Backcountry skiing in the snowy mountains offers the great appeal of enjoying free-flowing skiing in the great outdoors, but it also harbors various dangers. Backcountry guides are experts who, while ensuring safety in these snowy mountains, provide an unforgettable skiing experience based on their extensive knowledge and experience.
This article delves into the personalities and guiding styles of up-and-coming guides who have chosen this profession as their career, slowly and steadily stepping deeper into this world.
I was born and raised in the Yamaya family
Mountain guide Daichi Terui was born and raised in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, overlooking Mount Hayachine, one of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains. His grandfather, born in the Taisho era, was a ski jumper, and his father was a mountain climber who enjoyed mountaineering and skiing. Growing up in such a family, playing outdoors, such as in the mountains and camping, was a normal part of his childhood.
In elementary school, he joined the Boy Scouts, where he learned survival skills in the wilderness, such as camping, rope work, and fire-making.
"You never know what life will bring to you, how the experiences I had back then are still useful in my current job. Things like tying a figure eight knot or a bowline knot. To begin with, I didn't even know what a mountain guide was back then."
The two books that led Terui to become a mountain guide
My parents' bookshelf was filled with books about mountain climbing and the outdoors. Of all the books I devoured, two in particular left a lasting impression.
"It's Makoto Shiina's Suspicious Exploration Team series."
He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and gulped down whiskey. I remember being happy even as a child that there were adults in the world who were so free."
And this second book led Terui down the path to becoming a guide.
"It's 'Annapurna premier 8000 by Herzog' (Maurice Herzog, 1951), by the French mountaineer Maurice Herzog."
I read it many times and it had a big impact on me. I learned from this book that there is a profession called mountain guiding that has a strong social status, and that sparked my interest."
For about 10 years throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I dedicated my youth to cross-country skiing. In high school, there was no ski club, so I joined the track and field club, honing my explosive power in the 100m (my personal best is 11.65 seconds!) and 200m sprints, and in the fall, I ran long-distance races such as ekiden (relay races) to improve my endurance.
I also assembled my father's road bike frame that was lying around the house and became engrossed in road cycling. It was all for the sake of winter cross-country skiing.
"I used to cycle 48km one way from my home in Hanamaki City to the Odagoe trailhead of Mt. Hayachine, climb Mt. Hayachine (1,917m elevation) and back. I did that kind of thing often. I was always moving my body and never stopped during my student days.
Thanks to that, I was able to release my adolescent frustrations through the outdoors, so I didn't have a rebellious phase (laughs)."
A fateful encounter at a mountain hut in Hokkaido
I enrolled in the Faculty of International Culture at Tokai University (Sapporo Campus) to study the culture of Scandinavia, the birthplace of Nordic skiing. I also longed for the nature of Hokkaido, the northernmost and most magnificent wilderness in Japan. In
the spring of my first year of university, I had a fateful encounter while staying at Ginreiso, a mountain hut located halfway up Mt. Haruka (906m) in Otaru City.
"I met a woman there and told her that I wanted to become a mountain guide in the future. She was a client of international mountain guide Hirofumi Ishizaka, and under the pretext of introducing me to Ishizaka, the three of us suddenly decided to go on a multi-pitch climb up Akaiwa."
Hirofumi Ishizaka, an international mountain guide, looks back on that time as follows:
"I still remember the first time I interviewed him. At the time, I just wanted to listen. Terui was still a university student and had almost no experience in the mountains, but he was a cross-country skier and had good basic physical strength, and I was captivated by the sparkle in his eyes, which I could sense his enthusiasm."
After meeting him at Mt. Haruka, he began looking up to Ishizaka Hirofumi as his mentor and began training as a guide under him while still a student
"One winter day, I decided to go skiing on Mt. Yotei with Ishizaka-san, and we borrowed Dynafit skis with tech bindings and boots, and tried backcountry skiing for the first time. I couldn't ski at all, and just managed to get down by rolling around. To be honest, I had hardly ever done alpine skiing before that (laughs)."
Following his mentor's advice that if he wanted to be a guide in Japan, he had to master mountain skiing, he decided to use the money he earned from his part-time job at Ishii Sports Sapporo to attend lessons at Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort, aiming for weekdays when he could get one-on-one instruction
"Cross-country skis don't have edges, so I struggled with edge positioning at first. That's why I'm a self-taught skier who learned as an adult. I
'm not very good, so I tend to make a lot of short turns, and I admire the big turns I see in videos and magazines."
The birth of a winter mountain guide who is just one year younger than his age
He obtained the Hokkaido Outdoor Mountain Guide qualification at the age of 19 while still a university student. There is an interesting story behind what happened at that time, which could be considered a youthful mistake
"The age requirement for application was 18 years old or older for summer mountain climbing and 20 years old or older for winter mountain climbing. At 19 years old, you can't get a winter mountain guide license. I didn't want to remain an apprentice forever. So I went to the office and said, 'I'm one year short, but please do something about it,' and they said it was fine (laughs)."
Thanks to his Hokkaido guide qualification, he was able to smoothly obtain a Japan Mountain Guide Association certified mountain guide qualification at the age of 23, simultaneously with his university graduation, through a transition exam.
After that, he steadily built up his experience, obtaining Ski Guide Stage I at 25, Ski Guide Stage II at 27, and Mountain Guide Stage I at 31.
