2015-2016 Northern Hemi Snow Season
Beautiful!
Amped.
Yeah great photos Craig nice one champ for getting out back, that's when you earn your turns eh.
Yeah would love to show some photos of my last trip but MF said no, which is fair enough, cause apparently Aussies aren't allowed there now, cause some Aussie boys blew it for others sorry......Not my fault.
Probably a bit too steep anyways;)
Too Steep? Bollocks! I'd go down that backwards. Then sidewards. Then arse over.
(and then spend six weeks in intensive care)
All yours Welly:)
.
The main ramp looks doable Welly with a bit of room to move. Looks harder the further down you get though. Not much of that over here. I'm getting too old for that sort of thing now anyway. Self-preservation is now firmly on my agenda:)
You're on to it Zen;)
That's why I put my signature on it.
.
Leave details for a little time so only people like yourself understand, then take it away.
NZ mountains are full on Alpine, no trees and very steep on some sides due to the make up, with constant weather systems producing variable avalanche hazards every day, tricky to get ya head around.
Did you know in NZ!, there are more mountains (not in height) than all all the mountains put together in all of the Swiss and French Alps and it's not until you fly into NZ on a clear winter day that you actually realise this is a fact.
Took 3 days to track this out, way way left and way way right, but plenty of turns still to be had, total 8 people. 1 boarder me and 7 skiers, couldn't be fucked traversing so I just rode fall line, heaps of turns next to the tractor which was for filling my rides for 3 bluebird days.
The source;) Ford 5000
End of day time for some relaxation and some warmth, fire, food and a good sleep.
Our little Baxter, he had lights to see at night as well, good dog that one.
Peace and slay the pow pow.
Classic photos Welly, especially love the one of the motor running the ropes!
On Saturday I ventured on another BC mission but this time way out there into the wilderness. 12.4km roundtrip with hardly a breathe of wind and clear bluebird skies and amazing visibility.
I got to lay my eyes on some of Australia's better terrain which will have to conquered over a two day mission to be safe, but also got these amazing photos of the zone.
We ended up dropping this mountain which initially we saw from a distance and flagged for another time, but ended up over there easier than expected and it was a good loop to head back from.
One of the best experiences I've ever had out there!
The mountain
Photo of me dropping first taken by Steve Wall in the next valley over
Friend dropping second by Steve Wall
Mate styling off a small cornice we lapped in the afternoon
Epic terrain!
Camp Vibes (by Steve Wall)
Fuck yeah! Now that's what I'm talkin' about.
Quick question and I don't want to be a stick in the mud but did you have avi gear?
Mate who's a veteran of the area has beacon but forgot to bring it. Snow isn't really deep enough to get into major trouble and avoided bigger cornices and dicey areas. Knew before that we would have phone reception and set out early to allow plenty of time.
If venturing further into the epic terrain, wouldn't go without it.
Take gear always.
Roger that, oh we had probe and shovel but no transponder/recievers.
Did you go from the Tate ridge-line?
I mean cross the river and hike the Tate ridge to start?
NZ Club fields Wellymon had the pleasure of a 1.5 km with meter and half of fresh pow cause the engine was broke, waited a couple days to access that pow. Is that
Nice photo's Craig is that the well known Cornice?
Yep, spot on Steve, done a bit of touring out that way before?
And not sure Nochaser, only second time doing this kinda stuff.
Yeah, spent lots of time backcountry in that neck of the woods.
Amazing terrain.
Isn't it, it's got me hooked hard!!
Craig and Welly this is epic stuff, seal of approval from our household!
And hows Ian Mcintosh and his 500m tumble..holy shit !
Yeah that's real heavy and so scary!!
Crop circles are so passe'
Snow Art : interesting eng.com
Wow Udo- awesome!
Thankyou.
Nice one Udo
Cheers.
Geez you'd be gutted if a group of smartarse knuckle draggers ripped thru it!
Unless they were perfectly in sync and laid down a bitchin' double helix Welly.
About four weeks to go bro, starting to snow just a little west of now up in the hills. Getting antsy.
Good surf today too and still no booties. Yew. Love this time of the year.
Very nice Udo.
How's this guy, at the top then.....
Fucknhell......
Holy fuck, you are fucking kidding me! That's insane.
You'd be a little buzzed after that...
Was just waiting for the Wile-e-Coyote sitting at the bottom, dazed, then getting skittled by the skidoo as it comes down.
Hey Zenagain,
Thanks for tips re cold water surf, I'm back in Norway and been getting fun waves so far :)
I was wondering if you could shed some light on snowboard rentals in japan? I'm going to Hakuba on the 8th of January for 5 days, then Tokyo for 3.
