15 replies to this topic

[Toque]

Over Golden Week I did a solo Backcountry skiing trip. I started from Kamikochi in Nagano and hiked into the Karasawa Valley camping in the base of the large bowl. The next day I hiked to the saddle between the Middle Hotaka and Main Hotaka before skiing down the Super Couloir on the other side to Shin Hotaka for a 1500 metre ski descent.
It was a really fun trip with lots of elevation gain and distance walked. Getting into the Karasawa Valley takes a few hours and involves about 15 km of walking. Getting out to Shin Hotaka was fun with the huge couloir and then route finding around the massive waterfall and linking up snowpatches below.


My camp below the big mountains in the Karasawa Valley


To make the approach easier I crammed all my overnight gear into my 30 litre daybag. No tent. Just a bivisack and my down sleeping bag.



This is one of the coolest lines in the valley. It starts near the summit of the Main Hotaka peak and descends into the Karasawa bowl. A pretty cool steep line. I want to ski it next year.



Me in the saddle between Middle and Main Hotaka with a few other cool lines in the background. More reason to spend a few days in this area.

[Fattwins]

nice dude im going kayaking or i would chat

[Toque]

Looking 800 metres vertical down to the camp area in the Karasawa Bowl. And of course more cool lines.



Looking down my line. I have wanted to ski this since seeing in 2 summers ago when I first arrived in Japan. 800 metres of continuous skiing before linking up another 700 metres of snow patches. A cool line I can see from my work.



Looking back up after nearly 800 metres vert



Me near the end with my line in the background on the right


A really cool trip and I want to get back in there for a few of the steep lines

[lin]

Looking 800 metres vertical down to the camp area in the Karasawa Bowl. And of course more cool lines.

That looks wild.
Thanks for the pics

[montoya]

Sick lines probably steeper than anything I've ever ridden before.

If I can talk my wife into it then maybe we'll spend an extra day or two in the Karasawa valley next week. Was hoping to leave the boot crampons behind, but now looks like I had better pack them after all.

How was the trail from Yoko to Karasawa? Can you skin up on the upper portions of it, or had the snow melted away already?

[Toque]

I finally got frustrated of my slow pace along that portion of the trail that I put my skis on just before where the summer trail crosses the river. Up until then it was annoying walking on the snow covered trail. Would have been difficult skinning though as it's a sidehill traverse.

There was a recent slide above where the trail crosses the river. It was pretty big. There was a route right up this. I could skin up it but it was difficult in places as avi debris usually is.

Crampons wern't needed down low. It was only above 2500 metres that the snow got icy and an hour or 2 later would have been soft enough to boot up without them. I probably would have left them at home had I not been alone.

[SnowConnection]

Nice TR & pics. A great chute.
I would provide with map info to readers who do not know how hard section it is.
http://www.geocities.jp/snhodaka/Route/KarasawaCamp.htm

I suppose Toque was standing at Sirode col(白出コル) between Oku-Hodaka-dake and Karasawa-dake. The west side of the col descends to Shirode-sawa(白出沢) valley to Shin-Hodaka-Onsen(新穂高温泉).

[SerreChe]

Again, nice pics Toque! Also nice to see some steep open lines in Japan. Was surprised though, quite a few tents at the bottom. Not sure I would be keen on a 15km approach though....

[montoya]

SerreChe, it's a long hike but one of the prettiest places in Japan. If you haven't been there, definitely recommend it.

[Toque]

It is a beautiful area and I am always happy to get in there. Makes me feel lucky living so close to such an area. Busy busy busy though.

If you think that's a lot of tents SerreChe you should have seen the tent area at Tateyama. There was over 100 tents.

Here is a map of the Karasawa Valley thanks to Snow Connection

Deleted because can't steal there pictures

[Toque]

Thought I would add that apparently somebody was killed in the Karasawa where the trail turns sharp to the south. Buried in an avalanche.
This may or may not be true. Not to sure.

[Fattwins]

you toque check your email I have invited you into my tateyama album. 15kms is alot hope I can do it next year with a big pack on my back.

[Toque]

I never got it
You sure you sent it to me?

[Toque]

I got it
Thanks

[Toque]

I'm not to worried SnowConnection

If anybody wants to go in there they can get themselves a map. It's pretty obvious where I went and anybody that has been into that area knows where I skied.

[Fattwins]

Hey toque pickup 2 saucerboy sleds next xmas and we can tow them around or use them for crazy fun come 2 pm sking sucks poo time.