yamabushi 3 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I'm getting ready to leave tonight for Hokkaido. Right now I'm looking at the topo maps for fun things to do. On furano, what about that valley to the inmediate south of the resort? It looks like if you go up the hill on the last lift to the left, go past the next hill, and into the south valley of the next one, that you could drop 800 meters and back into the real world (Idealy before hitting that channel of water at the bottom). Do they mind if you leave the resort from the top? Would it look suspicious if you go up with your full BC gear strapped on? Here's a pic of the area in question, launching off from the south-east of hill 1237 Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Do they mind if you leave the resort from the top? Would it look suspicious if you go up with your full BC gear strapped on? 1. Yes; 2. Yes! If I were you I would speak to the local backcountry guide (his name escapes me now) but he would definitely point you in the right direction. I've seen people (usually skiers) walking off through the back of the resort (I'm assuming that you're talking about the top of the Furano Zone rather than the Kitanomine Zone) and they've been fully kitted up, so I reckon it's possible BUT you are definitely on your own out there! Ki wo tsukete, ne! Link to post Share on other sites
yamabushi 3 Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Don't worry, the trees luuuuv me Has somebody gone that way? (bar the unforeseen avalanche and sink hole) It looks like a straight line down the valley. This is the deal: early in the day I'm in shape for just about anything, but I don't want to risk my day pass from the word 'Go'. Late in the day I may not care about the pass, but I certainly don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no pack and the night creeping in... Right now I think I'll try to duck the ropes early on near the top of the lift and just go down. It would be a shorter run but I'll be able to see what's what, while having the stamina to deal with eventualities... Also looking at Rusutsu topo maps. looks like there are good lines to be had inbetween the offical runs. How bitchy do they get at that? Link to post Share on other sites
MagSeven 40 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 At Rusutsu you shouldn't have any problem with patrol. Link to post Share on other sites
Hokkaidough 4 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Rusutsu should be ok. Link to post Share on other sites
Hokkaidough 4 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Beaten to it! Link to post Share on other sites
yamabushi 3 Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Hey, confirmation The other places I'm going to are slackcountry-friendly; Kamui and Niseko. If the sun comes up I'll trade a Furano day for Asahidake. I wanna poser picture of me by the smoke vents Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I dunno if youre up for it, but ive heard tokachidake is worth the hike. Doesnt take too long, quick laps with a splitty, and a nice onsen half way up you can kip in. Oh, and it costs you nothing but exercise All second hand info and all off the basis of a couiple of alaskans who banged on about it last year. But could be a decent alternative. Link to post Share on other sites
yamabushi 3 Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Dude, I just took that one out of my list because of my buddy He's not much into the hike up Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Also looking at Rusutsu topo maps. looks like there are good lines to be had inbetween the offical runs. How bitchy do they get at that? At Rusutsu you shouldn't have any problem with patrol. Its funny, at Rusutsu, there are lots of signs saying not to go off piste, a few ropes here and there (but not many), but the only time I remember seeing ski patrol was on West Mt, zooming about on snowmobiles. Never once saw them on Isola or East Mts. At Furano, if you have fat skis, or a powder snowboard, they will literally follow you onto the lifts, particularly if you are: a) a westerner, in your 20's, c)in a group of 3 or more. I personally never got followed by them, but got talking to a group of people on the cable car, telling us about how ski patrol were following them onto the lifts all morning, they had to split up so that some of them could distract the patrollers while the others ducked the ropes Link to post Share on other sites
yamabushi 3 Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Damn that's funny! Maybe at lunch time I should pull out the powder board and BC pack just to walk around and see how much attention I can draw currently on the ferry from hachinohe to tomakomai. I should be at tomamu by 9:30 tomorrow Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Have a great trip, though you might want to check out the latest photos on the Furano thread:- http://www.snowjapan...d/page__st__100 Link to post Share on other sites
yamabushi 3 Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Good info, thanks a lot. Tomamu was quite a bit of fun. At first I thought that if you registered and got the yellow vest, that there was one side of the mountain where they allowed off piste,. I was wrong; the entire mountain is open for skiing, you are supposed to have the vest but a good number didn't. As I'm going off the main gondola there is a drop off to the left. I went to read the sign expecting to see the usual 'off limits' message, all it said is that you needed to be registered blah-blah-blah. I promptly strapped and took a jumping start off the drop And to really be off limits I left the resort to the far right, into an untouched valley, down the winding river bed, and into a half a mile walk on rein deer tracks and a river crossing. It was totally awesome, my buddy didn't share my enthusiasm. One problem, the set of lifts on the far right of the resort are no longer operational. After the river and walking the road, we had to keep on walking back. A Redbull and a few protein bars later we were back on the gondola Today Asahidake. No new snow on sight but blue skies for poser pictures by the fumaroles. Tomorrow Furano. I was talking to a Japanese who told me that you can get a permit to venture off piste from the resort. I'll ask again about that tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites
yamabushi 3 Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Ok, time to report back! Did Asahidake yesterday. Visibility was crappy with very few breaks in the clouds. I took a hike to the fumaroles so I could melt a frozen Redbull I was carrying. Funny thing, because of low visibility a gigantic crater was all but invisible until you walked right up to it. I can just imagine the surprise of coming down the mountain at a good clip and dropping about 25 feet into it... The Furano bowl to the left of the resort... The face had huge cracks, it is screaming avalanche like few things I have ever seen, and I dropped it four times. There were quite a few tracks so I wasn't the only moron out there. I was about to post a blow-by-blow of the route but I'm hesitant. People that don't know what they are doing should not be anywhere near that area. It is a matter of time before it goes down and God willing there won't be somebody on it when it does. Tomorrow, Kamui, then Niseko Link to post Share on other sites
ippy 66 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 ****ing terrifying stuff there. Link to post Share on other sites
igloo 3 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Sure that's not goo from Fukushima? Link to post Share on other sites
yamabushi 3 Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 One more thing about Furano; according to the guy at the place I was staying, you can indeed get a permit to hit the back country from the resort. What they really seem to mind is people jumping ropes inside of the resort itself. They didn't seem to care less if you were truly heading off. For instance, the track to the southern face were clearly marked, so was the return point by the beginer slope. If they really cared they could easily block access or simply park a person at the exit to confiscate the passes. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Any tips on the river crossing? TBH the only thing I crossed was a very shallow thing that is in Naeba and that was in ski boots. I´ve seen people just wade in getting wet, that I thought crazy, lol. Is there something you watch out for? Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites
yamabushi 3 Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 Any tips on the river crossing? TBH the only thing I crossed was a very shallow thing that is in Naeba and that was in ski boots. I´ve seen people just wade in getting wet, that I thought crazy, lol. Is there something you watch out for? Thanks. The river crossing was in Tomamu, Furano doesn't require a river crossing. I would say it depends: if you are near the exit, you can afford to get wet. If you are not, it can cost you a toe or two... On my back country pack I have two large trash bags; they are small, light weight, and on a pinch you can build a tent, snow anchors, and now that I think of it river crossing condoms That day the river was fairly shallow, the biggest problem was the snow banks on each side. We had to traverse a bit before we found the best spot. Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Tomamu's BC policy is highly commendable. I wish they had more and better restaurants. Link to post Share on other sites
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