Hows the price and quality? Read somewhere that they dont really allow you to use the rentals in the park, true or false? Im there to ride pow, but nevertheless if the kicker looks sweet I'd want to hit it :)
I'm flying from Norway so the dilemma is bringing the gear on the flight + lugging it around Tokyo after.
In case you've been to Hakuba I'd love to hear any tips on the steepest and deepest runs too :)
thanks in advance!
Erikb- I lugged all my stuff from Norway to Japan.. most airlines will take a snowboard bag free. Chucked all my clothes in my bag (with wheels) and it wasnt really a problem. When i stayed in Tokyo it was near a station plus all the connecting transport didnt really need much walking around.
Where do you surf in Norway? West coast? Shitties?
Erik, just wrote you a big long reply and somehow it was wiped.
I'll try and get back to you tonight.
Craig wrote:Very nice Udo.
How's this guy, at the top then.....
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Voici une criss de débarque.
Posted by BuzzFil on Saturday, 2 August 2014
Wow that was intense Craig. haha.
The weird thing that got my eye was the GoPro footage never looked as steep going up the couloir compared to that person sliding down the thing in 10-15cms of pow???
In pow that deep he was moving pretty quick which says that it's steep and was lucky he never came a cropper on the rock buttresses on the sides?
But the funny thing was at the end, they tried to manhandle the flipping ski doo to stop it going further, safety first let the thing go, who cares it just tumbled 200-300m vert!
What's another 50-100m gonna do.
Wow that was full on.
And there still there............ trying to restart the fucker.
Haha Udes, Who know's. Wouldn't surprise me;)
Got some balls those fellas.
How fast was he going up the thing?
I know a bloke in Northern Canada he has a ski doo that goes 190km/h no probs?
Now that's pretty quick on snow!
Check Rythym out in Hakuba they have all the latest shit in their store. Packed full off Aussies though. I'd be leaving it all behind and just bring essentials. Good backcountry get a guide though.
HAHA Welly I just seen your comment.....classic no its all good. Like chalk n chess. Be good to go in 2016! You scored big time
Hi Erik, further to what Mick said, pretty much all the ski resorts have ski and snowboard rental. Age and quality of the gear can vary quite a bit. I've never rented but have taken people up the hill many times who have. A boots, board, binding set seems to run about the 5000yen a day mark. In some places more, others less but that's roughly what I'd budget on. Most places seem to rent Burton or Salomon gear. I don't think I've ever gone snowboarding without at least one person having trouble with their rental gear- usually it's bindings, but having said that the gear is usually swapped over without fuss if you have trouble or even if you don't like it they will usually let you change with no additional charge.
The downside of renting is that you and another 50 or so like minded individuals will be queueing up while outside the snow is quickly getting tracked out. Also, if you're like me, it takes quite a few runs to tune my gear to what I like. Most rental gear is set up pretty neutrally so you may not like the way your board is set up and the rental staff usually don't like dicking around re-setting bindings to your preference.
As for not taking gear into the park? I've never heard of that and seriously, who would know or even care for that matter? I wouldn't worry about it.
Third, if you have the time prior to heading to Nagano, a trip to Kanda in Tokyo is very easy to find and a great place to get a good deal on anything snow related. Kanda is the very next stop from Tokyo station on the Yamanote line heading towards Ueno. There are dozens of shops selling ski and snowboard equipment. If you're going to drop 25,000yen on rental gear, you could quite conceivably pick up a brand new board, decent bindings and maybe even a pair of boots for not much more than that. Don't be afraid to ask for a discount even on discounted stuff- start with 20% and settle for 10%. Some will say no but if you're buying last seasons stuff generally they will want to move it so an extra 10% is usually not a problem. Make sure to pay in cash though and show them you're ready to buy now. If not, walk around the corner.
Finally, Nagano is not my area but I've been over there a couple of times. Goryu and Hakuba 47 are nice mid-size areas but not with an abundance of steeps, mostly intermediate stuff but enough to keep you entertained. Off piste is forbidden here. Happo One (oh-ne not Happo 1) is sweet and a little more off-piste friendly if you show a little discretion. Bear in mind if you go out of bounds it's at your own risk and could cost you big time if you get into trouble. Always try and buddy up. Finally if you're looking for big mountain steeps and back country stuff, Cortina is probably the go. Also, don't discount Shiga Kogen which is huge and has everything and is quite close to the hot spring bathing snow monkeys which is definitely worth wasting a morning on. Also, Madarao kogen which is a little off the gaijin radar and has really good tree boarding that is actually encouraged which is quite rare in that part of the country.
Anyway, hope that helps. I'm still waiting for a big dump of snow locally, we got 40cm the other day but this weekend will be heavy rain and around 20 deg so that doesn't bode well for us. Similar to last year, been a slow start. Having said that, last season was pretty good especially Nagano/Niigata, so hopefully we'll get good falls. Being an El Nino year I'm not sure how that will affect us.
