Hey Guys
Been around Japan for a while, but I am new on the forums.
I am used to snowboarding in the States (preferably steep and deep through the trees) and as such found the resorts here REALLY disappointing on several fronts.
It seems that there's a lot of great terrain around (Nagano), just doesn't seem to be at many of the resorts.
*ANYWAYS, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON BACKCOUNTRY GUIDED TOURS AROUND THE NAGANO AREA?*
I am pretty much interested in any and all means of getting up the hill, so long as it takes me to the goods. Also, I am hoping to be doing some shoeing to scope out a few spots when there's no freshies to be found at the resorts but prefer to get a little more vert out of the day. It'd be sweet to hook up with some like-minded people...

here you go m8.
http://www.evergreen-outdoors.com/new/e/winter.html

cheers for that!
ps- got no couch, no TV, just an itchin' for POW!

you should check out the evergreen avy course if you haven't taken one before

Kuma I will most probably take the Advanced RAC next month. Are you going to take it also?

The "riding" coment is not ment only about snow you know.

Tsondaboy- I check out that evergreen site. It didn't give much away about the tours that they do. Do you know more? Also you mentioned on one of your reviews about a BC guide service at the bottom of the gondola at 47. Care to elaborate any more info?

I still haven�t taken the course so can�t really say more than what is written in their site.
Kumapix has taken one of their courses last year, here is the review for that.

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/5/86.html?

I think that the BC guide service at 47 is through evergreen.

Hey TB thanks for the info! It was cool to read about your experience taking the avy course.
Don't worry I'll be doing as much "riding" as I can. Just a little worried about the powder day conflicts of interest!
Anyways, there wasn't any info. on the evergreen site about HOW they get up the hill. I was told that you take the lift up and go shoeing from there. Do you know about any other kinds of outfits around here. Any heli, cat, or snowmobile type services?? Don't get me wrong. I LOVE hiking, but when there's POW, I'm greedy and feel guilty if I'm not gettin' the vert or if I even stop for lunch.

you can take heli rides in the spring at certain resorts for the CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP :sarcastic smile: price of 9,000 per person per hike (usually 10 mins in the heli to a standard route. very few snowmobiling to the bc in honshu still.

why not earn your turns mate?

there are plenty of japanese outfits, but evergreen is the best english one.

bigg dogg. on the avy course you don't do any riding. on the second day you hike up for 1.5 to 2 hours and spend the day digging pits and simulating avy rescues. this gives you the skills to go out into the bc (with other trained buddies).
If you don't want to hike up the mountain then look around for crappy heliboarding but you'd better have a thick wallet!

Tsondaboy - I'm going to give the advanced course a miss this year ($$$$). Maybe do it next year as a refresher on the basics that I learnt last year and to add more knowledge.

Dizzy -
1. Why not earn my turns? I expected that one - see my previous post.
2. There are plenty of Japanese outfits: Please hook up any links that you know to those outfits. My Japanese probably isn't good enough to do technical training like the avy course, but definetely good enough to go on a tour. Sorry, I didn't clarify that.

Kumapix -
1. I read about the avy course from tsondaboy's last post. About what I'd expect, but it sounded good!
2. I feel the same way about the heliboarding thing. In my experience it was for rich tourists. The helicopter ride was fun, the lunch was good, but...something was missing...They treated us like we were going on a pony ride. Lesson learned.

BUT, I am just exploring my options.

I'm glad you liked my review

Aaahh, sorry I got you guys mixed up. I liked reading about YOUR exp., Kumapix (I did actually read it!)... but, I was multi-tasking at the time - a beer in one hand and...

there are no cat outfits really nor true heli sking outfits. If you arent going to earn your turns then you arent going to get what you want.

no worries BD :p

The hiking isn't even that bad when you think about the payoff
Just take the avy course if you don't have training, get some gear and then you'll be eligible (for lack of a better word) for some bc action. You'll be more likely to find bc buddies if you've got the snow safety angle covered.
It is quite an investment at the beginning though (of time & money)

I know what you mean kuma, the season just started and I have already spent 10 man in gear...
I am also a bit tight ($$$$), but I can�t keep on postponing it forever and still keep on hitting the BC in the meanwhile. Its now or never for me.

i will prob take it next year or the year after

dogg: the outfits i know of run out of t-town or osaka, and charge astronomical rates. besides, earning your turns is part of the passion, for me at least.

suggestion: pick up the latest issue of hiking mags like 岳人 and flip through it; tons of ads of touring companies, prolly japanese only. word of caution: if your japanese isn't up to par, they might not want to take someone on for group safety reasons. but as long as you can explain yourself it shouldn't be a problem.

t-boy, the advanced course is definitely worth it. you get more chances to get in the snow and look around at the snowpack (and a sick little line at the end, too)

I asked this in the wrong thread. Cut and paste to here:

I see the word 'guides' being used a bit more in Hakuba online info these days. I even remember seeing a job ad a while back looking for IFMGA/UIAGM qualified guides. In Europe that is a genuinely difficult designation to obtain, even as an aspirant you can charge 300 euros per day for your services.

Anyway, my question: what kind of meaning does the word guides have? Does it imply real guides or is it local crew who know the terrain and can show you around the resort and off piste? Are there many IFMGA/UIAGM guides actually operating in Hakuba?

db the guides here that i Know of and trust are level 2 avie level 1 guide cdn. (im rushed)

There are a few guides that have the european ticket but who they are or arent I dont know. I do know a few go overseas to work at Cat ops etc.

I dont consider myself a guide but Ill tour and guide friends I trust into spots that I know. Thats not guiding though thats just touring with mates.