Brah, AWESOME video, even 5 years later. I enjoy watching competent backcountry 3 pinnin'. well done. I just got back from 3.5 weeks in the Niseko area and your visuals elicited all kinds of memories. thanks for taking the time to present your trip for others to see.
I'm amazed by the images, never pictured Japan as a powder-rich country. Also surprised by the many deciduous trees. Soooo pretty with each tiny branch covered. Admiring the smooth dance-like movements of the telemark skiing lady. I tried it a few times for an hour but it takes a lot of strength and balance and I quickly went back to parallel.
Hi Richard glad you enjoyed the vid. We have been to Japan several times now and personally I find the last week of Jan and the first three weeks of Feb good. It is very cold in Japan (usually) and therefore the powder remains very good for a long time. Hokkaido (the North Island) I think gets dryer lighter powder and remains better later in the season. However now to really get good powder I recommend more back country skiing. For some reason in the past 5 years not only has there been many southern Hemisphere skiers going to Japan but this year there was increasing amounts form all over Europe and the States. So the resorts get very busy and tracked out quickly. That said there are many small ski hills that aren't popular or are not known about and you can find great local hill ski stashes. Enjoy
Nice video. Good filming. Lovely teleturns. The best part about skiing in Japan is not the skiing, it is the apres ski. Although Japan doesn't usually have the big apres ski party scene or bar scene like the USA or Europe or some other places, the hot springs and dining are really nice. As far as powder...umm not so much. Japanese snow is pretty heavy and usually wet compared with dryer placed like Utah in the USA or the Rockies or the European Alps. The first lift at the bottom is usually as crowded and long as waiting for in a taxi que at a Chinese train station on a national holiday. HOWEVER, if you can ride the higher lifts of the upper mountain, the lines get a LOT thinner. Like every place in the world, most Japanese skiers are casual skiers without the courage to go high in the mountain so most stay at the lower level lift lines. A lot of Japanese topography has the base runs as mostly flat but STEEP vertical at the top, so if you can ski the steep, you can avoid most of the crowds - same as any place really except that the low level lifts at the bottom are SUPER crowded.
Wow Stu, just stumbled across these videos tonight...I admired your knowledge and skill, when we worked together 25 years ago and I’m blown away by your skill to document and showcase your journeys in the outdoors now. Great footage and editing skills. Hope you’re well and planning new adventures to wow us with.
Great Video and great turns! I have been told that the powder season is very short in Japan but is very predictable (2 weeks end of Jan) and very good. Appreciate your views on this. Regard from Netherlands, Richard
Holy s### you folks must have quads of steel. Skinning then skiing deep powder like that??? Anyway, awesome video, nice to see some context, not just powder -- although that's really nice.
great video well edited and entertaining. makes me upset tho after I hucked off a large face unintentionally at cortina in feb...pelvis is still recovering. i missed out on so many face shots :(
What a nice video! Thanks for that :) Question for you: are you experienced enough to travel the back country in a foreign country like that or do you have a guide who takes you out there and finds the sweet spots? Cheers!
Usually we do a mix of guided and non guided. The reason being a good guide will take you to some pretty good, remote, and different places for a great day out. You end up skiing better snow in a shorter amount of time. Meaning if you have a month in an area then you can afford a few days wasted getting to know the area, however if you are time poor then a guide will make sure you get more great skiing in the time frame. As you said, a guide is there to find the sweet spots. This trip it was an equal split of guided and non guided days. That being said, we try to stick away from large groups as it becomes a skin up and a jostle for a line down again.
Brah, AWESOME video, even 5 years later. I enjoy watching competent backcountry 3 pinnin'. well done.
I just got back from 3.5 weeks in the Niseko area and your visuals elicited all kinds of memories. thanks for taking the time to present your trip for others to see.
I'm amazed by the images, never pictured Japan as a powder-rich country. Also surprised by the many deciduous trees. Soooo pretty with each tiny branch covered. Admiring the smooth dance-like movements of the telemark skiing lady. I tried it a few times for an hour but it takes a lot of strength and balance and I quickly went back to parallel.
Thanks. I will tell her. Japan is an amazing place for the outdoors.
