Japan Powder Camps

 

-

To download clip, click here

-

Just when everybody thought it couldn’t get any better!  We met with our guide named Eto, and two ski patrol who were provided by the resort of Furano to look after our group for the day in the off piste terrain. Warren ran a transceiver check with everybody in the group before we accessed the off piste terrain. He talked about the area, what to look out for, potential dangers, general ski etiquette and also about respecting the mountain. He spoke highly of the patrol, and the job they were doing for the mountain.  This instilled confidence in the Patrol for what we were doing which seemed to make the whole operation work really smoothly.

We are the first Powder Camps ski coaching organisation in history to ever be granted this exclusive permission to run our camps off piste in Furano, so it was good to be able to show the Patrol the level of what was being performed by the Academy coaches.  They were very happy and were positive and patient throughout the entire day, despite the language barrier.

 

Then the moment we had all been waiting for, the patrol lifted the barrier and off we all went into a wilderness of trees and untouched powder.  Our guide Eto (Hiroshi Etori) led the way with Warren and the two patrol (Yoshimi Saito and Mitsuo Morita) took the back with Rob moving from middle to back.  The walk in was breath taking.  The trees were coated in powder.  Everything was whiter than white. It was truly magical. Everybody had grins from ear to ear, and the fact that they were the first group to ever do this made the whole experience even more thrilling.  A shared experience to remember forever.

In the winter in Furano, cold winds blow in from Siberia across Japan’s Okhotsk Sea and dump on average of 30-40 feet of some of the lightest powder snow in the world.  The trees in the out of bounds areas protect the snow from any wind and the cool temperatures prevent it from warming and getting heavy.  The snow is some of the best in the world to ski and our guide knew exactly where to lead us to the best.

It wasn’t too long a walk before we arrived at the spot Eto was leading us to.  He looked down through the dense powder filled forest and glanced back at us as if to say, well this is it.  I got first tracks – a photographers prerogative!  I positioned myself for the keen bodies about to descend their best ever run.  It was a playground in paradise! One after the other, the group choose their own line.  Nick said ‘The skiing in Furano was special.  Not only because the powder was superb and the trees and environment so beautiful but the fact we were priviledged to be off-piste skiing there.  It was ceremonious’.  Once we got to the bottom of one descent, we traversed high to another, repeated this and did it again and again until there was no more to descend.  We arrived at the foot of the valley and followed a frozen stream through the silent, empty forest to the resort. 

 

The ski back was like a fairground ride.  We followed the valley through the trees really picking up some speed.  We were taking compressions, jumping branches, riding up banks, and the sounds of everybody laughing, whooping and cheering in the silence of the wilderness was really nice.  At the end, we arrived at the spot where Warren and I showed ‘Thanks’ to a sign on our arrival back and we re-enacted for a last photo before lunch, at great comparison from Warren’s original shot in 2008 to finally achieving his wish of bringing his Academy groups here in 2009.

During lunch, Eto headed up ahead of the group to put the boot pack into a hike he had planned for the afternoon.  We met up with the Patrol again who opened up the barrier to let us through, guarded it for a bit to make sure nobody followed and then took the back.  Warren took the front and guided the group along a 15 minute walk to the boot pack on the hike Eto had put in. Eto and Warren remained in radio contact constantly to meet us in the right place in the vast area. Planning had to go into this earlier where Warren and Eto studied a topography map together, and discussed where the best snow would be after the recent weather.

I don’t think anyone thought that the morning could be beaten, but the area we were in was absolutely magical.  It was like something out of some fairy tale movie!  The shapes formed by the branches of the trees decorated by powder white snow was fascinating to look at.  It was some of the most pretty scenery any of the group could have dreamed about.

 

We arrived at a 20 minute hike up a ridge which gave us a bit more height and descent and got us into the deeper and better snow up top.  This time, the guide and the patrol just looked at us and told us to go at our leisure. They now had confidence and trust in the Academy course and in the ability of all the skiers, so freedom was given to let rip!  Everyone spaced out and descended in their own line at their own pace.  Everyone finding their own bit of fresh powder. Once again, nobody could stop smiling at the end of the afternoon and all were ready for a night of celebration!

 

James Mutter from Furano Tourism had organised a night out for us in the centre of Furano. We had sushi for dinner in a Japanese restaurant and then headed into town.  James had arranged a two hour free bar for us at the Dream House Kingyo Bar.  I don’t know if he realised what he was letting himself in for!  Everyone let their hair down!  Dean was a 20 year old in a 40 year old man’s body!!  His style of break dancing was both entertaining and hilarious.  He took the floor and led everyone into a dance off with some local hip hop braniacs.  Felix didn’t let anyone down in their expectations of his dance manoeuvres either…and Warren!!!…well!!

 

A good night was had by all, and tomorrow seemed so far away.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 7:19 am and is filed under Japan powder Camps 09. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.