telehugh
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Posts posted by telehugh
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Not a silly Q .... for alpine skis they are both the same - but for some tele bindings it does matter - there is a L & R binding.
As for the "only tune the inside edges" ... hmmm .... there is a time and place for only weighting the downhill ski but then there is the transition - I sure wouldn't want one edgy ski going one way and the blunt one the other.
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SJ mods ... yesterday the 6 day forecast for Myoko and Shiga had exceptionally cold temps forecasted 6 days out yesterday - but 5 day forecasts looked sane. From memory Akakura was forecasted at minus 23degC plus x windchill on Sunday - which I doubt.
If another odd one comes up I'll PM - the forecasts are great - thanks.
IMVHO minus 10 - 15 is cold but workable. More than than is not great skiing weather. Worked in minus 40 - not pleasant and requires lots of layers and down jackets.
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If you looked at the 6 day forecast on SJG then I suspect that there is a software bug somewhere. The last day on a couple of the forecasts I have looked yesterday and today look v. low and are significantly different from the Japan Meterological Office forecasts.
Maybe a mod could look into it
Hugh
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Bad, bad, bad .... what a way to go.
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I'd claim a one piece as reasonable provocation. And while we are on the subject of bizarre ski wear, what's with this season's look for male boarders in tight-fitting white, floral print one-pieces - I kid not there were at least two of them out this weekend
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It's the New Year holiday and the slopes are full of weekend warriors. Normal service will be resumed on Monday.
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Hope you had a good day at Myoko today - we've had light snow all day at Myoko and all lifts running. Base is getting built and pushing all the brush down so the tree skiing is getting better.
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An easy solution is "magic tape" - double sided velcro. Often sold in hardware shops in 1 or 2 m rolls.
Alternatively pretty much any ski shop I have ever been in (including in KR) has ski straps.
Good luck with the search
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The old style ones (glass chimney) are bomb-proof - mine are 8 years old and they just get dusted when I drag them out of the shed each autumn. The electric fan ones aren't - you get what you pay for and they don't last forever. Received wisdom around here is go for glass chimney heaters and electric oil filled radiators if you really need to keep one room warm - ohh and a kotatsu if you can actually relax sitting under a coffee table (which I can't)
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Spending serious money really realy isn't necessary when learning to ski. You don't "need" a gortex jacket - just something breathable and windproof. Snow isn't wet so why wear a waterproof? A lot of older ski jackets aren't waterproof and, guess what, a lot of the newer high-end soft shells arn't either.
Thermals are a must plus one or two fleeces. IMHO there is very little performance difference between different thermals / fleeces but there is a big difference in durability. So if it's just a two week holiday then get cheap fleeces and bin them if they are knackered. Wool / merino is superior and lasts forever - but costs. Good gloves, or even better mitts plus a thin inner glove are key plus a neck tube.
There is a huge amount a marketting BS around snow wear but you can keep it simple by remembering a couple of points - don't get wet (sweating), cotton is rotton and always wear layers.
Hope this might help save some cash for the beers
Hugh
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SerreChe
Thanks for the comment - yours and the "guru's" (vvvvvv dangerous to be a nominated guru.....)
The more I learn about any natural phenomena the less I know.
When I get the chance I'll do a literature search and see if anything comes up - I'd guess that we'd find a bunch of inconclusive datasets. Reckon we get funding to do a 3-year study on comparative thermal gardients - Lake Louise, Hakuba, Whistler? Always fancied a PhD in Snow Science
In the meantime I'll be talking to locals, (avoiding any self-styled gurus), digging some pits and doing the block dance
Hugh
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SerreChe
Temperature gradient - when I was first writing one of my replies I first wrote "maritime ..... less temperature gradient ..." but then realised that I didn't have anything to back this up. Intuitively I'd have thought that the temp grad in Japan snow pack's would typically be less (deeper snow pack, base at zero and surface not so different etc) but do we actually know if the typical JP gradient's are less?
And while I'm asking questions .... why are we taught that the ground is at zero and not colder?
Hugh
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Marine snow pack is denser and more cohesive - ie more stable but if it does slide typically more destructive. Whereas continental snowpack is drier, lighter and less well bonded.
While carrying the rubbish up the hill this morning (cold with good view of the mountains) I thought a little more about this ... other reasons why the Munter method may not be appropriate include the terrain - skiing in the alpine zone is normally the exception in Japan. Tree skiing is more normal particularly if there is a heavy snow fall when viz is bad so the snowpack is well anchored - conversely if you are skiing in a valley where there are no big trees then watch out - this is a slide zone. This plus the typically gentler slopes (we are often skiing volcanic mountains) makes Munter unproven and arguably uncalibrated / applicable.
I'll still be digging pits, jumping on blocks and playing in the trees
Hugh
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Local wind patterns are less predictable than in Europe, slopes are less steep and in most locations we are skiing on marine snow pack.
Personally I wouldn't use the Munter method in Europe or in Japan. I take a much simpler approach - watch the weather, talk to people more experienced than me, think about the route, dig a pit, maybe dig another pit, watch the terrain.
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Having a bit of extra wax isn't going to hurt or last more than the first couple of runs - but the circular pattern suggests that it wasn't scraped.
