Gone Fishing on Lake Nojiri
Posted on February 26, 2010 at 12:27 am

If you look back through the blogs to some of the photos of the guys on the mountain, you’ll see Lake Nojiri in the distance. We went fishing yesterday for smelt -tasty little fish, in an attempt to catch dinner. When I think of fishing, I think cold hands and wet feet and tight lines only being something to dream of. Not here. Arriving at the lake shore at 7.30am with visions of a little open fishing boat, we were met with a boat that really just looked like a floating sitting room.

Fishing in slippers, beside a heater. Lush.

Next question…how do you fish from here? The trap doors above are removed to then provide you with a little pool in which to drop your rod. Note the heater to the left of the photo. My kind of fishing. Civilised. Oh, did we mention the cooler full of soft drinks and beer, sushi rolls and coffee that we brought with us to keep our strength for the day ahead?!

Pool revealed and the group tying their lines. Bait? Live maggots.

First rods in. El Capitan on the right showing how it’s done. Marty on the left pulling up catch #1 of the day. As soon as you see the tip of the rod wiggle, you have to flick the rod and start reeling in. Easy peasy.

How many of these tiny fish do you need to feed us all? A lot.

The boat was brilliantly designed. Glass sides so that you can take in the magnificant views of the surrounding mountains, all from the comfort of a mini arm chair in the warmth. Sara chilling in the background – she’d already cleared  the lake of fish. A hidden talent for fishing discovered in Japan!

Bill had clearly done this before – zen like concentration gave him a total of 13. Team USA (with the help of Sara, who was a close 2nd) cleaned up!

The lake stunning view. You can see the three ski resorts, Suginohara, Ikenotaira and Akakura Kanko.

The best bit below….We took the fish to be cooked tempura style at a tiny izakaya in Myoko called Sennin. Delicious!

Sundip’s Week
Posted on February 21, 2010 at 11:31 pm

As mentioned in the previous blog, another day trip to Tokyo (or Toks as we now lovingly call it) was soon made….resulting in some of us coming back armed with new boards and new outfits, in an attempt to look as cool and colourful as our Japanese fellow boarders! Even though our Japanese wasn’t that great, the art of haggling is universal and we got some great deals on the latest gear….

(our Mancunian model displaying his new clobber!)

To celebrate our purchases we decided to hit one of the local sukiyaki joints (a dish where you cook you own selection of meats on your own personal bbq!), feasting on some great tucker and a few beers…

(The Shinkansen – Bullet Train)

It’s been a funny old week weather-wise…. loads of snow, to bluebird, to cloud, to rain, to fog, to more snow… Nature clearly enjoys keeping us on our toes out here! The last couple of weeks have focused more on perfecting the things we learned in Level 1 and focusing on Level 2 elements such as carving, moguls, off piste and freestyle; the last one being the one that we’re really all keen to perfect! So along with providing teaching sessions to each other and to some of our hotel staff, we’ve been having some great times in the immaculately groomed parks!

Knee deep powder on the piste!

(The heavy cloud cover at Sughinohara)

The level of progression on this course is really high and regular video feedback demonstrates this really well….. From not being able to land a jump to a 360 off a kicker in just 4 weeks?? …. It has been done! Awesome! And watching our trainer Rob in action really gives us that kick-up-the-backside to want to go faster, higher and give it more “wang” than before so everyone has really stepped up their game!
 

Tokyo Trip
Posted on February 6, 2010 at 7:36 am

With a day off from training and the snow looking sub-par (this covers anything other than a foot of fresh snow or a warm sunny day) a few of us took the chance to make a day trip to Tokyo. Although the idea of a day trip to a city around 4-5 hours away by car sounds ridiculous, the speed, simplicity and smooth operation of the Japanese public transport system makes the trip an easy and pleasurable one. A quick 30 minute ride on a local train, 90 minutes on the lightning quick Shinkansen and voila, we were in the middle of Tokyo. Some took the opportunity for an extra bit of sleep on the train, whilst those of us from Australia and the UK spent the 90 minutes comparing the dire state of public transport in our own countries to the Japanese experience. Trains that run on time? Get out of town!

Our first destination in Tokyo was Kanda, an area famous for its concentration of ski and snowboard shops. A conservative estimate would put it at 50 shops one one street, with almost any product being available. It was all a bit overwhelming to be honest, and how none of us came back with new boards I dont know. We have since made plans for a return shopping trip, with almost everyone set on forking over the yen for new gear. With good prices and a huge range it would be rude not to.

In the afternoon we headed over to Harajuku, an area known for its concentration of fashionable clothing stores and general cool Japanese kids. The designs, fashions and variety on offer were immense, and there were sky high prices to match. Most of us made a few small purchases, but the overall experience was one of window shopping and people watching. Harajuku also has the Tokyo’s Burton flagship store, and we all contemplated maxing out our credit cards to look like the Japanese snowboarder kids in their amazing outfits. Like the snowboard shopping though, this can wait for another day.

