I stayed at Raicho-sou Lodge from Nov.22 thru 24. There were PLENTY of fresh snow, but all foggy days. I enjoyed 1st powder this season at Raicho-zawa. I heard an avy accident be at Zyodo-san on Nov.23, not sure in details.
The last day of the Alpen Route operation is Nov.30. All lodges have closed except Hotel Tateyama and Midagahara Hotel will close Nov.29. Tents are allowed at Raicho-zawa basin.

Mikuriga-ike Lodge in fog:


Raicho-sou Lodge in snow:


Snowboarders at foggy Raicho-zawa:


Skiers at foggy Raicho-zawa:


Back to Raicho-sou Lodge:


Kurobe Dam site:

Nice photos. How did you like the Raicho-sou Lodge?

By the way, do you know of any Japanese websites where we can find more information about avalanche incidents here, such as at Zyodo-san? There is http://www.nadare.gr.jp/ but still very little info there.

Raicho-sou is the good base for Raicho-zawa & Tsurugi-zawa I love while it takes 30 min walks from Murodo station. No deposite for reservation is required. It has faciliated a new larger onsen room since this summer, also attracts me.

A sad news:
http://www2.knb.ne.jp/news/20051123_5299.htm
A 51 guy was killed by an avy on 23rd 11:30 am at north side (alt. 2,700m) of Jyodo-san. The six of his friends digged out him 15 min after the ave, but lost him after 4 hours. All wore avalanche beacons.

there is a nasty sun crust on some aspects around tateyama. unless there are some settling conditions, which there havent been i would stay on the well beaten paths.

Which peak is Jyodo-san SnowConnection?

I'd like to know exactly where please

gotta run today but here are a few links in J, maybe you can run it in babelfish or
get someone here to translate:
http://www.snownews.jp/modules/news/article.php?storyid=399
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1123/TKY200511230219.html
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20051123i313.htm
http://www2.knb.ne.jp/news/20051123_5299.htm
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20051123-00000313-yom-soci

Here's a topo map of the area:
http://watchizu.gsi.go.jp/watchizu.aspx?latitude=36.56971944&longitude=137.6038972

rry searching for "浄土山" for the other location and photos, eg
http://images.search.yahoo.co.jp/bin/que...ei=UTF-8&fr=top

Thanks Montoya
I'll try and get my way through that


I think I'm just going to take it easy again like last week up there
Tread lightly and ski low angle stuff. Maybe some powder farming
Maybe practice my beacon work

that is either on the front side or the backside of the bowl that you wanted to ski toque. The same area where sandy you and I skied. Thats SE facing so I think that it is the bowl. that would be close to the same aspest as the crust that I found. thread lightly out there and do push it.

a pic of the slope:
http://www2.knb.ne.jp/news/20051123_5299.htm



and video if your firewall allows it:
http://www2.knb.ne.jp/news/asp/XVideoView_h.asp?Order=20051123_5299_h&HeadLine=20051123_5299.txt

thanks montoya that mountain is very close to the bus station. but either the backside or the front side. The frontside would be a rocky fall.

I can't tell
And I can't watch video
Looks rocky and bushy though
I agree with you FT
Looks like it's around the bus station

its a good time to practise your pits mate. I wouldnt trust that colapsing snow either

It says on the pic that Montoya put up its the NW facing slope.

im talking about the opposite side Yama. on that side there is a large bowl. That is a bowl that toque and I wanted to ski.

The slope that slid on us FT was a South East facing slope

This is what I have put together


Murodo bus station is in the top left. Peak 2831 is Jyodo-san
The avalanche happened on a North West facing slope at or around 2700 metres somewhere on this bump.
The contour interval is 20 metres so the dark brown lines count in 100 metre increments


For referance FT we skied peak 2872 with Sandy just under the SJ stamp in the bottom right

thanks for that I forget that there was another peak on before our slope. We now know more there is a layer on possible NW and SE slopes so now its even worse. Whichever thread lightly, have fun and dont push it in bad snow.

If you go NW from that peak, it'll take you close to one of the stops on the Omachi side of the Alpen Route.

Here's the view of Yari south from the viewpoint on the map there. It was taken in 2003. It was around Nov 24, but there wasn't so much snow that year.