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Over the past few years, the internet has bounced around photos of this spot claiming it’s the Alps, Russia, California, British Columiba, or Alaska.  None of these are accurate.  Even when people got the country correct it was the wrong island or wrong location.  So, we thought we’d clear it up.  This is an impressive amount of snow and this locale should get the credit it deserves.
These images are of an alpine road called Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route on Japan’s Honshu Island (the Tokyo isle) .  It’s a famous mountain sightseeing route between the towns of Tateyama and Omachi (I’ve been to the hospital here…).
Yes, you can ski here and yes there are hotels and huts to stay in.
These images are bound to turn on any snow loving human being.  And we’ve all wondered where this place is exactly.  But if you’ve ever been to Japan you know that the Japanese are the only people on Earth efficient enough to clear a road of 40 feet of snow.  Their work ethic is unreal and their desire to see the remarkable realized is unmatched.
Skiing 15 miles from Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route in 2013 was DEEP
TATEYAMA KUROBE ALPINE ROUTE FACTS:
– 23 miles long
– Climbs 6,500 vertical feet
– You must use a bus, a funicular, a trolleybus, an aerial tramway, and your feet to complete the route
– Big, long tunnels go through the mountain to protect the local environment and get around the snow
– This route is purely for sightseeing
– Takes 5 hours to complete this route and costs about $100
– Located about 15 miles from Japan’s major ski center Hakuba
– Mountain Climbing, backcountry skiing, trekking can be done in this zone
– Route completed in 1971
Have skied up there a bunch (spring touring)… If it were a lift accessed winter ski area, it’d be a world class ‘must do’ destination. Stunning geography.
I saw the road in a narrow slot like that (snowbanks 2/3 that high) near
Mt Baker Washington 20 years ago ! 🙂
So amazing I still remember it.
Hey Mate. Happy for you to use my photo which you borrowed from my FB page as long as you put a link to either the FB page http://www.facebook.com/hakuba1 or my website http://www.whitehorse-hakuba.com Same goes if you want to use any other photos up there so feel free to check them out.
Cheers
TJ
Sorry about that. Just put the link in. Thank you very much for the photo. Much appreciated.
Sick. I’d go here just to look at it.
I wonder if anyone skis here while it’s winter and snowing and deep. Access if probably impossible.
Well, I’m impressed. And I’m not impressed easily. Oh, look! A blue car!
Stupid deep. Looks like Squaw this year.
Ha, I always thought this was Innsbruck in austria. amazing amount of snow