Kingofmyrrh
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Posts posted by Kingofmyrrh
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I want to go to Tateyama. Wish my blister would get better.
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If you're referring to my flight, it most certainly was, but the snow was premiere corn.
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Originally Posted By: tsondaboyHere is King hitting a kicker.
EPIC
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Sleek...?
Since a splitboard is a wannabe ski, why on earth would I do something insane like that!
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I would probably stick with the gotes for the time being, they're not super heavy or anything and I quite like their shorter length specifically for picking my way through obstacle courses, and I'm just really comfortable on them in general, but I am 100% ready to swap the dukes and alpine boots for something a little sleeker, to say the least...
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You could rephrase that to 2.5hrs to do 800m, as the first hour was so painfully slow... we were slipping around and I was a bit worried!
I'm not that keen to hike Fuji outside of spring... I know it's unlikely to slide, but are there any safe zones on the other side? When I hiked it it was just basically one vast face. Also it would be a real slog to break trail in fresh snow, and the weather would be most unpleasant unless we got another sweet day like this time, although certainly not impossible.
That webcam is Tateyama. I think I want to take things in that direction going forward, although it would take a lot of planning. Kagura was totally sweet on Saturday but I would normally prefer it as a light powder hike, I think spring may call for bigger things in the future. Am just checking out a great TR on Yarigatake (the one in Kamikochi, not the one next to Shirouma).
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Cool. I actually quite liked our route as we basically walked up the area we were going to ski so it was easy to check conditions. But it was probably one of the steeper approaches.
Can you believe it, I do Fuji twice without any problem and then I get a blister on my heel doing a light jaunt at Kagura!?! I knew something felt a little sore but I never dreamed that the skin had actually ripped... hope it sorts itself out quickly!
I was looking around for webcams... wonder how long this will last (taken now, may update itself every hour):
Looks yummy.
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Originally Posted By: tsondaboyWe plan to try once more with the first snow in November.
I am getting used more and more to skin up so by then I hope it wont be a problem.
It took us 3.5 hours to skin up to about 3200 m from 5th station (2300 m), I am not sure how more it took the guys to reach the top from there, but from the communication we had I would say another 2.5-3 hours.
Oh my god am I featured in this "we"? It's going to be a while before I feel like taking on that mountain again, at least with my current setup. Since I realised that I do enjoy the big hike I think I might shift the dukes to the brockers and then get dynafits for this kind of thing next year.
I think it took us roughly seven hours to get to the top, largely because my pace slowed quite a lot towards the end. -
14-ML-15587-ML-
This topic has been moved to the Trip Reports section of the Forums.
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After a failure to summit on a previous solo effort (http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/268304#Post268304), I was determined to get to the top this time. To this end I recruited Dan and Tsondaboy as my companions for the second attempt. We also planned out a new route that would not involve the unnecessary 1,000m bonus vertical climb that I had taken on last time.
Previous failed route
New improved route
We decided to leave the evening before in order to make as early a start as possible. Driving through Tokyo in the early evening was a pleasure, with Omotesando providing ample opportunities to view girls sporting the latest spring fashions. Sadly I was messing around with my camera and only ended up getting some random blurry shots.
We hit the access road early and were ready to hike shortly after six. On the approach I took a fancy to the S-shaped gully on looker's left. I imagined it as a giant halfpipe but needless to say my sense of scale was completely out of whack with it being much larger when we finally got there.
Peeping out of the forest
From the trailhead:
Traversing across we soon got to skinning, the icy surface providing some initial diffiulties before the morning sun did its good work. Knowing that Dan is a skinning and bootpacking machine, whenever we took a brief break I made sure to get going again a couple of minutes ahead of the others to give myself a little breathing room. I knew that I would be overtaken before long but it was a pretty good strategy for me to feel that I wasn't holding him up too badly. It was only Tsondaboy's second attempt at skinning (on a splitboard) but there was no hesitation in acknowledging that it was far superior to using snowshoes.
Start of the journey
Dan on my tail
I'm overtaken already...
Splitboard action
Just above 3,000m we began to encounter more icy conditions with some tiresome switchbacking across a chute bordered by rocky ridges. At this point we decided to switch to bootpacking. Tsondaboy didn't fancy his chances of an enjoyable descent after lugging his board around on his back, and decided to head down. I guess skis do rule after all.
Dan and I pressed on. I was a little unprepared for how tiring bootpacking would prove to be at elevation, to say the least. For the first hundred metres or so, it felt like my skis were being pulled towards the centre of the earth (well obviously they were thanks to our friend gravity, but you know what I mean), and I found myself scrambling on hands and knees more than a couple of times despite the relatively gentle gradient.
