The Snow Thread

General Pub
21

I’m sure you will be getting travel insurance :slight_smile: just make sure you also get coverage for ‘winter sports’ I think its only an additional $50 bucks or so (from what I remember on my trip to Canada/USA a couple of years ago) but well worth it.

I know of a guy who broke his leg skiing in Vail and had to cough up $6000+ in medical bills because his travel insurance policy didn’t specify that he was going to be skiing (apparently its a high risk activity :confused:) and you need to tell the company beforehand to get that level of cover or they will find a way to get out of paying you out, Brisbane flood style.

I slipped over many times on my ass in carparks, stumbling out of Canadian bars and pubs becuase being a total white winter noob (from Perth) I didnt have the skills to be drunk and upright on black ice at the same time. You can do some real damage even without hitting the slopes. But skiing/snowboarding is pretty much like MTBing IMO - quicker you go the less likely you will fall!

22

Yep, tastes like warm wax but hey, when in rome…

I can’t remember going to an onsen in Hakuba but I’ve been to ones in other places over there - definitely check one out at least once! It’s pretty awesome to have a soak after a hard day’s boarding. Oh, and don’t be shy about nuding up - public showers/onsens are really common so just go with the flow.

Best things I’ve got from a vending machine = beer and Boss coffee. Boss coffee is weird, ubiquitous and addictive.

23

Sake can be served either hot, room temp, or chilled. I never really acquired the taste for it though. As for vending machines, whilst it’s true they are absolutely everywhere in Japan, 99.9% of them are drinks machines. I didn’t see a single vending machine selling anything except drinks during 3 weeks in Japan last year. So I wouldn’t plan on getting all your gifts from them, unless everyone you know loves boss coffee.

no cotton undies? how much time are you spending on your arse that you end up with wet underwear!? i’ve been skiing for 17 years and pretty much always wear a cotton baselayer… but +1 on spending more on boots, poor fitting boots will ruin your whole trip.

24

Maybe its just my [lack of] style, or the fact that I tend to fall, but everytime I have been in powder, that shit gets everywhere. Including up my jacket and down my pants.

Plus… 17 years of experience would lead to less falling. And fwiw I’ve never been with anyone who would ski or hike backcountry with cotton baselayers [not that KO is going off hiking chutes on his first trip - but I’m just saying, it makes sense.].

25

DUUUUUUUUUUDE!!!
First of all, great choice hitting up Hakuba, I was there for 2 weeks this time last season and it is amazing.
You will find that compared to the snow Tokyo is really quite expensive, so spend your money wisely.
If you’re hiring equipment, there are usually deals with most of the hostels for cheaper hire and even cheaper lift tickets. Most of the time when you hire a board they willset it to the de-fault bindings settings, ask the guy at the shop to put your bindings out a step, a wider stance makes it much easier to ride, especially in powder!
And lastly, embrace the small Japanese restaurants, I’ve forgotten the Japanese name but they are practically known as little dine in pubs. Food is great, cheap and the chef will always do sake shots with you.
Don’t waste your time seeing the monkeys, they just sit in bubbling water, that’s it.
As you can see, I’m at Whistler for the season and I’m loving everyday I get on the mountain.
Enjoy yourself man, ride hard because a week flies by, but most of all stay safe!
POW POW POW!!!

26

What sort of things do you find expensive in Tokyo? The accommodation that we got was pretty cheap (60AU a night) which we found via Hostels Worldwide - Online Bookings, Ratings and Reviews We opted for a traditional Japanese room as they looked a bit roomier than a western style room.

I will be taking my own equipment (EST bindings for quick adjustments… they rule!) but my friend will be buying a small amount of gear over there. We are hitting up the Burton concept store over in Tokyo, they have a walk in chiller room that you can test the gear out in. Hilarious.

Thanks for the heads up about the monkeys, I was going to see them. But will probably give them a miss if it’s not worth it.

Now, we are spending 4 nights in Tokyo, 7 nights in Hakuba, then after that we haven’t locked in anything. We have another 4 nights before we have to head back to Australia… anyone have any suggestions for other must visit cities, or should I go back to Tokyo and really get to know the city? Osaka / Kyoto?

27

Kyoto, easy train ride, awesome city.

28

Sweet, thats what I have been hearing.

I was going to get a JR pass before I went, but for the amount of time that I am spending in one place I don’t think it will be worth it. I will just pay when needed to travel on the Shinkansen.

