17 Feb 08

Mio makes her way down a steep feature in the Wakaguri area.

Its been a mixed a mixed bag of backcountry for the last week.  Lots of new snow, 50cm at the house and 70-100cm higher up.  We managed to get some good footage which takes time to edit.  Unfortunately not many photographs.

Start of the week: I took some of the guys from Hakuab House (my freinds, owners and employees, not guests) out for beacon training and then we hit the north face of Happo side country, getting a long safe and enjoyable shared descent in one on the very rare blue sky days.  I'll chase those guys for some photographs.  It was a great day.

Midweek: Luke and I hiked the hill outside my lounge room window and rode that, then had fun building a  jump or two and riding off a concrete dam wall.  Ridiculous what is possible in ones own backyard (literally).

End of the week: I went to Tengubara alone in the storm to feel the tearing shudder of some tremendous winds against my body, the absolute mayhem and violence of the blasts were awesome - you can't even hear your own voice.  The ride down was a beautiful continuous 2.3km uninterrupted powder experience on safe low angled terrain and into calm and still air with fluttering snow.  I then sat and had lunch and dug a few snow pits in the steady falling snow and tranquillity of my own little valley with no one else.  The contrast of being alone in both environments in with a small window of time was with the effort.

On Saturday Luke, Mio and I toured in the easy backcountry in Otari, had incredibly good powder and not one sign of instability. It was a very good day.  Nick and co. from Hakuba Powder Lodging was out there as well, and having fun.

Hopefully the weather will clear in the next 72 hours and Luke and I can get up to base camp,  dig everything, spend the night up high and atempt Korenge San (2769m) or another worthwhile alpine excursion in the area.