We rushed back to Tokyo station to make it back in Myoko at a reasonable hour. We grabbed some dinner at the station (a pretty tasty Bento box), and it was back on the Shink. Unfortunately we missed our connection in Nagano, so we were forced to spend 45 minutes drinking at a bar near the station. Other attendees included a drunk gent who as far as we understood was an ex Americas cup sailor. Something may have been lost in translation though.

Back on the train to Myoko and back home at 11pm. A great day trip out of Myoko and one that really highlights the versatility of the place! It was good to get out of Myoko, but with powder forecast all week, it was also a pleasure to come back.

Thanks Dave for your account!

Backcountry Day, Ski Patrol, 1st aid and Tokyo – Busy Week!
Posted on February 6, 2010 at 6:09 am

Week 3 has just flown by. Having completed their avalanche awareness day, it was off to practise their first aid skills with the local fire department. All the basics were covered, including CPR and how to use and AED

Learning CPR in Japanese – everyone can count to 30 now!

In between all the extras included, Rob continued with the group’s training. But hey, so much snow, can only mean one thing. Trees, powder, powder and powder! But the park’s still been perfectly shaped, so it would have been rude not to have a little run through the park.

We were very fortunate to spend a morning with the local ski patrol at Akakura Kanko. Despite the busy nature of their jobs, Henmi and his fantastic team spared the time, to allow us to shadow them in their daily routine. And really get a flavour of what it’s like. We met them at 8am to get the first lift up to check all the pistes before opening to the general public. 2 of the team live on the mountain, so they were able to ski down to check the lower slopes. Our guys had to check all the fencing to make sure it was all in the correct spot, erect new fencing around the lift stations and restaurants to make sure snow falling off the roofs would not bury passers by. Yep, there really IS that much snow here!

Henmi supervising  whilst Marti and team put up one of many fences…

Sara getting stuck in…or just having a chat with one of the Ski Patrol?!

After a cup of coffee in the patrol building, plus a few stories of rescues by the team, we were off out for a rescue simulation by the patrol. All of the pistes are lined by trees, meaning there are some epic tree runs after a fresh dump of powder. This however means that there can be pretty tricky rescue situations for the patrol. Our willing volunteer Marti, had to pretend to hit a tree. His fake injuries were a suspected neck injury and a broken leg. Having practiced this during first aid inside a warm scenario – it makes you realise just what a slick operation the patrol perform – in snow up to their armpits and on a steep slope.

Marti being ‘rescued’

Marti being carefully maneouvred into the sled – the patrol said that he was one of the biggest lads they’ve had to rescue. Ha!

And his relaxing trip down the mountain.

Marti taking it easy in the sled.

As I sit here writing this blog, it’s dumping with snow outside. It’s been snowing for the last 24 hours. We’ve got approx 1.5 metres so far and it’s forecasted to just keep on coming. Happy days. Here’s the view just now from my bedroom window. If you look at the roofs of the houses, you can see the snow is banking up!

End of Exam party, Japanese Bob Marley, 5 Hour Onsens and Avalanches
Posted on February 1, 2010 at 8:03 am

After everyone received their BASI Level 1 debriefs from Rob, it was time for a few well earned celebrations and some food in a local isakaya in Akakura Kanko. Bill (local legend), his wife Masayo and daugher Sena joined us.

Bill and his fabulous family

Rob enjoying beef tataki at the Hohedo restaurant

Ben Charnock, who completed our course in Saas Fee this autumn, is teaching here with the local Yodel Ski School – he joined us for a drink. Ben’s been teaching local high school kids in Japanese – nice work Ben!

Japanese university students, in town for a week of partying – International drinking games by them too.

Sara and Marty

Jo on the harmonica helping ‘Bob Marley’ with a rendition of ‘No Woman, No Cry’

We don’t have pictures to prove it…but one trainee from Manchester, who’ll remain nameless, decided on a quick dip in the onsen at 1am, and woke up at 6am on the onsen floor. Very clean and very prune like!!

We’ve just completed our Avalanche Awareness Day with Bill. Brilliant. Having spent the morning going through the various dangers and how to manage the risk of being caught in an avalanche, we put the info into practise.  We snowshoed up to dig snow pits, evaluate the snow and get a feel for what it’s like being caught.

Looking through Bill’s essential kit for any back country trip.

Snow depth on the golf course.

Assessing the snow pack and the various layers.

Jo checking the size and shape of the snowflakes to see how stable the layers are.

Up close

Creating a block in order to test how easily the snow will collapse, with Marty being the willing volunteer.

Sara and Marty on their thrones

Sundip, Jo and Dave were buried in order to feel what it was like in the unfortunate event of being caught. Even at just over 30 cm of snow, it’s surprising how you cannot hear someone shout. Definitely a good wake up call!

The hike back.

Many Thanks to Bill Ross for an informative, practical and fun day.

