Kansaiash
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Posts posted by Kansaiash
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Definitely more snowboarders than skiers, but from my experience I would say more around 75-80% snowboarders. It also completely depends on which resort you are at.
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Kijimadaira was pretty crazy when I was there... Cant really say I enjoyed it that much. Definitely enjoyed Ryuoo more.
This was the top of Kijimadaira in early January.
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Next time fella.... Next time.
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Can we swap back next season please.
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Also my back has improved a bit but it still isn't 100%. I went to Myoko last weekend thanks to SJ and while I managed to get through the weekend without too much pain I definitely couldn't ride as hard as I usually do. Looks like my estimated 30 days on the snow this year will be more like 10.
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It was a ロコモコwith avocado topping. Really tasty and felt a bit healthier than the standard curry rice which at xjam tastes like the stuff you get from the 100 yen shop.
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So it was the first long weekend in January and I decided to get a group together and head to Takaifuji X-Jam, not because I aspired to be a park rat but because I hoped it would be a bit quieter on the long weekend. After spending two long weekends in Hakuba last season I didn't want to go back this year as the 30 minute queues for a lift pass tend to be a bit of a turn off for me. My plan did work to some degree as with the peak of the crowds the longest I had to wait was maybe 5 minutes. Most of the time there was either no queue or I had to wait for 5 chairs at the most. The resorts in Mt. Kosha are not that big by themselves but when combined with the all mountain lift pass it makes for quite a large area to explore.
I spent the first morning exploring X-Jam, it had some nice steeper runs with some powder on the edges left from the previous day. After a few runs here we had had enough and headed over to Yomase Onsen, this part of the mountain was not as busy at first and we enjoyed freshly groomed runs and some powder stashes on the sides. In the afternoon we headed to the other side of X-Jam for more exploration into the Yamabiko area. This area was not big but it was pretty much deserted and the runs were steep enough to get a nice amount of speed up. We rode all two lifts in the Yamabiko area including a pair lift which had a serious amount of wobble going on with the one the poles. Luckily the lift didn't break and we were able to return back X-Jam for a final few runs in a hidden powder field before the lifts closed.
On the second day we decided to pay the extra 500 yen and get a lift ticket that included Kijimadaira and headed over the sketchy lift in the Yamabiko area to see what Kijimadaira had to offer. This place definitely was a lot bigger but also a lot busier. The first few runs in the morning were nice and fast on the groomers but as the main lift line started to grow we decided to head up to the highest point on the mountain. Getting up the highest run on Mt. Kosha involved taking the slowest pair lift on all of Mt. Kosha. This was a lovely clear day and the slow lift ride was worth it with rewarding views. The way down was not so lovely. With some grass and rock exposure to cross before heading down a very steep and carved course. This would be amazing with some fresh snow but unfortunately it was not so enjoyable for me on this day. Needless to say I didn't head back up to the top again. After lunch I spent the rest of the day at X-Jam helping my friends with some snowboarding tips.
The third day had its ups and downs that's for sure. The day started out with plenty of excitement as we woke up to about 10-15cm of fresh snow at the village. We went straight for the big ungroomed run next to the chair lift from the base. We were only beaten to first tracks by two patrol guys. We lapped this course a couple of times and I had some of the best snowboarding conditions and lines so far this season. The enjoyment was short lived as everyone else had the same idea and this course soon became pretty tracked out. In search of more epic conditions we decided to head over to Yomase Onsen based on the conditions we experienced on the first day. This turned out to be not such a good idea. The snow on the lower slopes was heavy and slow, there also seemed to be a lot more people there than on the first day. We headed to the top of the course and found out why the courses were so crowded. 3 of the 6 courses at Yomase were closed because of clubs practicing on their poles. If I had come just to Yomase Onsen I would have been extremely disappointed that half the courses were closed to general use.
After some disappointing runs we headed back to X-Jam to grab some lunch at by far the best place to eat on the mountain. It was a little cafe next to the ticket office and main restaurant at X-Jam. The food was cheaper and much more delicious than any of the previous meals. It was also the first meal I felt was really nourishing meal for a day on the slopes. After lunch we headed back the ungroomed run where we started the day. On the first run I managed to hit some hidden powder stashes and decided to try again. Unfortunately this was a bad idea as on this run I hit an unexposed rock that put a small but deep gouge in my base and also aggravated an old back injury that prematurely ended my day, trip and lift me in a lot of pain and unsure of if my season will continue.
Before this trip I had visited Skijma and Madarao. While they are both fantastic places I haven't got around to writing a trip report for them. However the video here also contains footage from both of those trips as well.
On the slow lift at Kijimadaira
Same lift but facing forwards
Coming down
Lunch
If you go to XJAM i recommend this restaurant
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If you are happy to get around with flip flops, a tshirt, board shorts and a cooler box full of beer then anywhere near the water. If that's too hot for you then I guess Hokkaido.
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I wouldn't recommend it. One night was enough.
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Last summer I had the coldest night sleep I have ever had in Japan. Camped out on top of Kita-dake I woke to frost on the ground on August 15th. There are definitely ways to escape the heat. If you have to work on the other hand and your school or workplace is enforcing coolbiz and the air con is set to 28 or 29 then yea I completely agree it does suck.
Edit: #13 Hot cans of coffee
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Thanks for the stickers.
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I sometimes get irritated by middle aged Japanese men or kids squeezing through gaps in lift queues. But I doubt that's a skiier thing. More of a rude Ojisan and stupid kid thing. The skis just enable them.
This frustrates me more than anything else on a busy day.
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I am at Myoki today too. Seems really quiet for a weekend at ikenotaira today. I guess the Chou being closed has kept many people away.
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I have a pair of Level gloves that I bought when I first started. 3 seasons and about 70 days of riding later they are still pretty waterproof and the stitching is still all good.
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I think Hida is a mountain range/region. There are multiple skijos in that area.
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Anyone know where the two people in Gifu were riding?
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Takasu Snow Park has a DJ and they take requests. Its had the best music I've heard at a skijo at times but other times it's up there with the worst of them.
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Thanks for the advice everyone. If there is rock stuck in the gouge do I need to remove it before applying the ptex? I've also heard that since it's a core shot I should cut out a section around the gouge remove it and then ptex? I don't really want to cut into my base so I will probably ignore this idea unless there is good reason. Has anyone used this method for repair?
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It's a Ride Machete so it has a sintered base.
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On Monday I unfortunately hit an unexposed rock and managed to put a small but deep gouge in my base. The hole is about 2mm in diameter but it has pieced into the wood core. Do any of you guys with repair experience know if its possible to fix this myself and how to go about it?
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Is the mountain Yatsugatake?
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Skiers/boarders split in Kansai
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
I've noticed the snowboarders (especially at Dynaland) tend come in large groups of friends usually 5 or more and they are university students or in their 20s-30s. Whereas the skiers tend to be a little older, usually family types with the wife and kids. Of course this is not always the case but a common occurrence in my opinion.