Big Mountain Riding in Japan: 10,000-Foot Peaks & Wet Dreams in the Hida Mountains Despite seeming close, Yarigatake requires the most walking of the big three peaks that make up the Hakuba skyline. It’s well worth the hike. The massive ramp that runs southeast off the summit tightens between formidable rock walls about half way down to form a couloir that finishes one of the longest, most consistently steep pitches in the valley. Growing tired of climbing the Daisekkei, we opted to climb past Yari Onsen […] Zach Paley | June 3, 2015 2 Comments
Wet Dreams in the Hida Mountains: Tateyama Dreams Turned Nightmares A lot inspired the namesake of this saga. Constantly dreaming about getting to ski these towering mountains played a factor, however it wasn’t until a deluge of rain for two consecutive weeks that the literal sense of being in a wet dream set in. Like most wet dreams, things got weird. When not used to the confines and time constraints that come with what most consider normality, there’s only so much down time one can tolerate before feeling a little unbalanced. Thankfully, before the Gary Busey level of sanity set in, the promise of fair weather returned. […] Zach Paley | May 26, 2015 0 Comments
Wet Dreams in the Hida Mountains, Japan: Shirouma Central Couloir The day after the northeast face of Shiroumadake promised for optimal weather. We decided it was a good time for round two. Burning the candle at both ends with these early starts and 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. The sun did a sufficient job broiling the easterly facing central line down Shiroumadake, making it prime for corn turns. Wind kept things firm and interesting for the top few meters, but once in the line, it rode quite smoothly. […] Zach Paley | May 6, 2015 2 Comments
Wet Dreams in the Hida Mountains: Shirouma Northeast Face It’s no secret that skiing the alpine around here is something we fantasize about. It’s also no secret that it rains a lot here in the spring. Though the ‘wet dreams’ we don’t want can become a reality all too often in the spring, the ones we want are worth the wait. When rain gave way to snow up high, […] Zach Paley | April 25, 2015 3 Comments
Wet Dreams in the Hida Mountains: Shakushi Northeast Couloir 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 and early start just to get it. And like most things in Hakuba, the weather windows are few and […] Zach Paley | April 20, 2015 1 Comment
Wet Dreams in the Hida Mountains: Goryu Diamond Couloir 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. Goryu literally translates […] Backcountry Zach Paley | April 15, 2015 1 Comment
Wet Dreams in the Hida Mountains: Shirouma Southeast On Honshu, the transition from winter to spring can be 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. However, when the Gobi Desert dust finally settles and stable weather windows materialize, opportunities arise […] Backcountry Lee Lyon | April 12, 2015 1 Comment
Wet Dreams in the Hida Mountains: Shakushi Southeast This series documents riding spring big lines in the Hida Mountains. The first part reports from the Shiradake Diagonal Couloir. One cool thing about Hakuba is that many of the biggest, most aesthetic lines are clearly visible from town. Every sunny morning, I wake up and stare at Shakushi’s SE face lit up in alpenglow. I scan the surrounding terrain for signs of instability for the day ahead, and I dream about putting tracks on Shakushi’s spines. I’ve been waiting for the right conditions to get on this face for some years now. In late March, an opportunity finally presented itself. […] Backcountry Lee Lyon | April 9, 2015 0 Comments