Another question, how cold is it going to be. Both in Tokyo and Hakuba, I know the temperatures on paper, but I don’t actually think I can get a feel for how cold it can be at times. I just don’t want to snowboard suit up, then halfway up the mountain realise that I don’t have any gear that can cope with the cold weather.

As for getting around Tokyo, just some jeans and hoody good?

29

you will be fine in tokyo with a hoodie and jeans, its nearlyalways overcast but not really that cold. there’s no wind so that is definetely a plus.
same as Hakuba, hardly any wind because you’re skiing in a valley.

30

If there is any wind, I am coming for you.

31

I literally just got off a flight back from Japan (heaps tired, so sorry if I ramble or don’t make sense). I was over there for 6 weeks, spending the last 2 boarding (and getting married) in Nozawa Onsen, near Hakuba. So, for what it is worth, here is my impression…

Firstly, the snow rocks. It is insanely dry and powdery (not at all like the Vancouver/Whistler “cement”). We consistently received around 20 - 40cm of fresh powder every night (and it is still very early in the season), with some days up to a meter. (the BNE guys will kill me for saying this, but while they flooded we received over a meter of fresh powder… definitely the most amazing day boarding in my life). The riding style is completely different to Australian and Whistler conditions. Do set your stance slightly back, and be prepared to shoot straight down the hill or find yourself losing speed and having to dig yourself out. Double black runs are easy when they are covered in a meter of powder!!! You will have a hard time breaking your cocxyix if you stick to the ungroomed runs! That being said, travel insurance is still a must.

Never, absolutely never wear cotton. Once wet it stays wet, and you will be fucked. If you do find yourself getting cold, deliberately crash into deep powder… it wasn’t hard for us to find ourselves more than waist deep and taking around 20 minutes to dig ourselves out (it is scary the first time :slight_smile: ). You will be sweating by this point. “Swimming” out when it is this deep is a hell of a lot easier. Temperatures for us were around -5 to -20 with wind chill, and I was very comfortable with un-insulated bib-pants & jacket, mid weight thermals (top and bottom) and a mid weight wool fleece top. Bib-pants are a must if you search for powder. And don’t forget a neck warmer and some sort of face protection (I prefer a “buff”).

Don’t bother to learn to ski/board over there… almost all group lessons are in Japanese, and the individual english lessons are consistently booked out.

ABSOLUTELY learn some basic japanese. Please, thank you, good morning, good afternoon, hello, I’m sorry I don’t understand, I dont speak Japanese, and do you speak english… these are basic phrases which when said, open up a whole new world of insanely nice japanese folk willing to bend over backwards to help you out. Even if this is all you can say, they will usually comment on how good your japanese is, while handing you something free. Buy a shit load of gifts (not stuffed koalas… that shit is just tacky!) and give them out freely and happily. Japanese don’t tip, and so a gift to them is a big compliment. Give one to someone who re-arranges your room if you stay in a traditional japanese room… guaranteed you will get an even plusher bed the next night. Some Japanese may stare at you (I am a Ranga, and my wife is a tall blonde so it is a given)… they are not being rude, but are genuinely interested in you. Buy them a beer and try a conversation. And as others say, don’t be an Aussie Bogan.

You will come back insanely spoiled, and unwilling to ride other snow conditions again.

Sharpening your edges isn’t necessary as there isn’t much ice… but a fresh hot-wax makes a hell of a big difference.

Beverage vending machines are everywhere (every street corner… I kid you not!). Food vending machines are harder to find (I saw probably two out of a million). I think this has something to do with it being considered to be rude eating while moving (or out in public). Bins for rubbish are hard to find, while beverage bins (neatly sorted into plastic types, aluminium, and so forth) are plentiful.

Beer is cheap, hard liquor is cheaper… sake cheaper still. Dry sake is good cold, medium sweet sake good warm. Ask them for their recommendation on this, and be prepared to give it a go.

Eating in Tokyo is cheap… shopping and accommodation is way more expensive. On the hills, you can get a good filling meal for around 1200 yen. Izakaya… it is a japanese style tapas bar / pub. Definitely give it a go. Oh, and I don’t think I need to say it, but don’t eat the fermented fish and squid guts. It tastes like it sounds…

Onsens are awesome. Absolutely wash yourself first, and full nudity is required. It is freaky the first time, but quite relaxing once you get used to it. Onsens really make it possible to go hard the next day. Try it. Trust me.

