muikabochi 208 Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 This morning we headed south into Gunma and ended up in the Oze and eventually in the Minakami area of the -ken. The forecast was for sun and it was sunny with a lot of cloud in the town areas but cloudy around the mountains. Tanigawadake is the impressive mountain bordering Gunma (Minakami town) and Niigata Prefecuture (Yuzawa town). A bit further on from the Ropeway that goes up to the diddy ski-jo up there, there are a few viewing points the best one being Ichinokurasawa. Popular with climbers (and also a face that has taken a fair few lives), it is an imposing sight. Unfortunately it was fairly dull for the most part of the time we were there with some fog-like clouds hovering around the top. Still looked good though. Definitely worth a look if you are in that area. Anyway here's a few photos I salvaged. I intend to go back there when the weather is better, bet it is really beautiful in autumn. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 ahh....bring back memories not at all good. Ichinokurasawa is someimtes callled suicide course.....must have been 11 year ago since my friend and I got stuck on there. Not nice at all. Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Didn't you know that before you went stemik? How did you get unstuck? It is a cracking area for views. I do some hiking myself at times, but would not tackle somewhere like that. Did you see the little cemetery like place on the way up to the Ropeway. Tanigawadake has taken quite a few lives. Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Looks very moody. (If I get to the very top of Tanigawadake can I see over to Niigata?) Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 Wow stemik serious stuff. Forgot to mention saw 2 guys starting to walk up there with snowboards. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 The little of white patches that is left there looks like it is good and icey - the guys hiking up with snowboards would not be in for a fun time coming back down the little ice blocks there would they? Surely that can not be a safe thing to be doing at this time of year? Surrounded by gnarly rocks and big falls? Link to post Share on other sites
.co.jp 0 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I think I'd rather be enjoying the view looking up at it! Link to post Share on other sites
TheOriginalMyoko 0 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Do tell more stemik! Love that mountain. Link to post Share on other sites
gnarly-dude 1 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Tanigawadake is definitely one of the more gnarly mountains in Japan. Link to post Share on other sites
Hotaka Scott 0 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Interested in hearing stemik's story as well - if he doesn't mind shraring. Like that first picture the best muikabochi Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Nice moody pics. So how far away is that from where you are muika? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 9, 2009 Author Share Posted June 9, 2009 My house > Shiozawa Ishiuchi IC = 10 minutes Shiozawa Ishiuchi IC > Minakami IC = 25-30 minutes Minakami IC > Tanigawadake = 20 minutes So about an hour I reckon. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 It was 11 years ago, so hopefully i can remember everthing. i was younger, braver and a lot more foolish. I was working for Hitachi at that time, one of my Japanese collegaues and I decided to seek some adventure in the Minakami area. I think first day was rafting and MTBing...on the Mtbing we found the (forest) road at the bottom of the Tanigawa-dake. So we new that if we climbed down the side we can hit the track and carry on back to the carpark base area. We set off in the morning and took the road up to the ski area. We could have taken the ropeway but as i said we were foolish. I guess the hike from the ski area to the top took about 2-3 hours. we then traversed across the mountain top and came to the top of Ichnokuraswa, thinking that this was the course down the hill (i dont remember seeing any signs that it wasnt)we started scrambling down..and i mean scrambling, kind of like jumping on one small tree to another, after about 45 minutes the track became worse..and there was snow cover in the gullies. Time was pushing on now probably after 3pm - we had no ropes, no more food, hell we had shorts on! We had to make a decision to either turn back and sleep on the mountain or to continue....I wanted to continue down and take our chances but my friend wanted to turn back....my wife was pregnant at that time and my friend said "Do you want to see your baby?"...that did it we turned back. 45 mins down took about 2-3 hours climbing trees,bushes rock faces! We arrived back on the mountain bloody, cold and hungry in the evening dusk. No way we could get down that night.. We went to one of the mountain huts and had a cold night there in the darkness. At dawn we climbed back down the mountain and drove back to Tokyo. Neither of us spoke on the way home. Next year we went again and snowboarded down a huge bowl near to the gully! Not so exciting i know....but it was frightening at that time. For climbing that course you need ropes and mountaineering skills Next morning at Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Originally Posted By: stemik Next morning at .....yikes you fell off the edge? Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 What time of year was it stemik? Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 about golden week or before...the ski field was still open Link to post Share on other sites
Hotaka Scott 0 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Glad to hear it ended well though. When it starts to get dark and cold, panic mode kicks in eh? Thanks for sharing Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 a mate of mines back home, an experienced climber, was out ice climbing in Glencoe with a friend who was not experienced. My mate fell and broke his ankle in a particularly isolated part of the Glen. This was around 12pm, they were in a place that chopper rescue was nigh on impossible, so he decided to climb out (with broken ankle) and inexperienced mate in tow. Finally made it to safety at 2am!! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I bet that hurt. He needs to write a book. Link to post Share on other sites
mina2 6 Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Wow. Glencoe looks like a really good area. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Quite a story. It's always tempting to keep going down. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Originally Posted By: mina2 Wow. Glencoe looks like a really good area. Glencoe is beautiful! If there is ever a place that is awe-inspiring to me its Glencoe. Sure its not as big as most foothills in America and Canada etc, but when you are standing at the top or on the chairlift and you look down the valley and see the greatness of it is brilliant. You can actually visualise the glacier moving through the glen. Link to post Share on other sites
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