cayote

I climbed to the crater of Mt. Fuji 5 May, 2006. Camping overnight at about 2400m helped me to adjust to the altitude. I camped in a tent and was very comfortable, warm and well-fed. A Swede and two Germans I met on the bus built an igloo, climbed Fuji and snowboarded down. Whatever you do, don't try to go if the weather is not good, don't slip, and don't go unprepared. If you train by hiking with a loaded pack for a couple of weeks before climbing, you'll be much stronger on the big day.

Expensive, bad experiences can invoke a 'once bitten, twice shy response'. Early January in Hakuba was like biting into something rotten or kissing the wrong end of something. What's worse was lining up with crowds to get it. By 3, most people had had enough and left in cold silence with their heads down. I never want to see the arse-end of a skijo again. Instead, I've been training to carry a 14 kg pack on a multi-day, self-supported hike along the Tanzawa Range. Unusually early spring gardening chores are keeping me busy too.

How about Norway? Can declining snowfalls be a problem in Norway too? It sounds really expensive though. My own place suits me, a private chalet or a tent, considering my finances, it's a tent for the forseeable future. Waking up in a bomber tent after heavy overnight snowfalls, sitting in the doorway under cover of the vestibule, cooking a fresh b/f is just as good as waking up on a yacht off a Coral Sea island. Considering the Euro/Yen exchange rate, Japan is as cheap and cheerful as chips. Okay, sounds like you've got to go to the snow in Europe at least

Fighting was just a part of Aussie culture in my time there - bar fights, street fights, bashings - and much, much worse. Anyone for a few Bundy and Cokes and an AC/DC soundtrack to warm up ya blood? Anyone spent time in Sweden - it's worse there - bouncers on the door of most places on Saturday nights, including Macdonalds, and even that doesn't stop chair-swing, gang fighting. At least the ratings of the NHK NYE show were more than double the ratings of K1/Pride. If thoes guys in Hakuba had watched NHK instead of Pride, they might have burst out into a spontaneous song-a

EBC and Liza, sharing probably kept you warmer. Down in the valley, my -18C bag was fine, however, a Prolite 4 and RidgeRest weren't enough. I am consider an Exped Downmat 9, which has an R-value of 8!!! Does your bag become damp from water vapor from your body (not breath) condensing at low temperatures? I tried a WM VBL, which felt too clamy around my feet. I prefer a deep cover of clean snow instead of thin snow and patches of dirt, which seemed to feel colder. Inside the tent, spikes of frost grew overnight from my damp gloves.

A couple of days of trying to slide on ice, grass and dirt at Happo-One is proof that there's has to be more to winter than living on powder. I'll ride along the Hayama coast and enjoy the blue skies and seaviews.

Today might have been a day for a waterproof, breathable, hooded down jacket. http://marmot.com/products/product.php?cat=cloth&subcat=74&style_id=I5038 The women's version is keeping the wife warm in Niigata.

Brain Buckets! I've found them to be most comfortable too in cold condition, and I'd rather use my head to buy a helmet and wear it than using my head to smack something hard and fast or fend off a accidental collission with skis or a board. Don't worry - you can still pick up wearing a helmet. They might even become fashionable if enough teenagers have the sense to wear them.

Julbo Drus sunglasses are quite versatile because they have removable side guards and the fit is adjustable, so they can go from white-outs to blue-sky spring days without ever fogging up. http://www.julbousa.com/Products/Outdoor/Drus.htm Made in France

Wanting to go to Naeba again is like wanting to meet an ex-girlfriend you would have been better off not having met in the first place. The north face of the mountain is much better - go to Kagura instead.

http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/FAQ_IceAxe.htm Mountaineering and climbing for riding can lead people to choose different routes. The link above is for mountaineering. Seriously, you'll be sold the first time you use a good ice axe because standing on a slippery slope without an ice axe is just silly. I am 175 cm and my axe is a 65 cm Black Diamond Raven Pro. http://www.bdel.com/gear/raven_pro.php We feel in love when we climber Fuji san on May 5th - honey, I'll hold you forever and never give you up no matter what. The name axe is misl

For pro-performance gear that leaves you free not to a rats about making a fashion statement, consider Marmot: www.marmot.com

Does anyone know if there is a bus service currently operating from Tokyo to Fujisan Kawaguchiko 5th station? Details? Phone numbers?

My Grivel G10 wide crampons haven't been used in anger yet, partly because I am concerned about flex with SOFT snowboard boots or hiking boots. The G10s have a flex bar. Spud, how do the G10s perform with soft snowboard boots or flexible hiking boots? I am thinking about traverses on Fuji san.

Don't start really snowcamping - it can become an expensive, flakey obsession! Save yourself countless hours studying the physics of heat transfer and condensation and debating gear specifications and performance below -15 Celsius. Do you want to be in a tent at -18 C with roaring winds blasting spindrift through the mesh of narrow vents in the middle of the night all by your lonesome? You could be in a hostel, sitting around the fireplace with pleasant company watching a video. Wanna sleep in a VBL? The good news is the technology is constantly taking steps forward.