It's muddy, humble, and has no waves. Akira Shibusawa - LEAD Mountain Guide

While the great appeal of being able to enjoy free skiing in the great outdoors is the backcountry of snowy mountains, where there are various dangers lurking. Backcountry guides are experts who use their wealth of knowledge and experience to provide you with an unparalleled skiing experience while ensuring your safety on these snowy mountains. We take a closer look at the ``personality'' and ``guiding'' of these up-and-coming guides who choose professional guiding as their occupation and step slowly and steadily into the world.

I started a guide company at the age of 30.

Hikari Shibusawa obtained the Ski Guide Stage II certification at the age of 25 (the youngest record!). From the '24-25 season, we launched "LEAD Mountain Guide" and made a new start.

“I had various experiences in my 20s, and when I turned 30, I decided to become independent. LEAD means to ``lead'' or ``lead'' customers into the mountains. It means that we want to build a single team and be a ``leader'' who moves through the mountains. I'm good at paddling through bushes, crossing streams, long sweaty hikes, and muddy mountain hikes...I like it.''

``Thus'', ``Wandering'', ``Mud'', ``Smell''...keywords that are the opposite of a pure snowy mountain come out one after another. It can be said that he is a very rare guide in the glittering and sophisticated BC industry. As I listened to his story, I realized that the reason he had such a hard time becoming independent despite his qualifications was because he was capable. Supporting senior guides, managing safety and carrying cargo for TV filming throughout the year, patrolling ski resorts, being stationed in the summer mountains in the Northern Alps, leading training at my alma mater...I am in high demand. The good thing about people is that they can't refuse when someone around them asks them to. The active and attentive young man was relied on in many ways, and it seems he was unable to do anything for himself as he tried to respond with all his might.

From Shinetsu Gogaku to the Alps

Akira Shibusawa was born in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, overlooking the five Shinetsu Mountains (Mt. Madarao, Mt. Myoko, Mt. Kurohime, Mt. Togakushi, and Mt. Iinawa). His father, whose hobby is mountain stream fishing, took him with him, and he has been familiar with mountains such as Myoko and Togakushi since he was young. After school, the boys go fishing for crucian carp and carp in the Chikuma River.They love to be physically active, and the boys' sports club combines soccer and baseball. Fishing is still one of my hobbies, and I buy an annual pass from the Sekigawa Fisheries Association and enjoy playing with rockfish by fishing for lanterns.

``In the future, I think it would be ideal if I could get a mountaineering qualification and be a mountain stream fishing and mountain climbing guide in the summer, and a backcountry guide in the winter.''In

junior high school, he belonged to the track and field club, and was able to climb 1,500 and 3,000 meters. Dedicated to middle-distance racing, he entered Nakano Nishi Prefectural High School and was accepted into the mountaineering club. He wanted to master mountain climbing and mountain stream fishing in the Shinetsu Gogaku Mountains, which he grew up surrounded by. However, the only members of the club are his classmates and his advisor.

``In high school mountaineering competitions, you had to be in groups of four, so I was frustrated (lol).However, there was an individual competition that was unique to the Hokushin area, and it was orienteering, where you got points by reading a map and rowing. But I've been in first place for three consecutive years by far.I've loved reading topographic maps since I was little, and I'm good at reading them.And I'm good at rowing (lol).

Shibusawa's first-year summer mountain training camp, in which he and his advisor and two students traversed the Hakuba Mountain Range in a tent, became a serious mountain climbing experience for Shibusawa.

``It's a 3-day, 2-night traverse in a tent, climbing up Hakuba Daisetsukei, passing through Fuku no Uta, going to Karamatsu, and descending Happo-one on the Goryu Piston. It's very rewarding and fun to be Then, as I felt the spread of the mountains beyond Shinetsu Gogaku, I started to want to do more mountain climbing, but since there were no club members, I took the map by myself after school. I was climbing a nearby mountain."

Feeling a desire to get more serious about mountain climbing, he enrolled in the professional mountaineering course at the International College of Nature and Outdoors (I-NAC) in Myoko City.

``At that time, I had no desire to become a guide.As I interacted with the instructors and other mountain guides, I began to aspire to be like this.'' As I said, the guide instructors were just cool, able to move with ease and have great depth as people."

In September, when I was 20 years old and a third year student, I ran all the mountains in the Southern Alps. This was also 12 nights without resupply or stagnation.

``Enter from Hirogawara, the gateway to the northern part of the Southern Alps, enter Mt. Kitadake, Mt. Ainodake, Mt. Nochodake, Mt. Shiramine Nanrei, descend from Mt. Kasugatake and Mt. Aonagi to Lake Hatanagi, climb Mt. Chausu, and reach Mt. Mitsuru. After Piston, I went all the way north to Mt. Hijiri, then descended to Yashagami at Akaishi, Arakawa, Shiomi, Senjo, Kaikoma, and Houou Sanzan.''

The names of the mountains came out of my mouth in the order I walked. I guess I have a clear map in my head.
``The Southern Alps is a journey all the way through. I just wanted to walk on all the ridgelines. My desire to dig deep into nature and walk for long distances is at the root of my actions.''

September, a 19-year-old second-year student, said: I took a break from long-distance traversals and went on variation routes such as the northern ridgeline and Kitakama ridge with friends. In this way, even away from school classes, he independently improved his long-distance traverse maneuvers and climbing techniques, and developed a map of the Japanese Alps in his head.

Meeting my master, Daisuke Sasaki

During the summer vacation of my third year, before I set out to traverse the Southern Alps, I spent 50 days, from Marine Day on July 10th until the end of August, working as part of a permanent summer mountain troop on the ridgeline of the Northern Alps. From that time on, he started thinking about making a living as a guide.