I'm looking to open my account probably a day or two after Xmas day then every weekend until the snow runs out. I've got 5 days mid-Jan planned to scope out somewhere new as is becoming my usual winter routine (probably somewhere in Gunma or deep into Yamagata), doing a week mid-Feb in Hokkaido (Niseko, Rusutsu, Furano and maybe Asahidake if time and mid-March doing 10 days in BC Canada. Yee hah! Just have to wrap myself in cotton wool between now and then.
Hope you enjoy.
nomad1 wrote:Erikb- I lugged all my stuff from Norway to Japan.. most airlines will take a snowboard bag free. Chucked all my clothes in my bag (with wheels) and it wasnt really a problem. When i stayed in Tokyo it was near a station plus all the connecting transport didnt really need much walking around.
Where do you surf in Norway? West coast? Shitties?
Thanks for the tip! I got a wheelie bag which is pretty heavy so i gotta test it out and see if i get it under the 20kg's, its more a convenience thing than anything since my mates are skiers and will rent leaving me the only guy with boardbag..
I surf shitties mostly, been to stad and stavanger a few times this autumn as well as some euro trips. Surfed a beachy not far from shitties the other weekend which was surprisingly alright for east norway.. Where are you based?
zenagain wrote:Hi Erik, further to what Mick said, pretty much all the ski resorts have ski and snowboard rental. Age and quality of the gear can vary quite a bit. I've never rented but have taken people up the hill many times who have. A boots, board, binding set seems to run about the 5000yen a day mark. In some places more, others less but that's roughly what I'd budget on. Most places seem to rent Burton or Salomon gear. I don't think I've ever gone snowboarding without at least one person having trouble with their rental gear- usually it's bindings, but having said that the gear is usually swapped over without fuss if you have trouble or even if you don't like it they will usually let you change with no additional charge.
The downside of renting is that you and another 50 or so like minded individuals will be queueing up while outside the snow is quickly getting tracked out. Also, if you're like me, it takes quite a few runs to tune my gear to what I like. Most rental gear is set up pretty neutrally so you may not like the way your board is set up and the rental staff usually don't like dicking around re-setting bindings to your preference.
As for not taking gear into the park? I've never heard of that and seriously, who would know or even care for that matter? I wouldn't worry about it.
Third, if you have the time prior to heading to Nagano, a trip to Kanda in Tokyo is very easy to find and a great place to get a good deal on anything snow related. Kanda is the very next stop from Tokyo station on the Yamanote line heading towards Ueno. There are dozens of shops selling ski and snowboard equipment. If you're going to drop 25,000yen on rental gear, you could quite conceivably pick up a brand new board, decent bindings and maybe even a pair of boots for not much more than that. Don't be afraid to ask for a discount even on discounted stuff- start with 20% and settle for 10%. Some will say no but if you're buying last seasons stuff generally they will want to move it so an extra 10% is usually not a problem. Make sure to pay in cash though and show them you're ready to buy now. If not, walk around the corner.
Finally, Nagano is not my area but I've been over there a couple of times. Goryu and Hakuba 47 are nice mid-size areas but not with an abundance of steeps, mostly intermediate stuff but enough to keep you entertained. Off piste is forbidden here. Happo One (oh-ne not Happo 1) is sweet and a little more off-piste friendly if you show a little discretion. Bear in mind if you go out of bounds it's at your own risk and could cost you big time if you get into trouble. Always try and buddy up. Finally if you're looking for big mountain steeps and back country stuff, Cortina is probably the go. Also, don't discount Shiga Kogen which is huge and has everything and is quite close to the hot spring bathing snow monkeys which is definitely worth wasting a morning on. Also, Madarao kogen which is a little off the gaijin radar and has really good tree boarding that is actually encouraged which is quite rare in that part of the country.
Anyway, hope that helps. I'm still waiting for a big dump of snow locally, we got 40cm the other day but this weekend will be heavy rain and around 20 deg so that doesn't bode well for us. Similar to last year, been a slow start. Having said that, last season was pretty good especially Nagano/Niigata, so hopefully we'll get good falls. Being an El Nino year I'm not sure how that will affect us.
I'm looking to open my account probably a day or two after Xmas day then every weekend until the snow runs out. I've got 5 days mid-Jan planned to scope out somewhere new as is becoming my usual winter routine (probably somewhere in Gunma or deep into Yamagata), doing a week mid-Feb in Hokkaido (Niseko, Rusutsu, Furano and maybe Asahidake if time and mid-March doing 10 days in BC Canada. Yee hah! Just have to wrap myself in cotton wool between now and then.
Hope you enjoy.
Mate, you are a bloody legend! Thanks for all that info!
