pwat42
SnowJapan Member-
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Everything posted by pwat42
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Nozawa Onsen 25/12 - 02/01
pwat42 replied to Skinrat's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Trees lower down will be no good, maybe up at yamabiko will be bushy though -
Hakkoda/Kagura/Tenjindaira
pwat42 replied to ozsnowbum's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Hey 69 will be based in yuzawa for 5 days then minakami for 10 days -
Hakkoda/Kagura/Tenjindaira
pwat42 replied to ozsnowbum's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Ill be around Kagura/Hakkaisan/Tenjindaira from 20 Jan to 4 Feb if you are keen to have a riding partner, will be with a small crew riding BC etc -
Hakkoda/Kagura/Tenjindaira
pwat42 replied to ozsnowbum's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Check out hakkaisan, also i havent been but Tengendai in Yamagata looks promising. Google Tadashi Fuse and Friends in Japan and there is a good vid, terrain looks awesome. -
Japan VS British Columbia
pwat42 replied to Amarcord's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
I spent two seasons in BC the tree skiing in certain areas is just as good as BC and japan blows BC away in the snow and crowd department. -
gunma Oze Iwakura White World
pwat42 replied to Bushiman's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Are the runs on the bottom left hand corner of the trail map part of the resort? Looks like it has some ok terrain as well. -
Be Safe Everyone!
pwat42 replied to u-tan's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Its amazing how much snow absorbs sound you could be only 20-30 meters away from somebody yelling your head off and they can barley hear you. -
Kagura Quandary!
pwat42 replied to Mick Rich's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Southern area in Gala is ok ish. The rest is flat rubbish. -
Let's Myoko!
pwat42 replied to Mick Rich's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Akakura Kanko and Suginohara are the only ones with decent riding. But only the top lifts have any decent pitch the rest is pretty flat. I found the resorts in Yuzawa and Nozawa way better. -
The gozaimaas experience
pwat42 replied to gozaimaas's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
My first trip to niseko tony crocker was staying there He ran all the stats and said that historically 70%+ of the snow in hokkaido falls from the second half of December to the end of January. Given that you want a base is why i generally start all my trips mid to late jan and end in the first or second week of feb. -
Destination suggestions
pwat42 replied to Legion's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
You would be suprised how long the main face stays fresh legion. They only open the left gondola during the week. But we lapped that 9 times on a pow day before it started to get a bit choped on the main ungroomed pow runs. Was a 15 minute lap as well the fall line is super consistent. The valley on the right is great fun. Like i said before the conditions were to sketchy for the left hand side. The main entrance to the upper bowls on the left hand side is pretty heavily corniced as well. -
Destination suggestions
pwat42 replied to Legion's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Kagura, Hakkaisan and Tenjindaira. You will be in heaven. When i was at Naeba we had a meter of snowfall on sheet ice with crazy winds, which unfortunately ruled out alot of the Naeba side country. The trees of the top down to the dragondola were good and discrete. The area (yuzawa and gunma) as a whole has massive potential and i will be back next year for sure. -
Destination suggestions
pwat42 replied to Legion's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Trees are very widely spaced. But you are very visible and patrol will chase you. Also the area is very very steep and cops a fair bit of wind so is really unstable and risky. Saw a few naturals especially lookers left of the top. Kagura on the other hand is the perfect backcountry spot super safe and great options of the peak with an easy hike. Gets way more snow as well. -
Destination suggestions
pwat42 replied to Legion's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Anyway its a great mountains with 900 meters of vert a north east aspect and good 900 meter base elevation. Had some amazing top to bottom powder runs there. -
Destination suggestions
pwat42 replied to Legion's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
I was talking about the Asagi? district i think muikabochi. It is 50 minutes from Yuzawa so it is pretty far. -
Destination suggestions
pwat42 replied to Legion's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Haha Gunma Boarder we are on the same wave length -
Destination suggestions
pwat42 replied to Legion's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
No rope ducking necessary at Kagura, naeba has plenty of inbounds pow. Naeba could work for you cant get more ski in ski out. The hotel is cheap if you get an early deal, and we just walked across the road to the local town for our meals which had some decent shops and food. Hotel has two decent onsens and the onsens in the village are awesome. No aussies as well. -
Destination suggestions
pwat42 replied to Legion's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
What you are after doesnt exist in Japan. For me after this year i have found that yuzawa and Kagura and Hakkaisan (need to duck ropes) is the best combination of a great town and awesome uncrowded skiing with deep deep pow. But you have to drive to the resorts. Nozawa is the only resort that really ticks all of your boxes, but that is getting busier year on year. -
the ozsnowbum experience
pwat42 replied to ozsnowbum's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
20cms is generally my requirement unless there is a crust then i want 35+. I only really walk if i have to, much prefer the down. -
The gozaimaas experience
pwat42 replied to gozaimaas's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Myoko had a 50cm dump on monday a 20cm dump on wednesday, the week before that was pretty much snowy the whole week. There is snow coming tuesday/wed. It hasnt been that bad. It is not like Hokkaido is off the hook as well, I -
The gozaimaas experience
pwat42 replied to gozaimaas's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Gozaimaas in January 2012 Nozawa got over 7 meters of snow. The period of Feb i was there last year saw over 2 meters in 10 days. This season is not the norm. Imagine the runs you are hitting now with another meter of base. It doesnt get any better. -
The gozaimaas experience
pwat42 replied to gozaimaas's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Dont worry once the lower trees fill in the riding will be awesome. The best parts of the mountain are lower down which should be getting ready for the picking any time now. Nozawa is the best tree skiing in japan for me. -
The gozaimaas experience
pwat42 replied to gozaimaas's topic in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Yeah even a small avy could bury you very deeply there or bounce you off a few trees. No real safe spots either, exposed the whole way.