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Powder Skiing in Japan - a few Q's

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
OK, so my sister is due to be teaching POWDER SKIING!! in Japan this season. She doesnt have any off piste equipment in terms of avy safety. We've sort of decided on a Pulse for tranciever use (unless you think theres better on offer) and have a shovel and probe already. Basically wondering if an ABS bag is worthwhile, neither of us have skied Japan before but imagine many of the faces wont be too extreme but more mellow with more consistant snow conditions reducing avy risk. So would the ABS bag at around 6 to 7 hundred euros be worth it?

Any general feedback about Japan's (she'll be in Niseko) skiing generally would be appreciated, the difficulty of off piste snow quality and just how big you think the risks can be with extensive off piste in Niseko and surrounding areas.

ps. if you have any recommendations for avy equipment do you know of any decent UK based shops to buy the gear (we're in Lancashire) or online stores with decent deals as a lotta money is about to be invested in the avy gear, cheers. Ross Mac (I use Kelly's account as well!)
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
pm mike pow - here or on tgr for the Niseko lowdown. He teaches there. Facewest is pretty good for avy kit. If she's teaching doesn't she really need a guiding qualification if she's going to be in the type of terrain where avy risk becomes an issue?
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I would imagine that where she is teaching is not that high risk or would have expected them to ask for guiding qualifications. However she will have quite a bit of time off despite being full time and so will be going to do more extreme stuff with her boyfriend Nico, just curious how great the risk is really.

I'll PM mike pow, cheers, I'll check out facewest.
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K.Mac,

mindfield of a subject which really can't be answered in generalisations on a forum.

I am still not sure what carriers regs say about transferring ABS cannisters so you might not even be able to take one..
Mike Pow is pretty sorted so that is a good place to start as Fatbob says

Any slope around 28 degrees and over can be dangerous so the only sensible thing to say is, if in doubt..don't...

Sorry can't be of any more help but guides take years to get to know their stuff and local terrain knowledge is as much an issue as anything else..and even then the mountain men aren't immune.

Maybe the first thing she should do is book a guide to show her around and get them to point out the more dangerous slopes...and why, and then do a mountain awareness course.

The only thing I know about Japan... is that they get sheds loads of fluffy snow... which is good ( fantastic to ski ) and bad if that lot slides...

Sounds like a great trip tho'
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Yeah it does sound like a great trip, she's fully qualified now and Im just going to start this season little while off ISIA yet...

I am assuming that her employer will have staff training and demonstrate where to go on a typical session, although I am not sure, Kelly may know but the decision to go to Japan has only been made recently she doesnt even have flight or a visa sorted quite yet but not far off. So hopefully she will know more from the employer soon, in fact I will get her to ask the questions so she has all the bases covered. Dont think she will go for an ABS especially if there is still difficulty with air travel, but mainly due to the cost seeing as she'll be getting £300's worth of Mammut tranciever.

Yeah I see your point about guides, Ive spent 10 years skiing in Chatel and around 4 years fairly competently off piste but just in the last season I skied more enterances and faces that were new to me (mainly during 3 days at easter) than I have during my entire time spent there (which must be over 300 weeks)!! Takes a while to gain the confidence to go into something you havent skied and cant quite see whats coming next Shocked thats where skiing with others who know the area better just makes the experience so much more fun and safe!
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surely she'll only be teaching in places which have been patrolled, bombed and made safe?

if not, i don't mean to be rude but it seems like the blind leading the blind if she doesn't know this stuff already Puzzled
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Well she has the required qualies that the employer is looking for and so expects to be teaching in areas that are deemed safe by the employer, I expect that the powder for the client will literally be just off the piste as the Japanese dont ski off piste due to the mountain spirits and so only foreigners use all the fresh powder of which 3-5metres falls a month I believe. From the footage I have seen of Japan it was all very safe looking gentle and rolling with quite a lot of tree runs, Im sure where she teaches will be safe otherwise how does the business get away with operating...

The safety aspect is mainly for her personal safety when she hikes for the more exposed lines and bigger/steeper/'dodgyer' faces
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
You rang Wink

Mammut Pulse is great. Good choice.

I ski all over the Niseko Resort Area and don't use an ABS bag. Knowledge, transceiver, shovel, probe & PARTNER works just fine.

Been here two winters - the worst two in the past 40 years according to locals rolling eyes - and had 10.5 m first winter and 13m last winter.

Because the snow is so light, the dumps not particularly massive, the off-piste so accessible, & the off-piste skied so regularly the avalanche danger is the least I've experienced in a resort / slackcountry next to a resort setting.

If Kelly is teaching clients off-piste it will be within the resort area boundary which is patrolled and controlled.

If she takes clients beyond the ropes, which some companies allow (and which you do not have to be guide certified to do) then the risk will be as high as she makes it.

