Niseko Snowboarding in the snow storm!
01/03/09 09:52 Filed in: JET
A friend
just outsourced a design job to me and I have to get
it done by Monday. Very rushed indeed.
I need a break! So here’s an update to the latest and LAST snowboarding trip for this year. We went to Niseko.
I want to learn skiing next winter. We’ll see how that goes.
Once the snow clears, I’m going cross-island cycling! But maybe not so soon, probably in summer when the weather is much warmer. People here say spring time here in Hokkaido is cold! Guess its really hard to shrug off the bitter winter cold.
In the bus at Kutchan. On the way to Niseko.
And we’re here.
I must say I prefer Kiroro to Niseko. Kiroro looks more spiffy and upmarket.
The view from up the mountain. Not really that high, but the view here is amazing.
Here’s a closer look!
We went carving the snow covered slope for about an hour and a half. It was a “warm up” at the low beginner’s slope. Was really hungry after that.
We’re not allowed to bring food from outside the food court to eat here. But we did it anyway.
After lunch we decided to head up to the top of the mountain! Well almost.
It was snowing heavily.
We took several other ski lifts to get to the top of the mountain. Here’s us inside the covered ski lift. Its covered with a movable canopy because we’re almost near the top of the mountain. It was very, very windy. At one point the ride stopped and was hanging on the line because of the strong winds.
Once we got off the lift, the “adventure” began!
We strapped our feet to the board. Oh I have to mention the snow was really powdery. We slid down about 5 meters when a huge gust came at us. All that snow blowing into my face made it impossible to see anything. Everything was white.
I kept falling backwards, blown by the wind!
The group went ahead with much difficulty. All I could see in front of me was plain white. It was white everywhere. And it was extremely cold. I could not even fish out my camera from my zip pocket near my chest to capture the moment.
Icicles form on my eyelashes. The wind kept on blowing, delivering blasts of snow on us. We could not move. All of us could only sit and curl ourselves up, waiting for the snow to pass.
Then the wind stopped. Briefly. Then it started again! More powder on our faces. The gust of wind kept on its intermittent act the whole time.
I unstrapped my board. I could not slide anymore. I ran towards the group. They were waiting. It was really difficult to walk in that much soft powdery snow.
I think most of us were thinking we should hurry on down the mountain where it is not as tormentingly frigid and windy. Once the wind stopped I strapped back on and we quickly carved the snowy slopes downwards.
It was unbelievable, we were lucky to get down alive! Hah!
Taking a break.
This was somewhere near the halfway mark down the mountain. Most of the time my legs got frozen stiff due to muscle cramps. I was constantly in half-squat position while negotiating the terrain. Tumbling down most of the time because my legs couldn’t take it. It feels like I’m in a constant state of muscular tetanus!
Maybe it was because I didn’t do much stretching beforehand. Maybe it was the bitter cold. Maybe it was just because It has been a long time since I have done much exercise!
But it was one heck of a ride.
Falling and tumbling down felt really good. It was really fun too because the soft powdery snow helped cushion my fall. Glad I didn’t hit my head hard like I did before in Kiroro. Up here there are less people sifting through the snow. In Kiroro, the snow becomes compacted. It makes falling a real pain.
Strangely, Japanese people don’t wear helmets. Its available for rent but almost no one wears one.
Photo Courtesy of Adeline.
As you can see from the photo above the windy was really crazy. It was worse when we first started up near the top.
Well, that ends my snowboarding adventure for this year.
On retrospect, it was really crazy for us to be in Niseko at that time. The weather forecasted for that week was a snowstorm! To top it off, the day after I was back from Niseko, Ice told me over the phone that there was Japan issued a nation-wide avalanche alert about a week ago.
Wow. We were lucky indeed.
That reminded me. There was a photo pasted around in Niseko about an Australian who went missing. Hope he’s found. Else they’ll have to wait till summer time.
Next year, Ski!
I need a break! So here’s an update to the latest and LAST snowboarding trip for this year. We went to Niseko.
I want to learn skiing next winter. We’ll see how that goes.
Once the snow clears, I’m going cross-island cycling! But maybe not so soon, probably in summer when the weather is much warmer. People here say spring time here in Hokkaido is cold! Guess its really hard to shrug off the bitter winter cold.
In the bus at Kutchan. On the way to Niseko.
And we’re here.
I must say I prefer Kiroro to Niseko. Kiroro looks more spiffy and upmarket.
The view from up the mountain. Not really that high, but the view here is amazing.
Here’s a closer look!
We went carving the snow covered slope for about an hour and a half. It was a “warm up” at the low beginner’s slope. Was really hungry after that.
We’re not allowed to bring food from outside the food court to eat here. But we did it anyway.
After lunch we decided to head up to the top of the mountain! Well almost.
It was snowing heavily.
We took several other ski lifts to get to the top of the mountain. Here’s us inside the covered ski lift. Its covered with a movable canopy because we’re almost near the top of the mountain. It was very, very windy. At one point the ride stopped and was hanging on the line because of the strong winds.
Once we got off the lift, the “adventure” began!
We strapped our feet to the board. Oh I have to mention the snow was really powdery. We slid down about 5 meters when a huge gust came at us. All that snow blowing into my face made it impossible to see anything. Everything was white.
I kept falling backwards, blown by the wind!
The group went ahead with much difficulty. All I could see in front of me was plain white. It was white everywhere. And it was extremely cold. I could not even fish out my camera from my zip pocket near my chest to capture the moment.
Icicles form on my eyelashes. The wind kept on blowing, delivering blasts of snow on us. We could not move. All of us could only sit and curl ourselves up, waiting for the snow to pass.
Then the wind stopped. Briefly. Then it started again! More powder on our faces. The gust of wind kept on its intermittent act the whole time.
I unstrapped my board. I could not slide anymore. I ran towards the group. They were waiting. It was really difficult to walk in that much soft powdery snow.
I think most of us were thinking we should hurry on down the mountain where it is not as tormentingly frigid and windy. Once the wind stopped I strapped back on and we quickly carved the snowy slopes downwards.
It was unbelievable, we were lucky to get down alive! Hah!
Taking a break.
This was somewhere near the halfway mark down the mountain. Most of the time my legs got frozen stiff due to muscle cramps. I was constantly in half-squat position while negotiating the terrain. Tumbling down most of the time because my legs couldn’t take it. It feels like I’m in a constant state of muscular tetanus!
Maybe it was because I didn’t do much stretching beforehand. Maybe it was the bitter cold. Maybe it was just because It has been a long time since I have done much exercise!
But it was one heck of a ride.
Falling and tumbling down felt really good. It was really fun too because the soft powdery snow helped cushion my fall. Glad I didn’t hit my head hard like I did before in Kiroro. Up here there are less people sifting through the snow. In Kiroro, the snow becomes compacted. It makes falling a real pain.
Strangely, Japanese people don’t wear helmets. Its available for rent but almost no one wears one.
Photo Courtesy of Adeline.
As you can see from the photo above the windy was really crazy. It was worse when we first started up near the top.
Well, that ends my snowboarding adventure for this year.
On retrospect, it was really crazy for us to be in Niseko at that time. The weather forecasted for that week was a snowstorm! To top it off, the day after I was back from Niseko, Ice told me over the phone that there was Japan issued a nation-wide avalanche alert about a week ago.
Wow. We were lucky indeed.
That reminded me. There was a photo pasted around in Niseko about an Australian who went missing. Hope he’s found. Else they’ll have to wait till summer time.
Next year, Ski!
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