torihada
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Posts posted by torihada
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I'll remember the tip about the Ropeway when I'm there in the first week of January (when it'll be just little bit busy). Good to hear about some investment (and therefore optimism).
A question for ILove Zao; any other recommendations/insider tips for first time visitors? (2 rusty old boarders and two very young skiers)
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I had one of my best Christmas dinners at a small ski hill in Akita; fresh snow, blue skies, with the kids, eating bowls of delicious 600yen ramen looking at the deserted slopes. Ahhhh drool.
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Originally Posted By: TubbyBeaverinhoOriginally Posted By: torihadaOriginally Posted By: GaryIt's basically an anti-competetive practice designed to prevent prices from being driven down and it really should be outlawed.
Thankfully its been outlawed in Europe.
no its not. I've looked at the BA site for the same flight and it shows the same shit.....price (-tax etc) then press a button and its more than the advertisted price
Mmmm I think you're right about Europe but not the UK.
I wonder if this because you're accessing the site from outside the UK and therefore its (BA) not subject to OFT rules?
"The OFT is empowered by the Enterprise Act 2002 to obtain court orders against traders that breach a range of consumer legislation including laws on misleading advertising and misleading pricing.
A DTI Code of Practice for Traders on Price Indications states that when advertising holiday and travel prices, any non-optional extra charges which are for fixed amounts should be included in the basic price and not shown as additions, unless they are only payable by some consumers. Contravention of the Code does not of itself give rise to any civil or criminal liability but evidence of breaches of the Code can be used to support a prosecution for the offence of giving a misleading price indication, contrary to the Consumer Protection Act 1987." -
Originally Posted By: GaryIt's basically an anti-competetive practice designed to prevent prices from being driven down and it really should be outlawed.
Thankfully its been outlawed in Europe. Lets not get started on debit card charges, baggage charges,booking fees,use of toilet etc from the budget airlines........
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Originally Posted By: Mr WigglesI've just got a message from BA about a flights sale. Only 50,000 yen to Europe! But you have to book within two weeks!
A click to their site shows taxes and fees are 75,000 extra
And that was for the bleakdom of mid November in the UK.
It drives me nuts when headline ticket prices don't include taxes! Who on earth doesn't pay airport taxes? Bargain ticket for 50,000 Y and only 150% extra for taxes. But then again who can't resist lovely, dank England in November, and it will only cost you £1,000 to visit. -
Originally Posted By: grungy-gonadsOriginally Posted By: torihadaGotta remember the real reason we're off to Jpn is to visit family.
In that case, it's sorted then, no?
Yes. Bought tickets last night. Thank you Airmiles (which are due to disappear in Nov).
Originally Posted By: Mr WigglesWhoops, wrong thread for that last post. But yeah, you get ripped for flights bought in Japan (580 on Virgin is but a dream) and a Fit is quite a big car. Luggage space is only 40 litres short of a Legacy estate, a car that will be a few rental ranks higher.As for the pound, it might be time to buy some (!) With all the oldies and the debt, the future for Japan doesn't look too good, but every fall in the yen helps the exporters. Perhaps if there is a world recession coming and folks have less money for Japanese goods even at lower prices, the yen will fall and then keep falling.
Taken your advice and am going through the car choice carefully (have already knocked 30man off the price).
Can the Yen get any stronger? The pound weaker? I've spent all my spare cash on air tickets, I'm going to have to take my chances on the roller coaster ride of currency fluctuation. My boss keeps recounting the heady days of Y1000 to the GB£, but he could only afford to fly aeroflot.
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Originally Posted By: SKIOriginally Posted By: torihadaNope.
'Nope' what exactly?
Appi isn't popular? Well, it is, and so it must have something for some people. Maybe not you.
And Shizukuishi is indeed fairly nearby.
I was sort of agreeing with Soub, but you're right, my answer is not clear.
Reading back I appear to be overly critical of Appi. As I cram all my boarding into my Japan visit approximately every 3 years I'm a bit desperate to explore other hills. First visit to Appi with fresh powder (staying in resort for 4 days) I loved it. 3 years ago, again staying in resort for 4 days and no fresh snow the whole family felt they'd had enough by the end. I feel we've exhausted Appi. If the inlaws lived closer I'd be there every day.