Kyoto would be my choice if you have a free 4 days afterwards (it is what I imagine when someone says “think of Japan”). Osaka is very similar to Tokyo, but with cheaper food… particularly in the red light district.

I think that is it for my ramblings… :stuck_out_tongue:

32

I was in Tokyo for 5 days and it was no-where near enough time. If you’re in Tokyo for a week, I’d stay there. The city is fucking huge, and will provide you with more than enough stimulus. You’re staying in an awesome part of the city; I loved Shibuya. Check out a Manga shop (several in Shibuya), and be sure to find the Hentai (You’ll be amazed at what gets a young Japanese man off). I thoroughly enjoyed other parts that might not get as much attention as most tourists, such as the markets in Ueno and Asakusa (where you won’t see a high-rise for almost the whole suburb, very old-Tokyo).

It goes without saying, but the Tsukiji fish markets are a must. The earlier the better, catch a cab and get there as early as possible (4am?); don’t bother with PT has the earliest train is a bit later in the morning and you’ll miss out on some of the auctions!

Second everything Dave said above ^

Have an awesome time Ezylee

33

I think all the smart stuff has been said above but I’ll add a couple of my own points/tips…

  • Watch out for the ‘party vortex’ - you can get stupid drunk anywhere, you cant ride waist-deep powder anywhere so re-think that extra shot/beer/whatever.
  • Be nice to the lifties/on-mountain staff - they see everyone coming down and can often give you tips as to where the best lines are. (that is if they aren’t baked out of their brains). They will also ‘forget’ to notice that you slipped to the front of the line or let you ride a chair by yourself. Staff are often great sources for good, cheap food and drink deals on the hill.
  • Try and buy kids tickets - with full gear on it’s often easy to pass as a kid (sadly my beard has halted this trick for me).
  • Spot your lines and don’t be a hero. You might feel like a champ on your local hill but that 60ft step-up booter/triple kink could end your trip early. Same with that cliff line. A little research can mean that you will ride for the rest of the day/trip and avoid a trip to the ER. Start easy and work up.

Have fun… I’m coming off 5 years on the ‘Wet Coast’ of Canada (or the ‘NorthWet’ as it was sometimes called) where I was lucky/motivated enough to get out every week on average. I had the chance to ride a lot of great places/great days.

Oh and never forget to high your buddies! Even the worst conditions can be made awesome with good positive friends.

34

This is a big one. Went last year with a few mates and one went a bit hard with the party part abd ended up only getting 3 or for half arse days out of a 3 week trip. Also the Japanes party hard as they don’t get a lot of time off.

35

Thanks so much for your post (and all the others too!!) and congrats on the wedding!!

I am now going to start to learn the Japanese phrases, I have learnt a few so far but not as much as you had pointed out. In the past learning the local language has really helped me out (especially in france and italy).

Just touching on the gifts, what sort of stuff are we talking here? Any examples?

36

I’ve been skiing for 23 years now, and have been very lucky to do so.

I’d have to reiterate every other comment here. Japan is an awesome place, and as long as you don’t treat it as the “Winter Bali”, you should be fine, unfortunately there will be these idiots everyone has spoken about, and because the Japanese are a very polite culture Aussies tend to exploit it.

Some things I’d like to add that haven’t been said.

Unless you’re small don’t look at buying any clothing over there, everything is made for the Japanese market, so it’s smaller than usual.

Rent skis/board there, saves you lugging it around, and they have some great rental gear, unlike the crap we normally get to hire here.

Take a helmet, one it keeps you warm, two it keeps you safe, because you don’t want to be trying to explain to a ski patroller who may/may not understand english you or a mate has sustained a serious head injury.

Be mindful of your luggage weight, most airlines have a limit, so check what your limit is, gear can get heavy, and taking extra can cost a lot.

Unless you’re experienced and have done backcountry, stay inbounds, the patrollers don’t have to rescue you if your out of bounds. And always ski/board with a mate.

Other than that, use common sense and you’ll be fine, it’s a great trip and an awesome place to visit. :cool:

37

Not a problem! Hope it all helps!

Gifts are an interesting thing… Japanese give gifts all the time and it can be quite hard to chose the right thing. Probably the best thing I can suggest is think of something local to take (ie only available in Australia or even more locally…) Oh, and edible stuff is always a good move as it doesn’t need to be stored by the recipient. Slightly off topic, but the Japanese for example have many different types of Kit-Kats… each only available in a certain area. Then when someone gets a “fuji apple flavoured kit-kat” they know they have been to a certain area.