BASI Level 1 Results
Posted on January 29, 2010 at 5:52 am

Short and Sweet. – 100% success rate at BASI Level 1 for our first Japan instructor course. Well done everyone and thanks to Rob for delivering such a successfull Level 1. Check back soon for updates on the celebrations this weekend…

Night Boarding, Kobe Steak, Australia Day and BASI Level 1
Posted on January 27, 2010 at 6:10 am

What a week it has been! We finished off Week 1 with a plush Kobe steak dinner on Friday night at a local pension, with a teppanyaki restaurant. They say a picture tells a thousand words, so I’ll let them give you an idea of the evening!

And the steaks were THIS big!

We all ate our weight in steaks, salads, stir fries. Trying to walk home after consuming that volume of food…well it took a while.

The group had a chilled out weekend, practising their moves from the week before in preparation for the Level 1.

Everyone has just completed their first teaching session as part of their BASI Level 1. It couldn’t have been a better day, bluebird, in fact with empty pistes. Ideal. 2 days to go until results time and everyone is looking strong. Happy Days.

Dave teaching the basic turn below.

Rob taking notes for marking as the group give their demos.

Marty below putting the group through their paces with the standard turn.

A bit of lunch and time to work on the tan!

Marty catching some rays…You don’t get this brown in Manchester!

Sundip looking the part…

Sara chilling in the sun at lunch

Everyone has got the hang of the Japanese pose

Great photo of the team above.

Back to the Hotel Windsor for the day’s lecture and for video analysis and feedback.

It was Australia Day yesterday and also the hotel owners’ birthday. Every Aussie that resides in Myoko was in the hotel bar for beer and vegimite sandwiches. The hotel owners showed them how it’s done!

And to celebrate Inoue-San’s b’day, we surprised him with a cake and a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday!’

At Akakura Onsen, you can go night boarding. They open one piste and the park. It was pretty epic. Empty and a unique experience. Highly recommended. The lifts close from 4.30-5pm whilst the lifties change shift, then you are good to go until 9pm. Who needs European apres-ski, when you can do this instead?!

The main chair at 5pm – empty (Below)

The piste and park ready to go.

The park at Onsen is a bit like a slopestyle – box and rail, then kicker or quarter pipe, then another kicker, box, rail then kicker to finish…then back up in the chair, then repeat until time for a beer.

And just another wee reminder below about the perfect parks here. Wish you were here?!

Perfect Parks
Posted on January 22, 2010 at 8:17 am

We’ve now ridden all 3 mountains. All are epic, but the one thing that stands out is the quality and quantity of their snowparks. The kickers are perfectly shaped, with good transitions and progressions catering for all standards of rider. In one of the parks I counted over 30 features! And that was not the only park on the mountain. Rob has had the group practising grabs and 50/50s on the boxes.

Wa doko desu ka kooen? (Which way to the park?!!)

1 of 30 features in the park. Absolutely ideal. Below is a local rider showing how it should be done. Check out the view.

Rob below.

Unlike Europe, eating lunch on the mountain is relatively inexpensive, and a bit of an experience in itself. In some places you have to go to a ticket machine (looks like something you’d use to buy a ticket in a car park) put in your money and pick your dish, then take it to the cashier. No one’s picked any howlers yet…the favourite has been octopus balls.

We’ve all been blown away by the Japanese hospitality here in Myoko. Shimosan, one of the hotel owners treated us to a drumming show; she wasn’t content until the whole group had a go with her. We discovered a tiny underground bar yesterday serving local beer, sours and delicious home cooked food.

Our friendly barman!

Joe is a happy man with his beer.

The guys (and girl) have already been a bit of a hit in town with their karaoke singing -  Bon Jovi and other 90s rockers…but the Sara stole the scene with her rendition of Maggie May and James Brown. She’ll have agents lining up soon!

Marty and Sara discovered a late night snack on the way home. A hot fountain with hardboiled eggs. Fish out your egg, shell it, eat it. There’s even a little salt pot. Who need Maccy D’s when you have this for 70 yen?

Arriving to 2.5 metres snow
Posted on January 18, 2010 at 7:21 am

We all made it to Tokyo Airport, coming from all the corners of the globe. LA, Sydney, Milton Keynes and Verbier! The hotel owner Inoue-San picked us all up in his little mini bus – a little tight with bodies and snowboard bags, but 4 hours later we arrived to just a little bit of snow…

We received a warm welcome, amazing katsu curry dinner, couple of Asahi beers then off to bed (aside from those that had a couple of cheeky Santori whiskies to toast the arrival.)

Day 1. Woke up to this view this morning. Not bad!?

We’ve been so lucky so far. The first day of coaching was at Myoko Ikenotaira, which is a 5 min bus ride from the hotel Windsor. Amazing. Huge open runs, empty, tons of powder and 3 parks. Could not really ask for more. Oh and delicious japanese food at lunch for £4. Happy days.

The group at the bottom of the main lift station at Ikenotaira. The only other people on the mountain were a few Japanese school kids, and the Japanese army. Interesting ratio of 1 instructor to about 80 soldiers!

Empty treelined runs. If you venture off piste to the right of this photo, there’s a hole in the snow, with a hot springs in it.

Day 1 coaching with Rob.

The most amazing views from every run.

Day 1…Done.