Back number Vol.165 Skiing in the harsh and gracious Japanese mountains

Looking at Mt.Shirouma from Tsugaike Shizen(Nature) Ko-en (Park)

This story was written by Kazuki Kaneiwa
   
                                                                                                              Translated by Yumiko Mori

As a backcountry skier,I always find myself feeling somehow relieved at the beginning of spring. While relishing this bizarre but comfortable feeling, I know this is an announcement for the end of the season.

Unless being asked,I wouldn't go for Mt.Tateyama in spring nor Mt. Fuji in early summer. Usually I would prepare  to work on the plateaued climbing skills and trying to lose some weights that gained during the ski season.


Personally I would say there is only a month out the a year that you can expect constant powder snow. Generally it's from mid January to mid February and this is based on a past few years of  my experience. Before that time we wouldn't have enough snow and after that the quality of the snow declines and there would be infrequent precipitation.

Otari... Oh... you ARE so amazing!!!

There are usually enough amount of snow at the lower mountains around Otari in the beginning of February. This option serves as a PlanB when we expect typical winter atmospheric pressure in Japanese Alps area. 
However, when weather permits, we head out to the Ridges of the North Japanese Alps, it significantly increase the risks and makes us feel anxious but in the end, you would be totally pleased with what your choice. 

After spending two seasons of ski bum life in Shirouma area. This fourth season is like spending times staring at weather forecast and atmospheric pressure charts on weekdays and trying to seize the best possible condition on weekends. Japanese Northern Alps and especially Shirouma is by far the my favourite area and mountain but from my home which is in the west of Tokyo, it takes 3 hours and half to get there. Furthermore, if you try to go Otari and Itoigawa, you need to add another 30 min to an hour.  Sadly, Shirouma is no longer the easy access for me.

Happou Ridge in this January

The amount of snow, weather, distance, various risks and costs are the factors that I have to take into consideration when I pick objectives. Sometime I have to scale the pros and cons and justify the objectives. 
After spending winter simply frightened by the objectives or being preoccupied in the success of the recent trips or disappointed with mistakes definitely takes toll on me. So at the end, I would be more mentally tired and ready to announce the end of the season.


Then it rains, even at the higher points in the mountains. Once the hard ice layers are formed after the rain, it will change the laying patterns completely even it is followed by another snow fall. This only makes the laying structure more unstable. Although this is in theory, sometime we've experienced the conditions not being changed after the rain. We never know truly until we actually go there.

Debris at the Higura valley in Mt. Nakano

However once it rains up in the higher parts, always a huge avalanche would follow. This lead to a piles of debris in the valley. Sometimes it can cover entire valley and discourage you from skiing for the season.

Often we can achieve our objectives for the season in early spring thanks to the steady snow conditions and weather. The sense of satisfaction often prevents us from heading to backcountry skiing, feeling like "well I have already accomplished my objectives and had enough for the season. Better not to take any more risks"   

Kaerazu 2nd Ridge- up to now this is still one of the most terrifying mountains 

Mountains are intimidating.Especially the ones that have become the unsteady chunk of snow just being piled up in random layers. No matter how much you study about avalanches, gaining physical strength or skills, as long as you are in the area you won't be able to completely avoid the risk of being caught in avalanches.  If you keep on going to the same line all the time and together with extensive research, you may be able to reduce the risk significantly but what's the point of doing that...Taking the certain amount of risks and trying to manage with your skills and experiences are what makes backcountry skiing exciting.

Sometime the scary thoughts come up in my head as I prepare for the trip "Am I preparing for the death right now?" Of course this isn't the reason I go to the mountains at all. If that is the purpose, there are so many ways to accomplish it.What I am doing is preparing for the mountains so that I can come back.Some might still say that if you want to remain alive and that the objective for your thorough preparation why don't you choose "not to go at all" Well this still goes to a certain extreme point of view.  Nevertheless by choosing to continue backcountry skiing, I have nothing to say to some people consider us preparing for the early demise at least from their point of view.



The point is how you can lay out the uncertain factors and address the issues with efforts and ideas. If it's something that is above your capacity level at that time, you need to modify and find another feasible objectives. 
True alpinists are the ones while having high objectives, knowing the timing and efforts to progress to the next level. I doubt if I would ever get to that point but still I have to do my work.

My favourite tourist attraction-Daio Wasabi Farm in Azumino

Enough of the detrimental thoughts and finally I am going to summarize my points here. The momentary relief that always comes at this time of the year ties to the satisfaction from my accomplishments and self acceptance.  

However, the problem is that it is already that time of the year now but I haven't being embraced by this feelings yet. So my solution is "continue to go to the mountains" The mountains in the spring can show any faces. Although daytime gets longer and weather becomes more stable, it still does have an extreme side. For me I feel that the nature don't care about us humans at all, if they judge you are not strong enough to survive they will just sift us without hesitation.

As a powerless human, what we can do is try to remain humble and keep going back the the harsh yet gracious nature with all possible preparation.