TR: Hakuba ridge line

[dizzy 0]

still in the planning stages, but roughly for the week of 9.17-24:

 

Day 1

From Tsugaike Gondola and Ropeway 1820m

To Hakuba-san 2840m, aprx. 10km

OR

Day 1

From Sarukura, Daisekki

To Hakuba-san

 

Day 2

From Hakuba-san 2840m

To Karamatsu-san 2620m, apprx. 10km

 

Day 3

From Karamatsu-san

To Goryu-san 2451m, apprx. 2 km

 

Day 4

From Goryu-san

To Kiretto goya 2518, apprx. 8km

 

Day 5

From Kiretto goya

To Taneike-sansou 6km or Ogisawa 12km

 

Day 6

From the mts.

To onsen in Shinano-Omachi, Tokyo

 

i want to hit the ridge to photo and scout winter lines, namely:

norikura south face

korenge bowls

banana

kaerazu/sock monkey line

karamatsu

goryu south face

 

i'm camping every night except at the Kiretto.

water spots at nearly every hut. carrying enough food will be heavy.

i hope my digital camera batteries last me each day between the huts.

 

Has anyone else done this or sections of it before?

Any advice would be helpful! Thanks in advance.

[eskimobasecamp 0]

sounds awesome

[damian 0]

Jesus I’m envious. Damn. I can’t sit still at work since reading that. Take some good energy food, you have few long days stacked up. Also take a disposable camera. The last 4 day hike I did resulted in 150 digital pictures and a flat battery just when I needed it on the last day.

 

Looking forward to the stories and pics (esp the sock monkey line)

 

ps - have you got a few ‘escape’ routes back into the valley should the weather get really bad and you fall behind schedule? Or can you just sit it out and complete the route in your own time?

[dizzy 0]

yes. it's rare i can get a week off to play in the mts. bringing lots of high-energy food, lots of noodles.

disposable camera, that's a good idea, spud. thx

there are four or five Plan B routes along the ridge.

i can't wait to see what the lines will look line in the spring

[Fattwins 0]

you can cart the stove along if you want. too much to do with my parents and sister here.

[NoFakie 45]

You've got a fair chance of good weather around that time, though maybe not for the full week. Maybe look at the six day forecast and adjust your plan to get good weather at the part you want to photograph. Your schedule gives you plenty of time. You'll have a great time.

 

In a lot of places, the path is below the top ridge on the back side. You'll have to bushwack/scramble up to take pictures of the lines, because you won't see them otherwise. Most of Goryu peak to Karamatsu peak is like that, for example.

 

Is it a TR if you've not been yet?

[damian 0]

Probably not MrW, probably not. But in terms of TR lead-up I’m getting butterflies just reading about the upcoming exploration.

[dizzy 0]

cool, thanks, FT. i'll get you an MSR bottle if you don't already have one. or a bottle of wine

 

thanks, mr. w

"You'll have to bushwack/scramble up to take pictures of the lines, because you won't see them otherwise. Most of Goryu peak to Karamatsu peak is like that, for example."

Yeah, so i'm planning a good part of days 1 and 3 exploring shirouma and karamatsu.

 

Also, some of the trail has some hairy spots narrow ridges like at Kaerzu I, II, and III.

 

Can anyone reccomend good hiking socks? i got 5 blisters on my last two-day/20km hike.

 

TR:

To be Ready

Total Ripper (, mate!)

Takusan Raicho unfortunately doesn't make sense in Japanese

gutteral trrrrr as in "trrrrrrrrip" or "trrrrrek"

 

What else could TR stand for?

[bushpig 0]

Turnip Reduction

[mattlucas 0]

That sounds fun

What's up with Day 3???

Only 2km

I didn't know you were a lady

 

[NoFakie 45]

 Quote:

Originally posted by Toque:
What's up with Day 3???
Only 2km

Downhill most of the way too!

The trend for the ultralight crowd is away from hiking boots to stiffer running shoes, like trail running shoes. Depends if you want ankle support, I suppose. Otherwise, start wearing your boots now and try and keep your feet dry when the day comes. Take lots of plasters.

Take a pic of the trees at to show Toquester how far up they go

[bettyx 0]

do they sell that 'second skin' stuff here? it's for blisters and is actually rather amazing. prevention is the best medicine however sometime that kinda friction can't be helped, and a little artificial cushioning can be a lifesaver.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

Bettyx, you can get that at ICI sports and probably other mtn/hiking stores.

[eskimobasecamp 0]

bettianox - you should do a TR of the camino!

[mattlucas 0]

I say get blisters

They build character and also toughen up your feet

[bettyx 0]

ha! we can't all be that hardcore, toque.

 

i had blisters beneath blisters and the first aid were talking total surgery..

 

and yet i walked on.

 

now that's character..but i'll be damned if i do it again.

all hail second skin!

 

(now i've gotta find out what a TR is)

[damian 0]

Bettyx, nice to hear from you again. Eskimobasecamp is being a hypocritical asshat. Don't listen to her. (although we would like to hear a story about your trip)

 

Dizz - I used to piss on my feet or use methylated spirits in the weeks leading up the hike. It really toughens the skin. Also, take some of that 'sports tape' as bandaids come off quite easy. If you do get a blister then just wrap the entire area in tape after ramming a red hot needle into it. Also take box of 400mg anti-inflammatory pain killers. Have one for breakfast and lunch if you start to feel generally sore about your body. They help you charge on for day after day without the aches and pains. You get all the benefit of a banned performance drug that sports-dorks aren't able to use.

[dizzy 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by le spud:
I used to piss on my feet

he,he, hee

[dizzy 0]

BP and Beanie:

Toque Rukasu , the original TRer

 

betsyx: where were u hiking when u got the blister within a blister? sounds gross and amazing @ the same time...

[dizzy 0]

TR means The Resurection of this thread.

 

had a great camping trip. after planning again and then replanning due to bad weather, i had three days, two nights up on the ridge: Tsugaike to Happo-One. i could have pushed on to Goryu or Ogisawa like i had originally thought but three days was enough 4 scouting lines 4 season.

 

thx EBC and FT! and thx 4 the advice mr. wiggles, i had a disposable w/ me and i also had a spare digital-camera battery.

 

Raicho-zawa (between Norikura and Korenge)

I love post-typhoon weather

 

 

Obligtary pic of Shirouma-Sansou. i got lucky w/ clear skies. can u believe it sleeps 1000 people at 2858 meters? i camped both nights

 

One possible entrance among a few up there

 

And just for kicks:

 

more pics to come, have to put them in photoshop first

[eskimobasecamp 0]

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!

 

lookin forward to the rest of the pics dizz! hey give me a shout when you know about that film festival thing in tokyo, still want to go

 

ps - i owe you a hiking sock (ooooops) and 500 yen

[Fattwins 0]

dizzy has the snow bug now

[SerreChe 2]

Nice pics. did not know they still had snow up there.

[dizzy 0]

yeah, that's one of a dozen or so "10-thousand year snow" / snowy gorges / sekkei up there.

 

the DAISEKKEI at Hakuba is well known among alpinists in Japan. at a distance, they look like a line of ants walking up it

[damian 0]

Good pictures. But where's the rest of your happy snaps that you promised? Where's the Sock Monkey face?

 

gimme gimme gimme.