Gunma Boarder
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Posts posted by Gunma Boarder
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Charmant
Yes it is. Had a feeling you might get that one Black Mountain. Might not make it this year but really want to go!
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Not Naeba. Bringing it over.
All right how about this one.
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All right how about this one.
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Fuji Rock is much better than where I live! We get some wind but it's not cool. The only cool breezes I have found besides on the coast are in river valleys where the temperatures are lowered by the cold water.
I think I started this whole debate by mentioning how maybe seemore should visit in fall some year. I also said summer isn't so bad but obviously many of you think it is. I admit I would recommend anything but summer to someone visiting unless they wanted to spend their whole trip in the mountains, near a clean(ish) ocean swimming area or in Hokkaido. I think depending on the person I would tell most people to visit in either fall for the colors, spring for the blossoms or winter for the reasons mentioned in this thread and all over this website!
A good list, though only 1 and 3 are exclusively winter things. You should try fall one of these years the colors are beautiful! Summer and Spring aren't so bad either
Of course winter is going to be the favorite on this site 
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If you want a hotel room I recommend booking now! Fuji Rock turns Naeba into a city.
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Does look interesting. If you go, tell us about it
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Fuji Rock and Mt. Granview
Is Nukabira Gensenkyo your local skijo?
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Nukabira Gensenkyo
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I'm calling this on myself. Let's get back to what we love about winter 
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I had a feeling we might get jumped on for saying Summer is OK on this website. I did say that it was my least favorite season in Japan. I'm OK with summer when I'm swimming, in a cool valley in the mountains or hiking high in the mountains. I am not OK with summer when I am sweating at least twice as much as a room full of sweaty stundents trying to make myself care about teaching English so they might care about learning it while my mind just keeps telling me to run for the cool mountain swimming holes to stop my body from leaking salt water just for a second.
For now I'll say it again TGIW!
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You would of course have to be complete insane (or live in hokkai-blah blah) to love summer.
Not true.....I loved summer in Kanagawa and I'm of (reasonably) sound mind
Being near a river or the ocean can really take the edge off summer. If I can stay cool summer is great!
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To get back on topic. I love snow covered old style Japanese houses like in Shirakawago and the crystal blue skies on a clear winter day
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You would of course have to be complete insane (or live in hokkai-blah blah) to love summer.
That is true. If I didn't have to work I could maybe love summer, but being stuck in a sweaty classroom kind of ruins the fun. Minakami is pretty awesome in summer though. Canyoning is one crazy sport if you haven't seen it, check it out. I also go swimming on the regular in the Tone River and even do some white water bogey boarding from time to time. Getting high up in the mountains can also be a nice break from the heat. Being stuck in the muggy valley is what gets you..... I will say summer is my least favorite Japanese season but it has it's good points. For now TGIW (Thank God it's Winter!)
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A good list, though only 1 and 3 are exclusively winter things. You should try fall one of these years the colors are beautiful! Summer and Spring aren't so bad either
Of course winter is going to be the favorite on this site -
Thank you for the magic Pete! I was getting discouraged. I had already had it erased by the computer I was writing it on and then rewritten it a couple days later only to have it turn into code! Thanks for bringing it back. I was about to give up.
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You could stay very busy off either of those two gondys, if you were allowed by conditions and regulations. Enough to stay entertained for quite some time and both areas funnel back into the resort bounds. Looker's left off the ridge is the sketchiest but even then maps indicate it should be possible to pick a safe route in the worst conditions that would still come back to base. But I guess the easiest way to cater for the lowest common denominator is to forbid access entirely.
I've been in the valley looker's right. It does come back to the runs. I don't actually know about the regulations. I rode that valley some years back and haven't went back. Last time I went to Naeba the drop into that valley was looking amazing but the bottom had some serious holes that discouraged me. Looker's left seems more dangerous to me, but I don't have any BC training. Kagura is safer and more used for BC. I have seen someone cause and get trapped (but eventually freed by his friend) in an avalanche at Kagura though the spot they were riding was one of the most obviously dangerous.
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The BC lines make the waiting worth it at Tenjin. Also the views (see anything muikabochi has put on this website with Tenjindaira in the title
) You can also make it without too much difficulty from Naeba. You might also look at Minakami as a stationing point. Nice little town with everything you could need. Only problem is no ski in ski out that is also in the town. Would need to bus/train to the resorts or into town. I think a lot of the skijos have free shuttles though. I would say Tenjin has better BC lines than Kagura. Also Houdaigi has some nice tree runs. I would say those are the main two for Minakami. Could also get to Kawaba, which has some nice off-piste, as well as the Yuzawa resorts by train, bus or train and bus depending on the place. Could also stay in Yuzawa for a while and move to Minakami. They aren't that far apart. -
Thank you! What did I do?
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If anyone wants to see even more photos, here is the link for the gallary. Though I already posted kind of a lot
http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/gallery/album/381-climbing-mt-hotaka-from-kawaba-skijo/
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I had no intention of climbing a mountain when I set off for Kawaba on the beautiful midweek national holiday we had last Tuesday. In my mind I imagined myself maybe snowshoeing up from the top of the quad lift to get a nice fresh line but that was about it. Things changed when I came to the ticket counter to buy my six pack of one lift tickets.