``We went to Mt. Hotakadake in the middle of winter for our third-year winter mountain training.The instructor was Daisuke Sasaki, an international mountain guide, and there was only me and one other student.We were taught almost one-on-one, and we descended the mountain in 4 days and 3 nights. At that time, Daisuke asked me, ``We're going to do a ski tour in Myoko, would you like to come?'' and I immediately replied, ``I'm coming.''

After the customer skied, it was my turn and he said to me, ``Shibusawa, come down with all your might,'' and when I started skiing, he said to me, ``You've only been skiing for three years, but that's great.'' That night, while we were drinking, Daisuke said to me, ``Hey, I'm going to take you to Denali.'' I admired him and wanted to follow him no matter what, so I said, ``I'm going.'' (laughs) ”

During the winter of the 2016-17 season after graduating from vocational school, Shibusawa decided to train as a ski guide at Sasaki's guide company, ``Bankei''.

“Daisuke-san told me to study with him, and I worked as a sub-guide for one season.I worked as a tail guide, as a guide when I was staying overnight, and took the car to Shimoyamaguchi, and so on. I was able to study. I was allowed to stay at the house of Daisuke's parents who live next door to his house, and we eat together at the table together (lol).

On weekdays when Sasaki is not on his ``Bankei'' tour, he reflects on his basic skills as an instructor who teaches skiing to children at the ``Snow Dolphin Ski School'' at Sapporo Teine Ski Resort, which Sasaki introduced him to.

``It's like there's only one person on the intranet team who has never really learned to ski before (lol). I was clearly the worst at it by far.''
My master, Daisuke Sasaki, told me about his skiing skills. He says he has hardly ever been taught anything about guiding on snowy mountains.
``I don't have any advice on how to do things here or there.It's a Showa-style thing where I tell people to watch their every move up close and memorize it first hand.''

In May 2017, Shibusawa was selected to be part of the support team for ``The World's First Far North Adventure: Denali Run,'' which was broadcast on NHK. I worked together with famous mountain guides such as international mountain guides Naoyuki Kato and Makoto Kuroda who were part of the photography and support team, as well as Japan's leading alpine climbers Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima. I was inspired.

At that time, I ended up walking to 4,300m, where I set up a medical camp, and although I did not make it to the summit, I was captivated by the allure of the huge massif Denali. After that, he climbed Denali twice on his own in 2019 and 2023.

Daisuke Sasaki, whom Shibusawa calls his mentor, evaluated him in this way and decided to accept him.

"I've known him as an instructor since he was a student, and I've always thought he would be a good guide. No matter what happens, he doesn't get upset or upset, and his emotions don't waver. He's always positive. Above all, he had a good personality. He also had the perfect physical strength and stamina, and he was proactive about climbing the mountain. "I'm here"

I chose my hometown, Hokushin, as the guide area.

In the spring of the same year, after spending the winter at Bankei, the Ski Guide Stage I exam was held in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture. The examiner at that time was Toyokazu Nakano, a guide based in Myoko, Niigata Prefecture.

``Mr. Nakano, who I had known since my student days, asked me, ``Have you decided on next winter?'' and I have been working on Mr. Nakano's ``IN Field'' for about five years.I can see it from my hometown. By taking me to many mountains, I was able to lay the groundwork for my role as a BC guide."

In 2020, at the age of 25, after taking the Ski Guide Stage II, I was assigned to tours organized by level at ``IN Field''. Now that he has become independent, the sub-guides for ``IN Field'' have been taken over by his juniors from his alma mater.
How was he able to obtain Ski Guide Stage II at such a young age? Even if you have good physical strength and personality, it is the most difficult hurdle to pass unless you have accumulated experience over time.

``It was a lot to remember, but I didn't think it was difficult at all.Skiing allows you to walk freely on the mountain.Therefore, you have to think about many things, such as the weather, snow quality, terrain, and customer reactions. You can freely create a tour that you think is best while taking into account various elements. It was fun and rewarding.When the weather was bad and the snow conditions weren't good, the participants seemed to be worried, but I found it more enjoyable. Even if you find yourself in a predicament, don't hold it in. If it doesn't work, it's okay! I'm more optimistic than ever. I guess you could say that I get more fired up when I'm in a tough situation."

``I'm an optimist,'' he says with a laugh, but optimism can only be born from firm confidence in the mountains, where life and death are at stake.
Shibusawa has decided to base his activities in Shinanomachi, a town next to Nagano City, where he was born and raised, and lives in a rented house. By the way, he is in a long-distance relationship with the girlfriend he promised a future with and still lives alone.

``Shinanomachi is close to the mountains, but it doesn't snow too much like Myoko, so it's a comfortable town to live in. And you can see the mountains clearly.It's surrounded by Mt. Myoko, Kurohime, Madarao, Takatsuma, and Togakushi, and is a mountain guide. It's easy to go to Myoko Arai where it rains a lot and Togakushi which is dry inland. It's right in the middle of Nagano, so you can quickly change the guide area depending on the weather that day.For example, if it's high in the west and low in the east, and it's too rainy on the Sea of ​​Japan side, you can go inland to find better conditions. I can move on the same morning.”

There are two types of BC guides. One type is people who entered the world of snowy mountains because they love or are good at skiing or snowboarding. The other type of person is someone who loves mountains in all seasons and has acquired a ski or snowboard that is highly maneuverable. Needless to say, Shibusawa is the latter. From orienteering with advanced brush rowing to long-distance traverses without resupply and lantern fishing in mountain streams, Yamaya has transitioned from muddy mountain hiking to mountain skiing. Therefore, he does not give up in adversity, and the more difficult the situation, the more reliable he becomes as a leader.

LEAD Mountain Guide
official website: https://www.leadmountainguide.com/Official
SNS: Instagram