As for the off-piste snow quality, this will be my third consecutive winter here. First time I've done three seasons at a resort. As a combo, the snow here is the most, best, lightest, most consistent I've skied. It's almost perfect to teach in.

She'll have a fantastic winter. Guaranteed.

It snowed last night up high. Resort level snow forecast for Thursday Very Happy
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
K.Mac, like some others here, I am confused and concerned by your sister intending to teach Powder Skiing, but not have any of the standard off-piste equipment: transceiver, probe and shovel. This suggests she may not have used it before.
There is no point in buying this stuff if she is not expert in its use. I would urge her to attend a suitable course. It's a long way from Lancashire to Bournmouth for one of Henry Schniewind's talks, but maybe a nearby snowhead could help out.
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It must have been late as I missed the POWDER skiing bit... rolling eyes I thought she was teaching skiing and would want to explore off-piste in her free time...
In my defence I was very engrossed in some work, so sorry about that.

I do worry that a school or company would carry on like this....considering what qualifications the guides we use in Europe will have. I haven't been to Japan and so am not so sure how they go about things but in black and white and from this far away, this looks pretty scarey.

Arno's blind leading the blind comment sounds pretty apt...with all due respect. I think your sister will need to be very careful and cover herself as this sounds like a potential litigation nightmare. I don't blame your sister for taking a dream job but I can't understand what the company thinks it is doing... and as I say, some of that might be because I don't understand their system..but even so... Shocked Shocked Shocked
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
wonder if she is teaching unpisted skiing- within resort boundaries/patrolled/avalanche controlled area rather than off piste / backcountry.

Either way very surprising that she feels confident to do this without having transciever/shovel or even an idea which one she wants.

Is she planning on running a nuclear power station as well, or the post invasion management of Iraq?-- sure she would be confident enough to do those as well........
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
from what Mike Pow says it sounds like there is a good chance it will be in patrolled, avalanche controlled areas so i might get off my high horse a little bit Little Angel
still, better safe than sorry!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Arno, It seems this will be the situation, and she'll be getting all the info she can. She wants to learn avy safety more in depth and think she will need to have a better understanding as she has limited knowledge and experience so far (although some)

edsilva,

You may have noticed we do have probe and shovel but not yet gone for the Pulse (looking for a good deal now if it exists!). My sister hasnt done a lot of skiing far from the piste and always in controlled areas. Where she hasnt been in contorlled areas she has had a tranciever and the basics in their use and search methods (when heliskiing in NZ). If she has time for a course she would do one but time is against her and the DVD that accompanies the Pulse will have to do along with other useful documents and material I/Kelly can find. She will ask if her employer will be offering a course on safety and searches on arrival as that would be great if she could get some decent burial practise in.

Mike Pow,

Thanks, it sounds so amazing, the snow description practically had me drooling, wish it was me going! Kelly wont be venturing off piste alone. Ive just read out your post to her, she's really looking forward to going. Its good to hear that the risks arent huge, obviously she will still ski with all the gear all the time. mmmm snow, boy am I jealous, although think I'll be having my best season to date so wont feel too bad when she returns with amazing pics and vids and stories...
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
K.Mac, you can do a bit of home practice if you find one or two others also with a transceiver.
Hide one in the garden and then send your sister off to find it.
Then find a large sand pit and bury a transceiver in a backpack, and see how fast you can get it out.
You should aim to get it down to under 5 minutes.
For honours, go for 2 probes buried - said to be a lot trickier (I haven't tried this one).
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
My understanding is that Kelly will be instructing within the ropes.

The Niseko Resort Area is similar to many US and Canadian resorts, with the in-bounds non-pisted terrain controlled and open (NB. There are 3 gullies that are strictly off-limits)

It snows so frequently that most mornings the piste is under 10-15cm of powder.

The combination of a very accommodating pitch, the consistent lightness of the powder top to bottom, and wider profile skis sees many intermediate (red run) skiers tackling the non-pisted terrain.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Who's she working for?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Pro Powder, dont know what quality of groups she will be taking but has been told that she will not be taking any kids. They teach all abilities but I think given the snow quality and ease of some of the terrain it looks like a great place to teach powder skiing.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Mike Pow,
Quote:

It snows so frequently

sorry, this is off topic, but could I ask, does the sun ever shine during the ski season, or does it just keep on snowing?
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Maybe an hour or so when it's snowing.

Normal week it'll snow 5 out of the 7 days.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Mike Pow, thanks. I think I'd feel a bit sun-deprived...
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K.Mac wrote:
Pro Powder, dont know what quality of groups she will be taking but has been told that she will not be taking any kids. They teach all abilities but I think given the snow quality and ease of some of the terrain it looks like a great place to teach powder skiing.


Good company. Trevor's a good guy.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Hurtle wrote:
Mike Pow, thanks. I think I'd feel a bit sun-deprived...


It's sunny in spring, summer and autumn. The other 6 months of the year wink
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