I've only ever rented once before in my life and i had to do so much fine-tuning it was a joke and exactly as you say I rather be on the slopes than in the shop.
I'm gonna do a test pack of my luggage and see if i can bring my own without having to endure any extra airline fees. In regards to buying, I got a lot of freebies through competing 15 years ago and i still have a lot lying around from that time so i cant really get more stuff until i get rid of some haha.
I saw a rental website say they would loose their shit or rail marks etc on the rental boards.. but anyway, why ride rails when there is pow :)
Cortina is the go then, I had a read and that one stood out for sure :)
Thanks again for so much info, hope you score a ton of pow yourself, Canada looks like its getting its share with this El Nino too!
Erik, I've been to Hakuba twice and both times rented from Spicy Rentals.
They we're fantastic. I'm no expert but if you hire their "Performance Gear" I'm told it's pretty damn good. One of the snowboard instructors I used actually stated that his dream snowboard was the one under my feet which I rented from Spicy so I thought that was pretty good.
They will also ask how you prefer the board to be setup and will set it up or re-sent it up as many times as you want. Most ski schools at the base of the more popular mountains will also have the gear to re-set up your board/bindings for you. 2nd time around I bought my own boots from Aus.
If you are going to Hakuba or one of the other main mountains, my tips would be to plan to have Saturday's as your down day as it can get pretty busy at the main mountains on Saturday and to a lesser extent Sunday morning, particularly if there's been a very recent big dump. During the week, you're sweet but with no lines on the lifts.
Good advice there Erik from Don. I was going to mention weekends get pretty busy (Saturdays are the worst). Mid-week you're laughing and if you canget to the more out of the way spots (i.e. those that can only be reached by car or bus) it can get positively eerie.
Don, you coming over this season?
PS Don, what sort of prices you looking at for a Hi-Po set for a day?
Awesome post to the Norwegian Eribk Zen, Great work again champ;)
"Eribk Zen" sounds pretty cool eh...!
The latest DJ in the house. .......
Sounds like Eribk don't need someone to set his gear up for him tho :)
The good thing about hiring boards is that you can run over so many rocks and just hand it back.......!
Altho the amount of snow in Japland you won't be hitting rocks except bamboo in the low season;)
And that is just like a Slalom course IMO.
Knock 'em' down and go straight down.
gibbsy wrote:Take gear always.
Gibbsy are you from Ulladullaha?
mick-free wrote:HAHA Welly I just seen your comment.....classic no its all good. Like chalk n chess. Be good to go in 2016! You scored big time
No good at Chess Mick but will look into it and maybe get a check mate:)
zenagain wrote:PS Don, what sort of prices you looking at for a Hi-Po set for a day?
I hire for the week. Aren't the prices on their website?
zenagain wrote:Don, you coming over this season?
i so wish I was but unfortunately not this year. Seriously thinking about a white Xmas 2016 but. Is that too early for good snow but?
I couldn't find the prices on the website Don. No biggie for me but more so for Erik. They've got some pretty nice gear by the looks of things.
Plenty of snow come Xmas in Hokkaido but I'd steer away from Niseko at least till the Oz school holidays are over and the Chinese new year is over too.
Higher altitude resorts such as Shiga Kogen, should be no worries for snow around Xmas if you like Nagano.
I tend to pick my days around that time though, every man and his dog from Tokyo hit it up the mountains during the Xmas/New Year break and Hakuba and Niseko will be pumping with Aussies, Koreans and Chinese.
erikb wrote:nomad1 wrote:Erikb- I lugged all my stuff from Norway to Japan.. most airlines will take a snowboard bag free. Chucked all my clothes in my bag (with wheels) and it wasnt really a problem. When i stayed in Tokyo it was near a station plus all the connecting transport didnt really need much walking around.
Where do you surf in Norway? West coast? Shitties?
Thanks for the tip! I got a wheelie bag which is pretty heavy so i gotta test it out and see if i get it under the 20kg's, its more a convenience thing than anything since my mates are skiers and will rent leaving me the only guy with boardbag..
I surf shitties mostly, been to stad and stavanger a few times this autumn as well as some euro trips. Surfed a beachy not far from shitties the other weekend which was surprisingly alright for east norway.. Where are you based?
I live in Oslo so if i surf in Norway its usually Shitties. a beachy not far from there? near Farris Bad hotel?
Thought I'd get this one rolling.
Although the Aus season has been average, I've had lots of days at the snow this year. Camping and also getting the off piste areas of the resorts sussed as well as doing some back country last Sunday.
First time out in the middle of nowhere and it was amazing. Blue bird, no wind and foot deep fresh powder that was just a touch firm so no real face shots but great for carving.
Here's me and my mates tracks from our second lap of this section...
And some of the secenery, stunning!