journey_man 0 Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 It took a while to happen, but here is a brief TR of my 2007 season in Japan. The pictures and their caption are not quite in the right place, but you get the idea. ============================================= Snow in Japan? “Surely not, don’t you mean the artificial ski slope they built”? One of the fun things I have found since my trip to Japan is how few people know that it snows in Japan, let alone has ski fields or mountains. It is amazing to think that it has the best powder in the world and almost nobody knows. Where to go? Typical Hokkaido snow – this is 20 minutes accumulation. You can see through the powder! Choosing where to go was a nightmare and I kept Uncle Google up late many nights trying to figure it out. There are there hundreds of ski fields and resorts, many of them are nothing more than a single chair up a small hill, most don’t have a website or if they do, it’s in Japanese. On top of this it is often impossible to figure out what ski fields are geographically close together. I eventually found the Snow Japan website and its associated forums which are devoted to trying to help with this problem. The forums I found the most useful and with the help of some of the forums denizens I decided to go to a ski area in Hokkaido called Niseko. Nice in Niseko! The snow in Hokkaido starts life as a frigid wind that sweeps across Siberia and then down across the Sea of Japan, where it sucks up a heap of moisture from the relatively warm water. Once it makes landfall it does what all self respecting clouds do and dumps big time. Being as the wind is still damn cold it makes for very cold and very dry snow. And Hokkaido gets most of it. Between January and March this is the prevailing wind… Basically it snows all the time. Perfect! Ski Beaver rips up a fresh line. Click for more crazy pow shots! A vid of some mellow powder in the middle of the Niseko Resort For the die hard Steep n Deep skiers Hokkaido is not the place to be, it definitely has the deep, but not so much of the steep. Now I quite like my steep (a la Fernie) so I was a little worried that I would get bored with Niseko. I needn’t have worried. The combination of lack of people skiing off piste, the quantity of new snow and the quality of the snow you could always find fresh lines of light fluffy powder. The funny thing is, the locals regard Niseko’s powder as being wet and heavy. I found this incredibly hard to believe, this was the lightest powder I’d ever skied. However, as I found out later, it was quite true. The snow further inland would hang in the air after you passed, much like smoke. Japanese English is soooo much fun. This sign has nothing to do with food or bad pop… Unfortunately for me, I’d done it again, I’d picked a less than ideal season. Hokkaido only got half it’s projected snow fall, they were looking at a record six metres of snow, well down on their usual 12. This meant that there were actually some dry weeks in the Jan to March period. If anyone even thinks the GW words, they’re going to get a slap. It’s not happening, I don’t want to know. I’ve got my head firmly buried in the snow. I should put this in perspective though. Because of the ticketing prices I was buying daily passes, so when the snow wasn’t exciting I stayed home. In spite of this I still got 50 days in, 45 of which were powder days. It’s all relative, compared with last year Japan had a bad year, but I did enough powder days to make me into a serious powder snob. The Sapporo Snow Festival was HUGE. There was 3 kilometres of snow and Ice Sculptures. You can see more pictures here and here. A side effect of having less snow meant that I did a lot more exploring off piste. In Niseko this is relatively safe, it’s not that steep so the risk of avalanches is usually low. Niseko Snow Patrol, like their Canadian counterparts, limit access to off piste areas when it is dangerous. Unfortunately, their decision processes aren’t as good, potentially exposing their punters to unexpected risk. This is one of the amazing contradictions that is Japan – a first world country and they almost don’t have Health and Safety or Liability Laws. Basically if something in Japan looks dangerous it probably is – it is up to you to stay safe. I liked it. I figured I’d better get some avalanche training. I’d got quite used to Niseko so when the snow stopped for a bunch of days I decided it was time to explore the “real” mountains of Hakuba, where they had real back country. To do this I had to go back through Sapporo, so I decided to time it with the Sapporo Snow festival. It is a massive festival, so much so that the only bed I could find was in the scungy HI/YHA in the centre of town – at least the location was good! The Snow Festival wasn’t immune from the unseasonable weather either. On the opening day many of the smaller sculptures had started to melt. The festival requires thousands of man hours to put together so it must have been heart breaking for the artists to see their creations dying before the festival even opened. Happy in Hakuba? Sapporo isn’t just about snow… Everyone knows that Japan is ridiculously expensive, it’s just one of those things. The thing is, everyone is wrong. Most prices are quite reasonable. Except for travel. To get to Hakuba I had to get 1000 kilometres to the south and across water. It was hellishly complex, unless one wanted to spend top dollar and even then you couldn’t call it simple. I’m sure the transport companies hire consultants to ensure that none of their services match up with that of any other company. Anti collusion you might say. I eventually stumbled upon another of Japans better kept secrets, a couple of cheap airlines, which helped. I eventually settled on one plane, two trains and a bus. Easy. Except I got hopelessly lost in Tokyo with 30 minutes to find my bus. More accurately I got lost in Shinjuku Station. Shinjuku Station is big, like really big. London’s “big” stations