In Appi's favour: their ski school is very good. I think the restaurants are also good, lifts are efficient, kids room friendly and reasonable price.The Apartments are fantastic value and well equiped & clean.
This long explanation is because in these tough times for Tohoku I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from visiting what is a very good resort.
I may well give Shizukuishi a look over. -
Originally Posted By: Mr WigglesTorihada
Your flights would be I guess 110,000 each if bought at this end. 2300 quid for four is a big saving over that. Were you to fly in summer, I guess the UK cost would be the same but the cost of Japan to Europe semi-direct in July onwards is 130,000 plus.
If you're using an exterior ski rack, you could size down on your car to save money. You can get a lot of gear into a Fit/Jazz, almost as much as an estate.
It mightn't be so good for families, but how about Hakkoda? Can't be that far from you.
Weird. I think this reply was to another thread? I'm not too stressed about the flights. Someone told me today that Virgin were doing flights for approx £580 (prob ends early Dec). Flight prices from UK to Jpn are surprisingly low.
I am thinking about trying to get a smaller car and take less luggage (though 2 snowboards two sets of skiis and gear to go with that is quite a bit). I have thought about Hakkoda (I like the idea of losing the family in a snow storm) but I think I'm going to look in at Zao,swallow the accomodation costs & enjoy the onsen.
Gotta remember the real reason we're off to Jpn is to visit family.
Originally Posted By: 2pints,mateWe only had a fairly small car and it was plenty but that was for two of us. No need to go overboard on the size there.
First time I hired a car in Japan I booked a teeny car and got a lucky upgrade to an MPV. Last time an estate, which even with a rack we filled . Moral of the story: less clothes. -
Nope. Appi is boring, well it is after 4 days with no fresh snow. It was great when my kids were learning (and so was I) but motorway wide pistes that flatten out for the last third of the mountain soon lose your attention.
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Bit of hyperbole from me there; figures are a bit skewed as I'll use airmiles. With airmiles (equates to getting one ticket free) it'll be approx GB£ 1,600. (Lufthansa would do me 4 tickets for £2300) My three week car hire with Tocoo approx Y220,000 (incl snow tyres, ski rack)= GBP £1720.
6 years ago my car hire for the same period was nearly the same price in Yen but cost me approx. GB£900. Ahhh the joys of currency fluctuation.
Car hire is still the cheapest option when you're visiting Tokyo, Ota & Akita.
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though after a summer days hard hiking in the mountains, soaking in a roten furo that night is very relaxing.
In winter onsen also serve the purpose of reheating you, especially if you're staying in an old draughty house, where you have to scrape the ice off the inside of the windows in the morning.
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Originally Posted By: Metabo Oyaji
What does your wife think?
I think she's be happy to go to the Alps. Actually over dinner tonight the kids decided that the onsen will more enjoyable in winter than summer.
When I look at all the fringe benefits in Japan, boarding in the Alps just doesn't come close. -
Originally Posted By: joshniiXmas is never guaranteed unfortunately.
Is it at your alternative?
Staying at 2000 m in French Alps there's more likelihood. But as you say no guarantee.
Originally Posted By: grungy-gonadsQuote:Convince me to spend Xmas boarding in Japan?
Japanese females.
Combine boarding with grounds for divorce? Mmmmmm.
Also I'm very happy with my current 'Japanese female' thank you.
Originally Posted By: mina2What was the name of your local resort torihada?
I'd come. And go to Europe too.
But even if you get unlucky with a late start, think of all the other +++ of Japan. Go on you know you want to!
Tazawako is the nearest large resort. There's an even closer run with just 2 lifts (can see it from my father-in-laws house) which is great for niighta runs.But that never opened on my last visit.
Its the other +++ things of Japan that'll swing it, its just so long since I've visited in Summer. Sweating to death in Japanese summer,what's there not to like?
Originally Posted By: BagOfCrispsZao is a fine place, I'd definitely consider it.
