peaker
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Posts posted by peaker
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Its kind of late
waiting for the snow and all.
With the weather the way it is we might get out this weekend.
As far as this thread goes, I realy think just talking about having a good time and keeping ourselves informed and talking abput what we are doing out there safety wise is only going to help everybody to feel more confident to ride better stuff in a better way.
I Want to ride bigger and better stuff this season but having a bit of feedback about not getting killed would be a real help to me.
Heres a story for those that are interested.
I actually got avalanched last season. This is what happened .
I was at a nice spot in Hokkaido. I rode some nice pow with my girlfriend all weekend. There were runs established but we spent most of the day riding powder out of bounds. We both had beacons ond rescue gear. On the second day of the weekend my girlfreind said she had an injury and didnt want to ride the next day. I actually wasnt too bummed! The first thing I thought was "rad I can ride all the cool shit Id been looking at". I stayed pretty close to the resort for a few runs and then I though "**** it this is the last run for the morning Im going for it" I traversed out along a ridge in sight of the resort and sized up the tiny cornice Id been planning to drop. On the way out I had a bit of trouble. My board dropped through deep snow and a small cave engulfed the tip and tail. I totally Ignored the strong wind Id encouterd on top op the ridge I didnt even think about the fact that Id ridden accross hard wind blown crud and now I was totally stuck under deep soft snow.
What I know now is that the little cave my board was stuck in was actually the underside of a wind slab. I extracted myself and traversed a little further. There I was! A small drop onto a pretty swwet looking run. A little air and then powder turns back onto the main run. I was right next to the resort, I was equipped with my beacon shovel and probe ( totally useless if you dont have a partner) and lunch was a few turns away. Stay tuned
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Originally posted by miteyak:
[QB]The other problems here are in the nature of the danger here in Japan. The conditions for avalanche are never far away, and day to day changes can be large.
, nothing comes close to knowing the weather, digging a pit, and assessing for yourself on the day.
very good points, this info could have just improved somebodys avalanche awareness.
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I had a good think about the potential hazards of this kind of thread before I floated the idea.
A few things that swayed me to think its worth doing.
*Like Mogski said a lot of us have no idea about Snow stability but the only way to get better is to make lots of observations and think about what you learn each time you go out. By communicating with others we are just increasing everyones knowledge.
* There are already heaps of posts on the board about going backcountry. (Backcountry includes out of bounds just near resorts.) Most of these just talk about the great pow ect. Surely putting up a post about how much fun it is riding pow BC without mentioning safety precautions taken is more dangerous than sharing with others what kind of steps you took to keep yourself and your friends safe.
In the few posts tha have gone up already there is a lot of usefull information for people g about riding BC
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I know its a bit early yet but Ive been wondering if anybody would be interested in getting a thread going to help keep up to date with BC snowpack conditions.
Living in a country where you cant read or speak the language too well makes it hard to get up to date info. I know that there is a report that goes out around the Niseko area but its all in Japanese.
What I had in mind was interested members posting their own observations.
For example if you go out BC you just put up a quick post saying
1 the area you went to
2 the day you went
3 weather conditions observed
4 Snowpack conditions observed ( eg recent avalanche activity, snow pit observations ect.)
5 Your assessment of snowpack stability and decisions made.
Hopefully this can help improve everyones knowlwdge and ability in the Backcountry. Of course its important to recognise that final decisions are always up to the individual and in no way should anybody ride in an area they arent sure about because somebody put up a post yesterday and said it was safe. Conditions can change in a matter of hours but discussing and sharing information can only serve to increase awareness of avalanche safety and provide a source of information that is difficult to find in English in Japan.
Anybody interested?
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Thanks for that link Nofakie. Very cool stuff indeed. Lots of inspiration there for the coming season.
Miteyak is spot on about this split thing being a snowboard. You definately shouldnt be thinking its for skiing. Serious telemark dudes will just laugh their asses of. "ski" mode is for going up only. The extra wide skins are supposed to provide pretty good traction.
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Yep I got your point there. Must admit I was lazy and coulnt be bothered to read the report thingy cause Im pretty confident that wearing a helmet to do dangerous stuff is a good idea.
You are however quite right that a helmet is not a magic force field. Same goes for all safety gear, Avalanche beacons for example dont repell avalanches. All this stuff is just a back up to protct you after bad decisions have already been made. I just go for the gear because Ive been known to stuff up on the odd occaission.
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I got one last month. The good old half price cause its last years model deal.
I'll let you all know how it goes.
I did a fair bit of snowshoeing last season and I can tell you having a board swinging off your back all day gets a bit annoying.
The splitboard is also a real plus if you have any ideas about doing multi day alpine touring with a board.
You can check out more about em at www.couloirmag.com
Very cool site that by the way.