The girl at the desk noticed the snowshoes on my back and said “ハイキングするつもりですね。そこに行ってハイキングの申込書を書いてください。 (Your going hiking aren’t you. Please go over there and fill out the form for hiking). Having been to Kawaba countless times with snowshoes and never having filled out a form I was caught off guard. “ハイキングしません。スノーシューと滑ることは練習だけです。” (I was trying to say I am just practicing riding while carrying snowshoes but I said it a bit strangely). “ちょっと待ってください”(Please wait a sec).
Enter the girl potentially hired for her English abilities. “What course are you planning on hiking” This was actually said a bit strangely but I got the gist. “I’m not planning on hiking I’m just carrying the snowshoes to practice riding with them.” That blank look people have when they have no idea what you just said. “You have snowshoes, you are hiking right? Where are you going?” Something gives in in my brain and I decide to just go with the flow. “Yes I’m hiking. I want to climb the mountain.” She helps me fill out the form and I am given a ticket to be returned later. Nice to know they look after the hikers!
Riding the lift towards the top of the mountain I was feeling a bit Schizophrenic. “Why did I come here again? I guess I’m climbing a mountain today. This should be interesting.” At the top of the quad lift I put on my snowshoes and set out on my journey. Plowing through the deep snow after 100 meters I was already feeling it, but the powerful rock wall to my left served as my energy source.
The route up the mountain is on the left side of this beast.
I love trees!
The skies this day where some of the clearest I have ever seen. In the distance you could see the Yatsugatake and the South Alps!
Mt.Asama in the forground was also stunning. You can also see some hikers who benifited from me going first coming up behind me
They returned the favor shortly after. I loved this guys snowshoes!
This last pic doesn't show how steep it was. This next one does. I was "fully prepared".... to walk up an easy hill and snowboard down. I only almost fell once
Everyone else had crampoons and ice axes, I had snowshoes and a snowboard. If I do it again, I will come better prepared.
Climbing up I was loving the trees!
These ones weren't to shabby either.
Tree spirits!
Mt. Sukai
Mt. Nikko Shirane above Marunuma Kogen seen between some peaks of Mt. Hotaka
After climbing the rock face you come to a small sharp peak.
After climbing the peak and seeeing the rest of the mountain in front of me I decided I probably shouldn't go any farther with my lack of gear. Here are the more prepared climbers heading for the peak.
And one with the whole mountain in the background. One of the hikers said I had already done the hardest stuff, but also wanting to snowboarding and being satisfied with the hike, I decided to turn around.
The views from my little peak where pretty good! Here is Tanigawa and Naeba.
And another shot of Shirane
This line of the peak was looking amazing. You can't really make out the mandatory 5 meter air. The only problem is it leads to nowhereland.
After a long time taking in the beauty of the mountains I head back for the skijo. Going down I did a little boarding to avoid climbing down the steep stuff. Instead of going straight back I climbed a mini peak from which you can see my climb and my descend. The main line is the hiking line and the less visibly track is my snowboarding line.
After climbing the peak I rode down and climbed the next peak over to do what I had originally intended to do. Here are my ultra cool lines coming off the two mini peaks the far left line by its self is mine along with the far right.
Did I mention I love trees! This is from a nice little grove on the approach to the far left peak I rode down in the previous pic.
I just like this shot
A skier heading off into the valley next to the skijo for some BC. A beautiful valley it is!
My whole adventure summed up in one photo! The highest peak I climbed in the background with the the first mini peak and my line in front taken from the second mini peak I climbed. My legs were starting to feel like jelly
Another great day at Kawaba Skijo with an unexpected new twist!
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The Prince hotel is a monstrasity, but it is not the only option around Naeba. I wrote this report earlier this year of Naeba. I loved the place we stayed! The rooms were really big and had bunk beds. It was also pretty affordable. You had to walk across the street to get to the hot spring, but the baths were huge and great! They also had sinks and a stove in the room. It is not ski in ski out but it is also not far from the resort.
http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/23626-naeba-01182014/
Naeba is also connected to Kagura by bus and "Dragondola" and one season ticket covers both. Kagura has some amazing short hike accessible BC. Here are a couple of my links for Kagura.
http://www.snowjapanforums.com/index.php/topic/23420-kagura-in-all-its-glory-4-different-trips/
Naeba is definitely not a big town, but you could head into Yuzawa on occasion for supplies. Nozawa is unique and hard to replicate, but Yuzawa has a lot of good things going for it too.
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+1 for what muikabochi said. Except for a very short uphill leading to the resort it is pretty flat. They also keep the roads really well cleared (usually, this last storm overwhelmed everyone). Kawaba keeps the road pretty well cleared but I have been there more than 50 times and I have had a couple close calls. One time a car flipped and I came around a corner barley stopping in front of it. Also almost slide into a sideways car once. If it isn't snowing hard all day Kawaba is fine. If it is, White World might be the safer bet.
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This storm has officially given me my first snow day!
Things you love about winter in Japan
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
+1 for beer vending machines. One served me quite well during this last mammoth of a snow storm