But wherever you go other than family you'll have the accommodation problem, right?
Yeah I'm prepared to pay for a few nights accommodation somewhere (my idea is to head to Zao for 4 nights). I also would like to offer some support to northern Tohoku in these hard times.
Originally Posted By: grillerHows the exchange rate compared with last time then torihada?
Moderately worse than last time when I was getting Y140 = £1, now its under Y130. Ahhhh the heady days of Y220 to the GB£. Then again my first visit in 95 I was getting Y130. I think these Yen rates are going to be pretty static for the next few years. So winter or summer I'm going to get it in the wallet. The four airfare tickets will be less than three weeks car hire.
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Can you convince me to come to Japan this Dec/Jan? This rather ponderous post is because I really can't make up my mind.
Nearly 3 years since my last visit (to Japan & this site) in which I combine visit to inlaws in Akita with family skiing/boarding in Akita/Iwate.
On the cusp of buying airline tickets for Dec/Jan, 3 week visit but struck by alternative;
Drive to French Alps (I'm in the UK) for one week of Alpine boarding & skiing this Xmas and spend next summer holiday in Japan.Mmmmmmmmmmmm
Reasons against Japan snow: last 2 trips I've been caught out with very poor snow (local Akita resorts brownfield until last week of Dec). Local (20 mins away) never opened last time & lovely little resort with lovely steep runs has closed.
Visiting Nagano/Niigata too expensive; eg I'll have to pay for accomodation for 4, same with Hokkaido (apart from distance to drive). Though in Appi Kogen we rented studio appartment (sleeps 4) for about Y56k for 4 nights. I fancy 4/5 days in Zao, but again accomodation is $$$$$$.
I'm bored of Iwate (Appi Kogen) & Tazawako & other sites local to Daisen Shi.
For: Onsen. Roten furo in snow. Ahhhhhh. Japanaese winter food mmmmmm. The possibility of big dumps of powder. Any other suggestions? Should I come or should I stay?
Thanks in advance.
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You don't want to wear a helmet, be it on your own head. But do not attempt any bogus arguments to back up your reason for not wearing one. There aren't any. Because of this sad & high profile story today my kids made the connection on why I make them wear a helmet when they cycle and ski. Anyone making spurious arguments against wearing a helmet are encouraging people not to wear a helmet and that is downright irresponsible. Don't wear a helmet, its your choice; but don't bragg about it.
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UK£2200. Phew! I assume you're a PRO at that price. Thought it'd be around the 1.5 k mark but that's pretty impressive. My set up was around £350 and for the moment it'll do. HD prices will come down in the future and I'll consider upgrading if I can get a unit for around the 500 mark.
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Originally Posted By: MattausHi folks.
4 hours later we found out he had a grade 3 AC joint rupture. He now has 6 months in a sling and up to another 6 months of rehab after that.
I know what your mate's going through. I had a grade III AC shoulder seperation last year. I didn't go for surgery. 12 weeks later I was back on the bike. I now have a funny lumpy shoulder. Physio said imobilise for at least 4 weeks, which I did in a sling. Re-hab? Shoulder strengthening exercises as you lose over head lifting strength. I think my shoulder was already partially re-habilitated as I think I'd already previously snapped a couple of shoulder ligaments snowboarding. Still when they told me what I'd done I had to lie down. -
Originally Posted By: gareth_oauTorihada, hehe, I mountain bike with a friend who fell off and ended up with exactly the same injury, and resulting 'tent' on his shoulder - he's also decided to live with it.
He is also living with his wife, who has put her thumb down and decided he's no longer allowed to ride!!
One of the guys I ride with got into trouble with his wife when she saw our headcam footage on youtube; 'oh you think you're better than the rest of them, you haven't got any knee pads, arm pads etc etc' He promptly bought said protection, left pads in car, went for ride, had a crash and hobbled home with injured knee. His wife still thinks he was wearing his pads. Sometimes they do know better. -
Originally Posted By: gerOriginally Posted By: gareth_oauah Thursday, I didnt say that it was permanent, but it has lost a bit of its flex and movement these days, but no biggie.