We started at Asahidake then went to, Tomamu, Furano, Daisetsuzan national park and some other local areas around Furano
Hi Richard glad you enjoyed the vid. We have been to Japan several times now and personally I find the last week of Jan and the first three weeks of Feb good. It is very cold in Japan (usually) and therefore the powder remains very good for a long time. Hokkaido (the North Island) I think gets dryer lighter powder and remains better later in the season. However now to really get good powder I recommend more back country skiing. For some reason in the past 5 years not only has there been many southern Hemisphere skiers going to Japan but this year there was increasing amounts form all over Europe and the States. So the resorts get very busy and tracked out quickly. That said there are many small ski hills that aren't popular or are not known about and you can find great local hill ski stashes. Enjoy
Very nice. Have been to a few of those hills (with teles) ... and am just scoping out how and where to return!
Nice video. Good filming. Lovely teleturns. The best part about skiing in Japan is not the skiing, it is the apres ski. Although Japan doesn't usually have the big apres ski party scene or bar scene like the USA or Europe or some other places, the hot springs and dining are really nice.
As far as powder...umm not so much. Japanese snow is pretty heavy and usually wet compared with dryer placed like Utah in the USA or the Rockies or the European Alps.
The first lift at the bottom is usually as crowded and long as waiting for in a taxi que at a Chinese train station on a national holiday. HOWEVER, if you can ride the higher lifts of the upper mountain, the lines get a LOT thinner. Like every place in the world, most Japanese skiers are casual skiers without the courage to go high in the mountain so most stay at the lower level lift lines. A lot of Japanese topography has the base runs as mostly flat but STEEP vertical at the top, so if you can ski the steep, you can avoid most of the crowds - same as any place really except that the low level lifts at the bottom are SUPER crowded.
Wow Stu, just stumbled across these videos tonight...I admired your knowledge and skill, when we worked together 25 years ago and I’m blown away by your skill to document and showcase your journeys in the outdoors now. Great footage and editing skills. Hope you’re well and planning new adventures to wow us with.
hi Ray glad you enjoyed it. I am working on another one at the moment. Back country skiing in Patagonia. Cheers.
Great vid guys. Truely a winter wonder land with that lovely fresh snow. Enjoyed the music as well.
Great Video and great turns! I have been told that the powder season is very short in Japan but is very predictable (2 weeks end of Jan) and very good. Appreciate your views on this. Regard from Netherlands, Richard
when I saw these snowpacked branches of the trees...i laid down.. and cried..you lucky bastards! 😍
Thanks guys. Love your work. Subscribing because I like your style. Hope to see a bunch more of your Tele posts
Nice story. Japan will eventually be on our bucket list. .We have a bunch of friends now there snow touring with Adventure Project.
oh and you can free the heel very well. some sweet smooth turns in there. might run into you guys in the bc this season
Loved this vid, your lady is so super smooth, love her style. Thanks
I will let her know
Beautiful video, love the Telemarking ! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😎😎😎🎿
Holy s### you folks must have quads of steel. Skinning then skiing deep powder like that??? Anyway, awesome video, nice to see some context, not just powder -- although that's really nice.
great video well edited and entertaining. makes me upset tho after I hucked off a large face unintentionally at cortina in feb...pelvis is still recovering. i missed out on so many face shots :(
Thats the best balanced Skiing Video i´ve seen. The Music is great, the cut is perfect, and you seem very sympathic. Nice!
Thanks. I appreciate it.
This is the reason I want to learn to ski like this. Travel
Great Video! The Snow looks like the power in Utah..... !
Maybe I will have to go. Always wanted to ski Utah
Great video, what was this filmed with?
Thanks for the comment.
What resorts did you go to exactly? Also great video! The information is helping me lots in planing my own trip.
What a nice video! Thanks for that :) Question for you: are you experienced enough to travel the back country in a foreign country like that or do you have a guide who takes you out there and finds the sweet spots? Cheers!
Usually we do a mix of guided and non guided. The reason being a good guide will take you to some pretty good, remote, and different places for a great day out. You end up skiing better snow in a shorter amount of time. Meaning if you have a month in an area then you can afford a few days wasted getting to know the area, however if you are time poor then a guide will make sure you get more great skiing in the time frame. As you said, a guide is there to find the sweet spots. This trip it was an equal split of guided and non guided days. That being said, we try to stick away from large groups as it becomes a skin up and a jostle for a line down again.
Unbelievable video. Wow.
Wow @ 1:38 ....wheres your snorkel !!
Excelente!!!
OMG this is chic & classy guys: super vid !!!
Wich skis are you running with?
Salomon QST 106
what time of year did you go?
February
sorry. where and where in japan? also checkout "telemark skiing forum" on fb
sorry. just rewatch "Asahidake!"
Cheers, thanks for that. Bummer about your pelvis.
旭岳は最高
Awesome ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Japan's old Tian Shan the new black.It's Japan on steroids.
すごくいい！
Love from Kashmir