Chronic wind

7 Feb 09

Wow, did it ever howl in Hakuba on the 8th. My heavy chicken shed came free of it's cement footings and was placed on its roof 20m from its former abode. A bit of a hassle for me.

The day before was quite nice though. Gusty winds, good sun, dust on crust and deeper stable pockets on the north side of Happo. The top lift station was like Chamonix with every guided group in the valley seemingly descending on Happo. After a quick and easy soft-filled bowl over the south side we climbed back up and hit GaraGara - deep enough and mostly untracked. Then traversed to the totally untracked and perfectly good chutes that start 100m up the ridge from the Big Triangle - which is looking lumpy and bony and bad. Basically, it was a really good day, despite the growing winds aloft.

Pity the wind ruined it all the next day.

9th Feb: After the NW gales abated, 37 degree lee side aspects revealed this set of crown walls was observed on Tengupara Higashi - a really popular spot with the likes of myself. I do not know if the skier triggered slide resulted in an injury or worse. We skied below treeline in Wakaguri and scored boot-to-knee wind sift, soft and fun then crudy down lower.

Comments

Submitted by Rod on 10 February 2009 - 4:20pm.

Where are the pictures of the chicken hut?

Submitted by Damian on 10 February 2009 - 8:18pm.

I tend only to be snap happy on the mountain. The chicken hut was turned over and moved back on the snow to its correct position by 5 of us today. We were able to slide it on it's sheet metal roof with little damage. I will have to use some heavy duty stakes to hold it in place until the cement footings can be re-attached and corrected.

SC - I agree with your comments. Indeed Hakuba only gets better as winter passes. Jan and Feb are overrated, always snowing.

Submitted by Chris (i-cjw.com) on 10 February 2009 - 9:28pm.

..to that wind. At 10,000 feet on Kiso-koma, it was Himalayan. Awesome day!

Submitted by Damian on 10 February 2009 - 10:40pm.

It is certainly an experience to stand in such rage, shelled with modern mountain clothing and little more.

Submitted by SC on 12 February 2009 - 11:28am.

People need a map.
http://itm-asp.com/cc/1615/pNE70wkb
Yes, Tengupara Higashi(East) is steep seeing the topo though I havn't been there. Wakaguri is guessed as Wakaguri Gelande of Hakuba Norikura Onsen ski area. I suppose less snow BCers want to trace the summer path from Tengupara to Yama-no-Kami to Hakuba Norikura Onsen ski area in winter. The reasons would be:
1. The slopes on the path are not so attractive for steep slope lovers. (guess)
2. It requires a tax/bus when returning back to Tsugaike.
Some enjoy Hieda-yama BC snowing from Hakuba Cortina Kokusai ski area.
So far, I haven't been in these areas.

Submitted by SC on 12 February 2009 - 5:53pm.

I found a GPS trucking map in this blog:
http://buna-pow.com/2009/tugaikebc2009/tugeikebc2009.html
The trip date is Feb 17, 2009. The blue line shows skins climbing routes. The red line shows tele skiing routes. The dotted blue line was a planned route. The two kanji letters center (??) read GANPOU meaning a big rock exposed. The four kanji letters right (????) read WAKAGURI NO KASHIRA (head).

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