I think Thursday was talking about Torihada, with his permanently seperates shoulder. That might be enough to qualify for handicapped parking.
I've got a Grade III shoulder seperation (acromioclavicular separation or AC separation): this means that all the tendons joining my collarbone to my shoulder joint are snapped, so my collarbone now 'tents' the skin above my left shoulder. So I have a large round bump on my lefthand shoulder. I didn't have it operated on as the procedure was to saw off the end of your clavicle and nail/screw tendons back into place. Reasons for not doing this is the certaintity of getting athritis. My shoulder muscles should build up over time to compensate for the loss of over head lifting strength (when I manual I still pull the bike to the right). For anyone who's interested here's some headcam footage of the crashyou can ffwd to 4 mins for the interesting bit.
In a couple of weeks I'm off for a weekend of uplift & DH fun; just bought some rigid knee/shin gaurds, elbow/forearm guards, freeride gloves and a full face lid. Undoubtedly I'll scare myself sh*tless, have an enormous grin from ear to ear and hopefully be able to walk away. If you're not crashing you're not pushing yourself.
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Was 38 when I learnt to snowboard (bypassed that skiing lark) 5 years ago. Now have seriously got into mountainbiking in the last 18 months (spent last 25yrs cycling on the road), so far smashed me knees twice and seperated my left shoulder permanently. I'm going out fighting, broken and battered with a big grin.
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Originally Posted By: MamabearI was quite shocked to hear the chat on UK TV the past couple of weeks in the lead up to Davos, talking about the potential for Britian to follow the Icelandic disaster and end up totally bankrupt as a nation!
Are they talking the world into a deeper hole than need be, or is it really on that steep a slope to damnation?
Population of Iceland approx 330,000, UK 60 million. The debts of its banks are around six times its annual gross domestic product of $20 billion. (UK GDP $2.7 trillion) - 2007 estimates. Interest rates are now at 18% in Iceland and currency has devalued by 70%.* There is talk about Iceland being fast tracked into the Eurozone. God help us if we end up in as bad a hole as Iceland.
*source: Wikipedia -
I have two young kids; if they have a question I try to answer it truthfully and without embarrassment, it'll save them a lot of issues later in life.
The trouble is, intolerance and prejudice is learnt and passed on from generation to generation; I think more upsetting to a child is not a man in a skirt but seeing a parent upset & annoyed.
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Someone told me they paid 7 euros for a hot chocolate at a mountain cafe at a French resort over the New Year. He only got 95 cents to the pound. So over £7 for a hot drink = 820 Yen at todays tourist rates. European mountain cafe prices were always ridiculous, now they're just unaffordable for Brits. At least if we'd joined the Euro we'd be able to take some comfort in taking the rest of Europe down with us
I always used to think winter sports were for the rich (hence my late conversion) and I think its returning to that state of affairs. The UK will be full of homegrown holiday makers next summer.
Someone before mentioned about being their job being recession proof; I was talking to a young part time worker at work today who works full time else where. She said this recession was pretty exciting
'well when you've got nothing to lose it's pretty exciting'.(She's just out of college and can nip home to ma and pa if things go tits up - try telling a blue collar worker who's just been sacked its exciting). She seems to think that her full time job is recession proof - it's Gov funded. I pointed out that with declining tax revenue and the UK's massive debt due to bailing out the banks cuts in Gov funding are likely. She didn't seem phased, but then again she doesn't have a family to support, a mortgage to pay, the prospect of unemployment crippling her career. She thinks now might may be a good time to buy a house......I told her to wait a year.(they'll be giving them away by then). -
Originally Posted By: Fang
I'm tossing up between a Protec and Giro, the shop near my place doesn't have either in my size so haven't been able to try them on, have to get to Ochanomizu soon. How would you rate the Protec generally?
My head is still in one piece after numerous crunches. It has adjustable vents which is good and ear pieces that are removeable.
The new ropeway at Zao
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
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I will have a car but am intending to spend about 3 days in resort; knowing my luck probably enjoying the rain & grass skiing.