I took a pile of Macadamia nuts (but they’re available over there so wouldn’t suggest it), Australian animal shaped locally made shortbread (a bit naff, but they looked cute so were loved by the younger females), locally made jam, bush tea (which was a pretty well received gift as they drink a lot of tea), and for people that I already knew, an Australian geographic, a custom bag that I made, a pile of keyrings that I made, and so forth. If you can’t think of something local, make something yourself; Even a simple personally hand made card would go down good! It was a lot (well over $150 worth, and a quarter of a suitcase) but I would have tipped that for good service anyway, so it was easily justified. Plus when you empty your bag of all the gifts, you have heaps of room to take back stuff (brought back two 1.8L bottles of sake and didn’t go over the weight limits). Wrapping/presenting it well is part of the game too, so try your hardest to make it look good (just neat folds and stuff, no need for ribbons or bows!). And give/receive the gift with two hands… one hand makes it look like you are indifferent and don’t care (and I got the impression it was considered polite to slightly talk down the gift like: “I know this is only small, but I have had a fantastic time and would like to give this to you”).

Timing of the gift is something I haven’t worked out yet. Some people give gifts when they first arrive at a house/ryokan, while others give halfway through their stay, or at the end. I don’t know which is best… We tended to give at the end, or after a really good experience. We even took one to a restaurant the day after! But really, you cant go wrong if you are giving a gift, as you are trying hard and they know and appreciate it.

And last but not least, definitely use the local courier service called a Takuhaibin (the black cat that others above talk about). Once landed, we shipped all our ski-gear & gifts (2 suitcases & a board bag) direct to the Ryokan and only paid $40-ish. It saves lugging heavy luggage through downtown Tokyo, or dealing with it on trains. The locals do it, so I highly suggest you do to! It really was a life saver.

38

Haha, wow… I am the worst wrapper of presents around, So I may need to ask the wife to help me with the presents.

Just came across these tips for gift giving:

Devalue the gift you give. The important thing is to act and seem humble. You don’t want the recipient to think that you are arrogant or proud. Denigrate your gift as much as possible. It doesn’t matter if the label on the box bears the symbol for Gucci. The Japanese value the appearance of a humble gift-giver who tries to shun away from praise.

Praise the gift you receive. Although praising may seem obvious, overpraising the gift is the key. It’s also important to praise the fine taste of the gift-giver in making that particular choice for you. And don’t forget to give a thousand and one thanks.

Don’t open the gift unless you are urged to do so. And when you do, you must take the utmost care in unwrapping it. Don’t look eager, and be careful that you don’t tear the paper or cut the ribbon. After observing, praising, and thanking, be sure to rewrap the gift as if it had never been opened. Try to appear as if you take great pride in the value of the gift. Humility is valued in Japanese society as a virtue and even as a norm.

Choose perishable/edible gifts. In general, don’t buy things such ornaments, vases, and kitchenware; it’s already assumed that everyone has these things. To do so may imply that you don’t approve of the other person’s taste. Also, most Japanese houses are very small and don’t have extra space for useless junk.

Offer something perishable or edible. Some suggestions include fruits, smoked salmon, canned goods, coffee/teas, jars of jam, and oils. Though not as common, fine wine or gourmet bottled drinks are options as well.

Wrap all gifts attractively. Wrap anything and everything with good-quality paper along with bows and ribbons. Japanese gift-giving is an art and it should be treated as such.

You should look out for the colors when choosing your ribbons. Red and white are typically used for Valentine’s Day, as red and green are for Christmas. Gold and silver are for weddings. Be especially careful with black and white - use those colors only for funerals. Because the Japanese can be quite picky and superstitious, be aware about the implications of certain colors.

39

-go to uniqlo and stock up on some heat tech and other basic clothes.
-whilst in tokyo go to shimokitizawa. go on a sat night and look for manga man outside the train station and get him to read u some hentai. get some okonomiyaki then find the trouble peach.
-get served by monkey waiters at the Kayabuka Tavern
-go to moss burger
-fuck i love japan.

can anyone recommend some cheap places places to snowboard in europe? i’m meeting up with a friend in chamonix for a few days and it is super expensive there. then meeting up with another friend in gratz for a while before moving to berlin for a couple of months. a friend told me slovakia is cheaper and has decent snow.

40

Holy crap, this sounds like a video game, or a bad dream.