Clouds close on our tails
As the gradient began to gradually increase and the ice crust slickened, Dan attempted to buoy my spirits by informing me that the horizon ahead of us was the summit. I knew that this was not true, and he admitted that he had just been trying to encourage me later on, but I appreciated the gesture. There was no thought in my mind of turning around, but it's always nice to feel that you are actually getting close to the goal! At this point I was happy to be able to switch to boot crampons. The previous day I had wondered whether I really need buy them or if in fact I was just being a needless gear whore, but they turned out to be an excellent purchase. At points the ice became so sheer that I had to break trail for Dan (who had no crampons), although to be honest I'm not sure that the sparrow-like imprints left by my unsteady steps really provided much in the way of assistance. Anyway, we pressed on for the gap in the rock band that would be our next rest point.
So far...
Keep going!
Almost there
Upon arrival I was stunned to find out that we had both been wrong - it had in fact been the summit crater. I was pretty relieved as the almost 3,800m altitude was definitely starting to have an effect on my sea-level body, each step proving to be a serious effort. The last stretch had been much, much harder than aniticipated, but that just made the arrival all the more satisfying. Dan, fresh from a few weeks at altitude in Hakuba, didn't seem particularly bothered by the height and provided a further nice surprise by pulling out a summit beer.
Made it!
Cheers!
Beer on altitude sickness... not as tasty as it should have been...
As I really wasn't feeling so great we decided to head down sooner rather than later. It was amazing how quickly my vigour returned within a couple of minutes of starting the descent as we lost hard-earned altitude. The snow at the top was extremely icy and riding over the wind formations felt like taking a ride down a dirt road in a car with no suspension. Soon enough though things softened up with occasional pockets of wind-packed powder on the upper stretches and consistent perfect corn down below. The clouds that had been trailing us up the mountain had cleared as we summited, allowing continuous views of the distant Japan Alps as we descended. Submerged rocks provided a custom slalom course as we neared the end of the line, but serious damage was avoided.
Launch Dan!
Launch KOM!
Doing what we came to do, with views of the Japan Alps!
When we got to the bottom, we realised we had been making a huge mistake all along. Some people never learn.
Although it isn't the toughest mountain in the world it was big achievement for me and I felt great all the way home. Dan's energy finally ran out and he was quieter than me for once! Thanks guys for a great trip!
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Where will they be published? Congratulations mate.
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let us not forget "cagoule"
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From Nikkei:
Orix To Sell Ski Gear Unit To Chinese Firm For Just Y2
TOKYO (Nikkei)--Orix Corp. (8591) has decided to sell wholly owned skiwear manufacturer Phenix Co. to China Dongxiang (Group) Co. for only 2 yen.
Orix supported Phenix's rehabilitation efforts over the last few years as the backer designated by the old Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan. But with skiing on the decline in the Japanese market, Orix has concluded that Phenix will be impossible to rebuild while that unit is focused on Japan. So it has decided to let the Chinese firm take Phenix over virtually free of charge.
Orix paid 983 million yen when it bought Phenix's debts from the IRCJ in 2005.
Orix and China Dongxiang agreed Friday that the Chinese sporting goods group will acquire a 91% stake in Phenix. China Dongxiang assessed the value of the stake and that of Phenix's debt at 1 yen each.
Phenix, Japan's top producer and retailer of skiwear, sells the Italian sportswear brand Kappa here. China Dongxiang owns rights to the Kappa brand in China and Macau. After the acquisition, China Dongxiang will tap Phenix's product development expertise to beef up the Phenix brand's production for the Chinese market.
(The Nikkei Saturday morning edition)
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Looks magic, really does.
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Originally Posted By: Fattwins
Okemo and I !!!
Nice shot from Chuckles!
True Bromance! -
You're sleeping in the woodshed!
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Yeah sure. I sent all my stuff up there and told FT we need beds so we are ready to go!
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Nice panorama shot, good to see your TRs back on SJ!
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Tsonda, I have a colleague (female, no, not like that) who is interested in joining us at Fuji next week. She is a strong skier (I'm quite sure better than me) and has some backcountry experience (relatively limited). She's not exactly the weak type and I am sure she could manage the route we are thinking of. How would you feel about her coming along? I haven't mentioned it to her yet so refusal is fine.
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But you know he can get there cheaper than other people living in Toyama through some weird hook up or other.
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He has discount vouchers and hook ups for everything anyway
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10 thou just for one lift ride in the ropeway? That's nuts... but let's face it, I'm gonna do it anyway...
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Really? Well maybe I should just charge ahead then. Lately I've been reviewing quite a lot of Toque's old reports. I figure I'm going to climb them anyway so why not do it with skis on me? Just got to find the easier lines to start with, some of the stuff he did is clearly a little beyond my limits...
Did you see that Google Maps now has a topo map option? Not as good for detailed stuff but really pretty sweet considering it's free.
Skiing after the 6th of May
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
Nice pic Tson.
Kuma I have been glaring at my maps lately, kind of fancy a 2-3 day trip, maybe hiking out towards Tsurugi from the start then working back to Murodo via Onanji. But with this blister I can't even walk to work it's ridiculous!