If you like snowboarding, skiing or just having an awesome time in the snow, then you may have heard Japan is the place to be.....this season.
The hype is not bullshit, it is the perfect conditions here at present.
I have lived in Japan for 7 years and this season my family, my business and I have based ourselves in Hakuba, Nagano. This is the best snow conditions in the world at the moment and may not happen again for years.
Today 24 Jan 2018, I woke to find 60cm of the newest, softest, driest snow I have ever seen.
You already know what comes next...board, boots, goggles.
Riding the Gondala this morning I could feel the knot of excitement building in my stomach. I was imagining the epic turns and jumps coming up.
My knot of excitement was soon replaced with a trembling ass of worry and maybe fear.
Let me just state, I am not a pro, just an enthusiastic intermediate boarder.
Once off the Gondala I was welcome by a complete whiteout. 3 meters visability at best. Plus a wind strong enough to push me over.
Yeah I was scared.
Two choices lay ahead of me. Take the Gondala Back Down (there is no shame in this), or move on and die.
Obviously because I have made this post I took the gondala back down and survived.
Like Fuck did I. I was at the top of the mountain and I wanted to ride this baby back to base.
What followed was one of the best runs I have ever had. I crossed onto a double black diamond (yeah pretty stupid) and it was amazing. The lumps and bumps just didn't exist.
When you have 60cm of fresh snow at base, you have a shit load more at the top.
3 meter viability was terrifying as boarders and skiers came out of no-where.
The cat tracks were littered with those unaccustomed to powder, the slopes had everyone trying something new. When you have this much powder, two things happen.
- you try something new because - why the fuck not.
- you try something new because if you mess it up, it doesn't hurt.
I included myself in this. I tried different moves, jumps and flicks, almost all were completely crap, but instead of a sore ass, bashed head and twisted ankle, the worst I walked away with was a dump of snow down my jacket. At -10 it woke me up.
I currently write this at base, sitting in a warm lodge called Iimori Rest House eating hot delicious sausages from Sausage Bros and realizing that I need to get back out there and take some photo/videos so you all can see for yourself.
(I didn't take photos of this mornings run because I was busy not crashing)
In the meantime the photo below is of my wife at the top of the mountain with me last week - before the blizzard blew in.
There is no filters, no adjustment to the photo, it really is this beautiful.
Please remember to pass along to your friends. I really hope to see you all out here. It's epic.