Hida-Gebirge

The day after skiing the northeast face of Shirouma promised for optimal weather. We decided it was time for round two. Burning the candle at both ends with these long days, I couldn’t help but allow ‘Brown Girl in the Ring’ to creep into my head while walking in the dark. Sunrise couldn’t have come soon enough.

It’s been no secret through our reports of ‘wet dreams’ the spring skiing around here has been very premeditated. Whether visible from the safety of the lodge, or the exposure of a steep switchback, there has been one line tugging at the mind more than others. Significantly more. And not surprisingly so.

Continuing with the theme of objectives not immediately in view from the window, the Northeast Couloir of Shakushidake entices the ambitious when viewed from popular resorts to the north of the valley. However dreamy this line seems from afar, it requires an early start just to get to. And like most things in Hakuba, the weather windows are few and far between. It requires much tenacity to get this line in good snow.

Rather than a dreamy peak observed from our window, Goryudake hides a bit farther back with a less straightforward approach. When observed from the correct angle, its diamond shaped rock formations become obvious, revealing a couloir seemingly cut by Zorro himself. It’s a tantalizingly close, deceptively far objective that usually requires a tent and some luck.

On Honshu, the transition from winter to spring can be painful. In March, temperatures rise, but the mountain weather remains as wild as ever. The result is rapid and violent transitions from heat and sun to rain, cold, snow and heavy doses of wind.

One cool thing about Hakuba is that many of the biggest, most aethetic lines are are clearly visible from town. Every sunny morning, one can scan the surrounding terrain for signs of instability for the day ahead. While doing this, we usually dream about making turns on many of these lines. Shakushi’s Southeast face, and its spines catch the eye very quickly, though the right opportunity to get on this face has eluded us for years. In late March, an opportunity finally presented itself.

It’s safe to say there’s been no shortage of media coming from Japan this winter. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, someone, somewhere has told you just how good it is in the land of the rising sun. Frankly, I’m sick of it. I enjoy skiing deep powder in the trees, but it doesn’t get me as excited as adventures in bigger mountains.