are pipsqueaks in comparison. Some kind soul had given me a map but it didn’t help a bit. Fortunately the Japanese are a kind race and an elderly gentleman of very limited English spotted my distress and offered to help. He eventually figured out the map and delivered me personally to the bus station and even stayed around to make sure the bus people got it right. In the end it all worked, albeit a little stressfully. My luggage on the other hand couldn’t have had it easier. In one of the contradictions I love about Japan, I delivered my luggage to the equivalent of an Off Licence/Diary/Corner Shop and for a measly $16 my luggage was whisked off to Hakuba via Japans brilliant Takkyubin service. It couldn’t have been easier. So when I dragged my bedraggled self through the door of the Hakuba Powder Lodge, there was my luggage looking fresh as a daisy to greet me. Hakuba certainly had real mountains. The main range tops out at around 3000m so it is plenty high. In the Hakuba area there are two main arms of ranges that radiate out from a central peak giving huge scope for great slopes and scary big lines. Because of this Hakuba boasts a number of easily accessed resorts. Here I discovered another of Japans idiosyncrasies – with all these fantastic slopes to choose from the Japanese had chosen – none. All the pistes were on ridge tops or on gentle slopes with most of the interesting stuff roped off. When the resorts were “designed” the overriding design criteria wasn’t what would be fun, but the management of avalanche risk – that is by avoiding the risk altogether. It made for some fairly dull pistes. This situation had a great upside though, hardly anyone skied the really awesome stuff. The back country was steep, deep and oh yeah, it slid regularly. Not for the faint hearted or the unprepared. Unprepared I certainly was, but fortunately not unaware. The picture doesn’t do this avalanche justice. It was big. Standing at the bottom was scary. The season here was even worse – they hadn’t had snow in ages and all the snow was hard and fast. Much like a good New Zealand season. I wasn’t happy. I’d turned into a fully fledged powder snob. My skis were of the attitude that they would ski hardpack if they had to, but they sure didn’t have to enjoy it. So my plan was to get myself trained up and to hit the back country. Once again things didn’t quite go to plan. The next course was a month away and the changeable weather ensured that there often was significant avalanche danger. I got myself some BC gear and managed a few trips, but the lack of snow ensured that the snow conditions were difficult to ski. One trip was through an avalanche prone area, although anything that could slide had slid and the weather over the previous few days had promoted stability – or so the experts told me. It was damn scary. The entry into the valley was nice, but the further we got down the more avalanche debris we saw – the biggest avalanche must have been 1000m long and had snow boulders the size of cars. The Finns I was with were unfazed by all the carnage and apparent danger. I guess it was all old hat to them – I just hoped they knew what they were doing. What I didn’t know is they had done their home work and Nick the lodge expert had recommended the route and briefed them on what it would be like. I eventually found an avalanche course that was starting soon. Even better it was back up in Hokkaido, where there was still plenty of snow. Kurodaki is the home of the best snow I’ve ever seen. It is one of Asahikawa’s backcountry paradises. Awesome in Asahikawa The avalanche course was based out of the inland city of Asahikawa. It is a fantastic place, it is city that hasn’t worked out how to attract tourists, yet boasts a number of nearby resorts and great, easily accessible, safe(ish) back country skiing. It also has the best powder in the world. The course itself was both exciting and sobering. Exciting because it would help me get access to a whole new skiing experience. Sobering because there are very real dangers, not just from avalanches. As part of the course I got to use touring bindings and skins – these amazing pieces of equipment completely change access to the backcountry. Without them (or snowshoes) you are often struggling through thigh deep snow and moving very slowly. With skis and skins you stay on top of the snow and can easily walk up quite steep slopes. It was a complete eye opener. I think my next season in the snow is going to involve a lot more backcountry touring. Hiking back up the back side of Kamui The course took in the back side of the Kamui Links Resort and also the lift less Furanodaki mountain. The snow was really great It is a funny thing, the snow industry is coming a full circle with increasing numbers of people subscribing to the “Earn Your Turns” theory ie you need to hike somewhere to find the really nice skiing. While you don’t get that many turns in, those you get are great and you don’t have to put up with hardpack powder or queues… Our grandparents would be stunned! The course was only two days, but seemed much longer – we all learnt so much, but now knew how little we really knew. After the course was finished it was time to put it all into practice. The course had catered mainly to the snow mad Asahikawa expat locals so it was no trouble to go to a different place every day and carve ourselves some truly fresh lines. I was only there for another week but I did as much quality skiing as I did in my first part of the season. Asahikawa could be the ideal place to live the snowy dream! And that was it. What a great way to finish the season! Link to post Share on other sites
kaiser soce 0 Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 Nice TR.... Some piccies missing? Link to post Share on other sites
