avalanche warnings

[john_g 0]

Does anybody know of any regular, well informed avalanche warnings in English or Japanese? Most of Europe, US and Canada seem to have detailed avalanche warnings for backcountry travellers but not Japan, or maybe I'm not looking in the right places.

Does anybody bother writing up pit data and posting it online? Not living right next to the mountains it makes it difficult to check on a regular basis. cheers

[Fattwins 0]

There are guys who do it and post stuff on some sites but not like NA or Europe.

 

I will take a course this year and I will put any of that info on here after the 14th of january.

[steeno 0]

do the resorts post anything in their report or do the patrols list anything? What is the governments stance on it?

[Plucky 0]

Up here in Northern Honshu most resorts rope off anyting that might be deemed dangerous anyway. Not sure how it is down south.

 

At Hakkoda they will post warnings but rarely close anything. At Hachimantai Forest, you are on your own. Unfortunately, I've never found any online information and I have tried. I know it exists in Japanese, but I just can't read it.

 

Sorry, that isn't much help.

[Ocean11 0]

Indeed, a quick search for 'nadare jouhou' (雪崩情報) on Google shows that there are search pages and mailing lists, but in Japanese.

 

This one looks the most 'perfessionul' http://www.nadare.gr.jp/

 

It might be worth asking SJ to think about some sort of tie-up with a site like this. Given the nature of the information, it should be easy enough to make automatic translations of the basic information needed, so that info can be shared between Japanese and foreign BCers. You'd only need a template of the information required and a J-E wordlist, and it could prolly be automated.

 

I'll email SJ about it...

[Fattwins 0]

I have seen patrolers at happo dig pits but where the info goes god only knows

[steeno 0]

...probably digging wind shelters for safety meetings.

[Fattwins 0]

dude had all the gear and more and was nadare checking

[stumpalama 0]

If you want to go backcountry in Japan, you had better be totally self reliant. Get all your friends to take an avalanche safety course, get beacons, shovels and radios... tell others who aren't going with you where you'll be. The Japanese are way behind the powercurve when it comes to back country rescue, much less avalanche awareness and safety. Follow this URL to find out how they handled one particular incident.

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/s103116.htm

Last year while I was in Hakuba over New Years, two people died on Happo-one while two of my friends were camping up there. They attempted to get a group together from the lodge at the top of the mountain, but they told them it was not their concern, this would be unheard of in areas such as Canada or Europe, they wouldn't even let my friend charge his cell phone without paying.

This is not an indictment, just a warning: Don't go out unprepared, if you take it out back country in Japan, you are doing so without a safety net.

Peace-

-Stump

[steeno 0]

if we took it down to a scientific level what are the geographic and weather factors like in the mountains of japan and how do they compare to other mountainous regions of the world?

 

For instance, is the water content high but the mountains void of most anchors so more climax slides likely. Or is the water content low and the mountain rocky and crumbly to the point where anything will slough? Are there natural slide paths formed into the peaks and ridges or is everything a volcanic cylinder?

 

simply knowing the terrain is the best place to start. anyone got any insight.

 

also, if one were to spend 4-5 days in Hokkaido are there any palces to check into to get the local flava/scoop?

[Siren 0]

For beginners it is better to join an organised tour. It costs a bit more but it is more fun, safer and you can make some friends and practise your Japanese.