eskimobasecamp 0 Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 A last minute decision to go out and ski in Hakuba (due to a cancelled Niigata trip - the road we want to use is not open yet) led myself, Tim and Mike to go for an explore up Hakuba Norikura dake. None of us having never hiked up here before, we were slightly unsure of the best route up Norikura - i've watched people do it, so my instinct was to head to the right and up Tengu Para... after some discussion however, we ended up going practially straight up the face. We left a bit too late and the sun had affected the snow - towards the top as it got steeper an icy layer on the surface became evident in places, some of which kept on sliding below me - i had to spend a bit of time finding the right place to make my next step without sliding down the slope. The ride down, however was pretty sweet - good fun and a total leg burner after the hike, trying to avoid cracks in the snow. Overall it was a fun day out - next time would leave much earlier and spend more time route finding. It was a bit of a rush back down to make the gondola, so i don't have any decent pictures unfortuanately (no ski shots) - but here are a few just to show you how much snow there is at the top of Tsugaike. Still plenty of skiing to be done this year! Tim (boarder) and Mike (Telemarker) walking through the wall of snow at Tsugaike, above the ropeway Me at Tsugaike, above the ropeway ... and in colour love editing on iphoto The view of Hakuba Yari and Shiyakushi from Tengu Para, below Norikura dake yesterday So not very many exciting pictures - even my Tateyama camp ones are better than this haha - but anyway..... next time! Bit of a slightly unplanned trip, just some late spring snow skiing in Hakuba on a perfect day. Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Super pics, BCS, thanks for posting them. You're looking great yourself too. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 not bad wouldve liked to have seen where you hiked from. Link to post Share on other sites
eskimobasecamp 0 Posted May 22, 2006 Author Share Posted May 22, 2006 i'll find a photo Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 It's always fun to get up Norikura Too bad you didn't get anymore pictures Your car was parked right next to mine at the bottom there so I knew you were up there. Just didn't know who with Amazing how much snow is on that road still. Hasn't melted much at all since they plowed it just before Golden Week. Link to post Share on other sites
eskimobasecamp 0 Posted May 22, 2006 Author Share Posted May 22, 2006 found a photo - put in onto a word doc - drew all over it - then discovered that i can't just drag the drawn on photo off the word doc..... ummmmm, will show you on my computer FT Link to post Share on other sites
TheWizard 0 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 All that snow still left in mid May? Is that normal for that area or more? Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 A bit more than normal But not unusual Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 watch out for the creeks at Tsugaike EBC, you might just be the next Creek Girl Link to post Share on other sites
yamayamayama 2 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Is that where you got your name then hey? Link to post Share on other sites
eskimobasecamp 0 Posted May 23, 2006 Author Share Posted May 23, 2006 cb - LOL you are on form today eh didn't fall into any creeks there... i like tsugaike a lot - the park boys are hot haha and it's a long gondola ride as for norikura, i fell into something there - but it wasn't a creek... more like a crack... in the snow, to be precise i'll always be eskimobasecamp haha or BCS as markie likes to call me Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 just put the picture up anyways and explain. i can use paint to draw on it. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 By "straight up the face", do you mean you cut across the north edge of the Shizen'en and then climbed up the two steps of the face? Something like the line in Toques journal from a month ago? If its any consolation, the Tengupara - Norikura part is more difficult when the snow goes. The path goes up a narrow stream and then meanders through a large boulder field. It's perfectly smooth in winter. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 mr. wiggles we need to sit down and have a chat its been too long. Im not as busy now that all my stuff is moved into my place and most of my wood is cut so lets work something out. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by Mr Wiggles: By "straight up the face", do you mean you cut across the north edge of the Shizen'en and then climbed up the two steps of the face? Something like the line in Toques journal from a month ago? If its any consolation, the Tengupara - Norikura part is more difficult when the snow goes. The path goes up a narrow stream and then meanders through a large boulder field. It's perfectly smooth in winter. In the picture it looks like they walked the road from the top gondola so would have already missed the normal ski/snowshoe route up the mountain It took us forever to get to the lake on the weekend. Map time is 3 hours which in winter is crazy. Winter you can be at the lake in 90 minutes easy Summer the 3 hours wouldn't be that far off. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 it didnt help that it took me quite a while to find my pace. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Catch you later Fatty. Off to Nagano today. Link to post Share on other sites
eskimobasecamp 0 Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 yo people - yeh we walked up the road from the top gondola (therein lies the mistake) - found ourselves out by the tourist viewing spots near that big meadow below norikura and korenge. i somehow knew we should have been way over the other side, but didn't know how to get there... so up we went, straight up! a few more pictures that mike sent me... all 3 of us beside the huge walls of snow at the top of tsugaike ropeway tim and i on our way up norikura the view over to korenge and shiroumadake from norikura Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 you guys were well over to the left. mr wiggles i should be here all weekend if you want to get together to have a drink. WOuld love to see how big Nene is now. EBC if the weather holds saturday or sunday and you want to climb we can do it. but we leave early if we go. Link to post Share on other sites
eskimobasecamp 0 Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 i want to climb - let's see what the weather does yep out really early this time for this one Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 borrow the snowshoes early just in case Link to post Share on other sites
eskimobasecamp 0 Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 they live at my house haha - it's all good Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 just admit you bought them Link to post Share on other sites
eskimobasecamp 0 Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 haha LOL no i didn't - i just didn't give them back... yet! he has lots of snowshoes! Link to post Share on other sites
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