kaiser soce 0 Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 Ahh just saw your edit....keep trying, I wanna see em! Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted August 5, 2007 Share Posted August 5, 2007 Thanks for sharing mate. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted August 6, 2007 Author Share Posted August 6, 2007 Ok, hopefully the pictures are fixed now. Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 They are indeed. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 good TR. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites
me jane 0 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Great, thanks. Made me laugh in some places. Love the avalanche control sign. Ten years in Japan and I think that's the worst translation I have ever seen! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 there's nothing wrong with a bit of Abba on the slopes. Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 actually there is so much wrong with abba on the slopes. the j-pop blasting out of the lift towers is bad enough... but imagine having 'waterloo' stuck in your head all day. that would be enough to make me want to ski into a tree. Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 I like the way "ABBA" was in capitals, just as it should be Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted August 7, 2007 Author Share Posted August 7, 2007 Least we forget... now I know why I hit all those Japanese trees! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 I actually saw Mama Mia twice when it played here. Maybe that should not be mentioned. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted August 7, 2007 Share Posted August 7, 2007 nice TR! Cant go wrong with an entire season up in Niseko mate. The snow festival is good fun too. Hope you had some of the delic Sapporo Ramen You think you'll do another season somewhere? Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 So is the ramen up in Hokkaido supposed to be the best? *Sounds like a new thread... Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 lovely miso soup base instead of the shoyu soupbase in Tokyo or the pork stock. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 There are so many different ramens in Japan. I have found that it is the cook not the place that makes the best ramen. Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted August 8, 2007 Author Share Posted August 8, 2007 The ramen rocked - especially the crab ramen at Hanazono! We skied Hanazono just to have lunch... I'd have to agree that the Miso ramens in Hokkaido were great - they were hard to find elsewhere. CB - It wasn't all Niseko! I'm considering coming back to Japan for another season. I'd like to get a "proper" setup and do lot more BC this time. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 You can get guide books for food in japan easy enough. So JM where to this time another go where the snow is trip? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Originally Posted By: BagOfCrisps So is the ramen up in Hokkaido supposed to be the best? *Sounds like a new thread... I love Sapporo ramen and was lucky my coworkers new some really good places, those hole-n-the-wall places youd just walk by or never notice...yummy! Sapporo, Hakata, Onomichi, Ashiya, Nagasaki Champon (bit off the mark but still), so many good places and as FT said,"There are so many different ramens in Japan. I have found that it is the cook not the place that makes the best ramen" is right on the money Id like a season in Nagano - so many resorts, so little time Link to post Share on other sites
skidaisuki 0 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Journey Man - a nice guide for the uninitiated, but.... "I’m sure the transport companies hire consultants to ensure that none of their services match up with that of any other company. Anti collusion you might say." ...can't agree with that AT ALL. Expensive domestic travel may be, but the system is second to none in terms of integration, in my view. Not sure where you got the opposite impression from. Or is Hokkaido another country? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 skidaisuki, have you forgotten the mayor of Neeeseeikko is Australian? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 Originally Posted By: Creek Boy skidaisuki, have you forgotten the mayor of Neeeseeikko is Australian? Jeeze, that is so untrue. You post it here and people will think it's gospel. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted August 8, 2007 Share Posted August 8, 2007 the gospel according to SJ...has a good ring to it Link to post Share on other sites
journey_man 0 Posted August 9, 2007 Author Share Posted August 9, 2007 Originally Posted By: skidaisuki Journey Man - a nice guide for the uninitiated, but.... Originally Posted By: Journey Man I’m sure the transport companies hire consultants to ensure that none of their services match up with that of any other company. Anti collusion you might say. ...can't agree with that AT ALL. Expensive domestic travel may be, but the system is second to none in terms of integration, in my view. Not sure where you got the opposite impression from. Or is Hokkaido another country? I'm no expert on Japanese transport, so I'll accept that normally it's easy. In this case I was trying to get from Sapporo to Hakuba without using any of the expensive travel options. I spent a bunch of hours trying to figure it out, gave up and went to a JTB where they spent another 4 hours trying to make it work. It was here that I found out about AirDo and SkyMark. I guess this is an unusual route. The cheapest by far would have been the ferry and regional trains - unfortunately due to an accident of timetables (hence my tongue in cheek anti-collusion ramblings) I would have had to stay a night in a hotel en route which wiped out any savings. Unless I went through Tokyo every other route (and there were lots hence it took ages to check out) came to a dead end price wise. It was very frustrating. It was the discovery of the AirMark flights that made the trip doable. Link to post Share on other sites
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