that the cause of slab avalanches is a weak layer in the snowpack. Today’s
avalanche prevention theories and techniques place vital importance on this
“weak layer”. Avalanche awareness courses and texts often dedicate
considerable attention to this matter. One of the problems we are facing is
that,
despite widespread coverage of this subject in texts and lectures by experts,
the number of slab avalanche related accidents is not decreasing.
Statistics show that most of the people caught in avalanches these days, are
in fact people who have attended avalanche awareness courses and do have a
degree of avalanche safety knowledge.
Based on my years of experience in avalanche safety awareness, I believe
the most dangerous factor is over confidence and complacency on the part of the
rider. It is important to remember that avalanches are a natural phenomenon
and without human intervention, the slide would not be considered an accident.
If you do cause an accident, it could involve your own death and/or the
death of your friends. Undoubtedly it will have far reaching repercussions.
Please do not forget the tragedy of the loss of human life caused by
avalanches.
3)
Many avalanches (not only those in Niseko,) occur during or directly
after a storm. In these situations, on steep leeward slopes, and slopes with
large snow deposits, conditions momentarily become prone to avalanche. Sudden
shocks can cause these slopes to slide.
Niseko avalanche information estimates avalanche danger levels by
continuously checking snow pack and snowfall patterns, wind speed, and the
level of snow-deposit build up.
A weak layer in the snow pack causes slab avalanches, however, even experts
have difficulty assessing this weak layer. There is still no completely
effective test.
In order to help predict avalanches with some degree of success, snow pack
and snowfall pattern observation, as well as the testing of weak layers is
necessary. Digging a pit may not be enough. Please err on the safe side.
If in
doubt, consider a safer route.
Blizzards bring powder, but also create dangerous slopes.
Parks, trampolines and powder awareness - 2003 will be a
fantastic season.
Photos thanks to Tasuku, Matt
Skiers; Ayumu, Ian