Waxing your own skis / boards is a mellow way to drink a beer and chat/dream about snow... but don't get the iron too hot, make the wax smoke or breath in the smokey (fluorochloride) fumes. A quick scrape is that all that is really needed unless your are racing when a super smooth surface and a buff makes a big difference.
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I had a great 3 days skiing in Souenkyo over Christmas 8 years ago - I'd been in Japan for 3 months, I had no idea what Hokkaido was like, had never even been in an onsen - the depth of powder on Daisetsu-san just blew my mind and converted me from a Japan skeptic to a .... well I'm not sure but I'm still enjoying being here.
The run all the way from the top is truly epic but I guess that it will need a couple of storms before it opens.
For a great road trip try Sapporo, Daisetsu / Souenkyo, Shiretoko. It can be vvvv cold, you'll meet few people, bad weather is just that but when you get good weather there is some immense skiing.
Roll on the winter storms
Hugh
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2 Man for each tyres and if it's your first pair you'll also need 4 hubs at around 1 Man each.
Gulp
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Mike
IMVHO that is not the whole story particularly for backcountry skiing in Japan where the snow is fluffy but is often not the lightest and the slopes are not the steepest .
My "normal" ski is a Rossignol B2 - which I have skied and toured with for the past couple of years in BC, JP & Alps. If it's steep enough / light enough then it's a go-anywhere ski but after moving back to JP last year and doing a fair bit of backcountry skiing in some of our favourite places (Hakkouda / Niseko / Myoko) I came to the view that more floatation is often needed - so demo-ed some fatter skis and had more fun. And now I have what I hope is great fat ski.
If you are only skiing the back-bowls of Niseko I'd probably agree that it's steep enough so that any "normal" ski will be more than enough - but I'm skiing this winter in Myoko which is not nearly as steep and where bogging-down can (and does) make things less fun.
Time will tell whether the Coomba is over-kill or a guaranteed way to make me smile! Which is what it's all about.
Hugh
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Today I just got the biggest, fattest Coombas in Japan - according to K2 Japan only Minami have them in stock and I've just got a pair. They are huge but light, more camber than I expected and initially stiff and theny they flex. Now just need some snow. Hmmmmm. Can't wait.
Shot tables - might be the way forward but need to find room.
Hugh
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driving w/o snow tyres makes you mad, bad and dangerous to know ... get the tyres changed.
Even in a 4WD on reg tyres you will slip-n-slide.
Hugh
PS I'm still in shock from today's quote from auto-bacs to replace my knackered snow tyres with new ones, Yulp.
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It could all be done using buses - but if your wallet stretches a car would make life easier and allow you to get into some of the more interesting corners more easily. You can easily pick up a rental car at any major JR rail station.
That all said, if you find somewhere that you like and the snow is good then staying put is also fun. In any of those 4 locations you could spend a month and still not discover all their secrets - or where the best powder stashes are.
IMHO Nozawa has the best lift accessed off-piste - doing laps at the top on a powder day is always fun, Myoko has the best back country and typically gets the deepest snow, Hakuba the biggest mountains and Shiga the biggest ski-area.
Hugh
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Myoko is worth visiting - so the "easy circuit" is Hakuba / Shiga / Nozawa / Myoko. There are loads of interesting places to visit near all of them - check out Togakushi (not the skiing but the shrines really in the forest), Manza Onsen (an AT trip from top of Shiga only in good weather), JUM Japan Ukiyoe Museum, Zao, Seki Onsen ....... loads to do
Hugh
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My simple answer is no - buying skis online in Japan seems to be a pain and, due to distribution agreements most overseas online stores can't ship to Japan. Plus shipping skis is not cheap.
ICI Sports do have an online ski webshop but selection is limited and focussed on JSA style skis - ie stiff carvers
Try emailing Tabata-san at The Bottom Line - (can be googled) - he is helpful
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Unfortunately looking for something new and shiny - my corner of rock skis is getting too large .....
What do you do with old skis - those that are beyong rock - pulk, bench, bonfire ?
Socks / Toasty feet
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
Comfy boots, comfy boots, comfy boots - sure way to have warm feet.
Unless you are racing I am a strong advocate of making sure that you feet are comfy - which in turn ensures good circulation and warm feet. Ill-fitting / tight / uncomfortable boots are a sure way to have a miserable time and unless your boots are super sloppy it's not going to make a huge difference to your skiing.
If you are renting boots it is worthwhile spending some time trying on different boots and if you're out for more than a week / year buying a good pair of boots at the end-of-season-sales and getting them professionally fitted makes a huge difference.
There is so much padding / insulation in modern ski boots that a thick sock doesn't make a huge difference to the warmth - but a tight boot makes a huge difference.
I've had a number of friends who have tried to tough it out with badly fitting boots - losing nails, frostnip etc and in every case when we've finally managed to persuade them to get their boots properly fitted it's transformed their hobby / holiday / enjoyment. Most extreme case involved multiple sessions with hot air guns to completely remold the toe joint area - a franken boot was born.
So to answer the question - thinish thermal socks and comfortable boots.
Hope this helps
Hugh