On the Now page, sometimes they are posting info
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/daily/shownow.php?town=Hakuba%20Now%21

From this week.

Avalanche Advisory
With the huge amounts of snow and wind this past week Avalanche Hazard is high in the alpine bowls above tree line. Bellow tree line the hazard is moderate yet caution needs to be taken in open convex terrain. Be careful in steep unsupported terrain over 30 degrees.

There are multiple slab avalanches that can be seen in the Hakuba mountains that were of a very large size (size 3 ~ size 4). Some close to 2 metres deep, 500 metres in width and 1 km in length. In other words HUGE. Small sluffs can be seen in steep terrain below tree line and there is increased chance of small slab avalanches on southern aspects with increased solar radiation and increased temperatures.

Have fun, Play safe. Always wear a beacon, carry rescue gear and know how to use it just in case. Ride one at a time with other members of your crew watching from safe areas and when possible stay out of avalanche terrain.

Who writes these things? Isn't that the first thing you want to know?

The priorities in that list of avuncular advice at the end are exactly backwards aren't they? (Not that I would know, I haven't taken a course.)

Ocean its time for you to either read a book or not talk about things you dont understand. I know you know many things but dont trash things that you know nothing about. This is written by Evergreen outdoor center. Dave Enright has been in the field this year since the first snowfall. He has tracked the snowpack and rates it as high. If you cant understand this simple avie language then really dont post BS just to post BS.

I was caught in a 30 cm sluff slide that might have something to do with this report

Sorry Fattwins, I understand exactly what he's talking about. But you can tell from the way it's written that there's an element of self-importance there (in width = wide, in length = long), and I also find it odd that anybody would trust unaccredited warnings.

And you don't think that advice is backwards?

As for your own reliability, judging from your recent posts, I wonder just how safe you are.

I just find some of the BC stuff funny that's all. And I know how much ya'll hate to be laughed at.

Surprised to see you posting here Ocean11. I thought you had renounced all winter-sports to pursue a more green existence.

The reason I had suggested a dedicated forum was to encourage others to share info about safety/avie in regards to Japan. I'm looking forward to any useful information you might have to share with us here.

the guy who wrote it is not even the guy who did the pits. he is the office staff guy. He gets footnotes and writes it in the avie still reporting. I know all these guys ocean, the guy taking alot of the temps is tellyboy. the office guy is a way cool auzzie guy who has a love for mountains and nature but his sking level is just coming around. Pit Diggers Dave Enright who is one of the coolest down to earth people I know.

In all honesty the snow pack is freaking deadly at the moment in hakuba and if they can get that across then all the better to them. Japan is up to 5 deaths at least this year I think maybe more.

Alright, ignore my question then if you can't answer it.

I haven't done the necessary course so I wouldn't know, but is that saying that it's maybe not safe to ride on steep, south facing slopes in-bounds too? Because if that's what it's saying, it should maybe say so, if you know what I'm saying.

montoya, I'm sure I have no information of use to you, but I'll feel free to ask questions here from time to time. Just to educate myself if'n I do get back into it.

If you skied 100 slopes lets say 50 of them would slide. How do you want to write that up. If you took the time to call dave he would give you an honest answer, go dont go or idont really think its that safe.

I'd actually have to agree with Fatty on this one. Ocean's, I've read only two threads about avo's on this site (one on avo courses, and then this one), and you've made ill-informed comments that denigrate both.

The danger is that others, who are new to the BC or avo awareness, may not take the good information onboard. Questions are good. Derisive comments from an uninformed position are dangerous for others.

Oh, and I forgot.... "self importance"? Sheesh! Informing others with the aim of reducing fatalities doesn't rate as 'self importance' in my book.

And there isn't anything that suggest the author was rating the advice in the last paragraph in any order of priorities. Take it for what it is: great info to have that'll help you make sesible (and hopefully) life saving decisions.

Whew! I usually don't get hot in forums, but I'll take all the avo information I can get thanks.

Here's a big thanks to anyone out there sharing info - those here, or those I meet on the hills.

New here, but,......Who IS this guy?

> If you skied 100 slopes lets say 50 of them would slide. How do you want to write that up

"You have a 50% chance of being involved in a possibly fatal slide on certain southern slopes including in-bounds"?

Or again, did I misread that?

If that's really the case, and the concern really is safety, why not say that?

> The danger is that others, who are new to the BC or avo awareness, may not take the good information onboard
Patronizing nonsense. The danger is that some people may take all this 'good' information on board, do stupid things on the hill, write posts listing their mistakes 1 through 4 (in all objectivity), then make 1 mistake too many. A more plausible danger methinks ... speaking strictly as an armchair theorist.

> New here, but,......Who IS this guy?
Someone who thinks the BC people on here (except miteyak) are funny.

the writing is standard within the industry.

Try to find something different. If you can i will pat you on the back.

I dont understand your bones to pick with this one Ocean cause it makes no sense. People are trying to help a bit, in the industry standardized way.

Fattwins, I don't want a pat on the back from you. I'd likely end up in a creek.

The bone I have to pick is that I think a lot of this is just a bit of a pose. A lot of the 'BC community discussion' is tripe. Don't give me crap about "the writing is standard within the industry". I translate specifications for a living and that is not some 'industry standard' format there (it's an attempt to be which is what makes it funny).

Besides poking a bit of fun, I've asked a few simple questions here, but nobody responds to the serious questions because you cain't. You just patronize, or hint that I should FO, but if you knew what you were talking about you could give me an answer without saying "Phone Dave Enright".

Is that Hakuba warning actually warning about dangers within resorts or not? And if it is, why isn't it clearer like some 'industry standard' warning ought to be? Do you really think something like that can form the basis of decision making? If people are really taking the time to go out there and check up on this, it seems like an awful waste of time just to write something half-arsed like that report. Posting something vague like that, and then saying "be sure you know how to use your kit now" seems more like an infomercial to me.

Ah whatever, jes tryin' t'edicate myself here's all.

Can this thread please get back on topic.

If you don't like the reports or think they are useless then, hey, just don't read them. Some people obviously do appreciate and value them.

If you want to continue arguing about this and/or laugh at each other's point of view, do it somewhere else - not here.

Thanks.

Ocean for someone who said that they wont even ride this year.... you really wanna cut people down who are trying to help or to change things in a positive way. i you and say well done and well thought out great fight you know so much more than us. Before you comment at least ride once

Ha ha, that's funny. What is the topic?

SJ, if there isn't an avalanche advisory for a place, does that mean there aren't going to be any avalanches there? Gosh, others, who are new to the BC or avo awareness might think that.

Like I said in the post above...

>>> If you want to continue arguing about this and/or laugh at each other's point of view, do it somewhere else - not here.

is there a reason why a cancer like O11 is still allowed to post here? just a simple answer will suffice.

The post above might be seen as a warning. We do not want this to continue, as you might gather