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It seems pretty obvious to me why more people in helmets who are skiing or snowboarding get serious injuries (head or other). Those wearing helmets tend to be engaged in more high risk activities (thats why they bought a helmet!!!). Trying to establish the fact that the helmet caused the dangerous behaviour is a bit dodgy. In the majority of cases the helmet wearer surely recognised that they were going to engage in a potentially hazardous action and therefore purchased the appropriate safety gear.
I do agree with the idea that it should be a personal choice though.Telling yourself you wont wear a helmet because its dangerous is just nuts though. Then again Charles Darwin may have been onto something with his natural selection theory.
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I think they are a good idea. Its easier than you think to sustain a head injury. begginers are usually moving slower than experieced skiers and boarders so if you are a learner perhaps you can get away with not wearing one but you'll definately belt your head several times while learning. A helmet will make your learn to ride experience more enjoyable.
Dont underestimate the risk of being hit by another skier or boarder. Even though it is the responsibility of the uphill rider to avoid hitting you if you are a learner theres a better chance of getting collected.
Anyone whos riding at a higher level probably knows for themselves whether they need a brain bucket or not. I never board without mine.
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Brilliant idea!
Thanks a lot.
All that off topic blah blah blah was really starting to drive me up the wall.
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Im Doing the N.A.C adventure race on Sunday. Raft, Mtb and run.
Gotta do something when theres no snow!
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Actually Ill be in Niseko on saturday. How about the weekend after?
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A bit of space for the toes but not too much. Boots that are too small will result in major discomfort.
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I,ll come out for a beer if people are keen.
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Yep, I hear ya.
Just good a huge deal on a 2001 burton splitboard. Great buy but the hole in my wallet is still smoking.
Honest I didnt mean to buy it but they really tempt you with the discounts before the snow strarts falling.
Cant wait to try it out.
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First up Id just like to say Im not trying to be rude or upset anyone here but Id just like to suggest a bit more of a reshuffle of the forum.
I cant remember exactly when I registered on sjg but It was a while ago, Its great that the forum has attracted a lot of new users but I am mainly interested in accessing the site to participate in a winter sports discussion.
I've felt that the forum has been getting a litttle unfocussed for some time but since the recent upgrades and the forum being billed as a Winter sports , Japan talk ect. ect. discussion its a little hard to sort through. Its just gotten a bit out of hand. J pops , cars, dating, movies Bekam ect. ect ect.
I have no problem with all that stuff but would it be possible to divide the forum up a little more. Ive seen other sites that even have seperate forums for special interests eg a backcountry forum, pipe forum ect...
Is it just me or does anyone else think this would be a good idea.
(just opinions are cool, I dont need to be rated )
Thanks
PEAKER
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yeah, porn is cool.
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Dan,There are several Off piste areas in Niseko that are clearly marked on resort maps and are perfectly cool to ride in but If you are serious about getting off piste (out of the resort) in Niseko I'd recommend coming with the right gear (i.e. beacon, probe, shovel and snowshoes) and hiring a local guide. That way youll get real fresh lines instead of just following a herd under the rope next to the resort. Youll be fine with ski patrol if you are doing things properly but there are some definite no go areas due to high avalanche danger. Get a topograhic map ask around and plan your route beforehand. Dont just wander off looking for Pow with no idea where you are going.Anyway enjoy the snow. If its your first time to Niseko you wont be dissapointed.
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Yeah
totally agree with you there barok. Youd think people would understand. You cant board, you log onto skijapan and read about stinky cars and j pop, Flip out a bit , call everyone crap artists and cop a hard time. It doesnt seem fair at all.
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yo matt
havent posted on here for ages cause the place is overrun by crap artists. Ive been mountain biking my arse off up here in hokkaido. heaps of trails within an easy ride from central sapporo, come on up and check it out.
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Id say that is not really going to work. The resorts that do open early cater to the hardcore crowd. Im pretty sure that places like sapporo kokusai ect dont even offer lessons in november. Pipe , park ect. no chance in november mate.
Dont mean to bum you out but them thres the facts.
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You guys are right about digital being better but like I said before the first priority is not getting buried in the first place.
Dont forget about 20% of avalanche victims die instantly from trauma i.e hitting stuff as you slide along with the snow ect.
Its better to have a cheap transciever than no beacon at all so if price isnt a problem go for digital but if money is an issue just get what you can afford and spend the extra cash on avalanche training.
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Buying a super cool show off unit will cost heaps, upwards of 40,000 yen but a transceiver is only a back up to use after youve already screwed up big time so Id get something simpler.
I got an older model pieps opti four for 19,000 yen last year.
Still expensive but I paid a lot more for other equipment. Bindings ect. When you consider its something that could save your life it seems a bit cheaper.
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yo andy p.
Im suprised you remember akabira bro. I seem to recall you drinking enough to kill a rinocerous then almost getting disqaulified for riding without a condom. Thats what i remember anyway. Great day that. Hows it going anyway ?
As for Hokkaido powder, Id love to spill the beans but hey theres plenty of it up here, you can find your own.
Avalanche conditions/ Observation posts.
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
I'll finish the story but Ive got to go to work now.