During this time, he ventured outside of Japan, gaining experience as a heli-skiing operation guide in Iceland and traversing the Haute Route in the European Alps on skis, experiencing the global mountain scene and honing his skiing skills with his inherent drive and initiative.
I don't have a home mountain
Terui is currently 34 years old. Based in Sapporo and Azumino, he runs ski and snowboard tours all over Japan. He specializes in the mountains of northern and eastern Hokkaido, as well as his hometown of Tohoku, but he doesn't have a home mountain. There's a reason for that
"Rocks, soil, trees... in nature, snow is the most unstable and uncertain. Furthermore, with climate change causing weather to change in various ways these days, I think knowing about different snow conditions in different regions allows you to have a safety margin when the time comes.
There are things that only locals understand, but there are also things that locals don't notice. Right now, I think it's a time to absorb all sorts of information about different snow conditions, terrain, weather, and everything else, and gain experience. I think my home mountain will probably be decided after I've absorbed most of that information."
He says that even if the mountain is different, what he does remains the same. He takes in information from the general town weather forecast, "Windy," and the specialized weather information "Chikyuki," digests it in his own way, and creates his own glasses for the day. He looks at the site with those glasses, judges whether it is safe or not, and continues to communicate with his customers while watching their expressions as he guides them
"When I go into the mountains, I always feel a good kind of tension and become very cautious. I always tell myself, 'Today is not normal,' and prepare accordingly. I check the weather forecast several days in advance and get information from local friends.
Because I don't have a home base, I make many new discoveries and enjoy the snowy mountains from the same perspective as my clients. However, because of my personality, I can't get excited and shout 'Yay!', so I guide calmly without showing any emotion on my face."
Although he is a devoted reader of the outrageous "Suspicious Explorers," Terui is cautious and honest. At his core, he has the humility and dedication typical of people from Tohoku
His mentor, guide Ishizaka, praises Terui, saying,
"Terui is serious and dedicated to his research. I think his attitude of not being afraid to take on any challenge is very good."
I study not only the nature and customs of various regions of Japan, but also new gear and apparel, building upon that knowledge to enrich my own work.
By traveling all over Japan and interacting with diverse people, histories, and cultures, I am deepening and broadening my horizons as a person, even before becoming a guide.
Mental self-care as a guide
Terui has something he keeps in mind every morning while driving to the snowy mountains: a mental check-up to look at himself objectively
"For example, if I can't provide a good ski experience for my customers, I start to feel anxious. Is this affecting my composure? Is this anxiety or fatigue clouding my judgment? I ask myself these questions while driving, and try to bring myself into a neutral frame of mind."
During the season in January and February, he heads to the snowy mountains every day without a day off. Even if he is young, fatigue and stress accumulate when he does it every day. Surprisingly, the way he takes care of his body is by moving his body even more
"I focus on stretching the parts of my body that feel tense or stiff. Also, if I have time, I go climbing on an artificial wall. When I move muscles that I don't use when skiing, my body loosens up and, strangely enough, the fatigue disappears.
For example, stretching my arms to the holds straight up loosens the muscles in my neck and shoulders that have become stiff from the weight of my backpack and pole work. Lifting my feet to the small holds to the side opens up my hip joints and increases my range of motion. Also, talking with friends or just thinking about the problem helps me get away from the snowy mountains and refresh my mind and body."
I have to keep swimming
Terui laughs at himself, saying he's like a tuna who will die if he doesn't keep swimming. With the busy season over and spring coming, it's time to head to his mountain
"A different switch is turned on than when you go on a guided mountain climb. You take a tent and immerse yourself in the mountains for an extended period of time, incorporating vertical climbing and giving it your all. Since last year, I've been aiming to climb the north face of Mt. Kashimayari."
He has been skiing for as long as he can remember, and this year marks his 15th year of AT skiing, which he began at the age of 19. AT skiing has become his greatest weapon for mountain travel, and he has improved to the point where he can tackle some of the most difficult slopes in the Northern Alps
"I think of mountain guides as supporting actors. The main characters are the customers, and every step they take brings them closer to the summit. It is the customers themselves who are climbing, and the guide's role is only to help them. When they reach the top, when they ski down a nice slope, and when I see their smiles, I feel happy too. Those are the moments when I think I'm glad I have this job."
Terui is a guide who has the perfect balance of drive to charge ahead without looking back once he has made up his mind, and the caution to always be cautious. This balance is perhaps the most important quality for a guide. Guests expect their guides to take them into a world beyond their own capabilities. Guides then do everything they can to meet those expectations. Naturally, this creates danger. They take into account the weather, the members, the snow quality, and various other factors, and draw a line at which they can avoid accidents and determine their limits for their activities and terrain
Playing is only fun if you're alive. It's better to be overly cautious about that line. It's better to be reserved. It's better to be human. It puts people at ease
. Terui is that kind of guide.
【Profile】
Daichi Terui
Born in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture in 1990. A mountain guide who works all year round, from high-altitude variation routes to mountain hut ski tours. He has been dedicated to cross-country skiing since childhood and wore AT skis for the first time at the age of 19.
His specialty mountain areas in backcountry skiing are northern and central Hokkaido, and his home area of Tohoku. He has bases in Sapporo and Azumino, and guides people and mountains throughout Japan.
Qualifications: Japan Mountain Guide Association (JMGA) certified
, Mountain Guide Stage I
, Ski Guide Stage II
Terui Daichi
Official Website:https://teruidaichi.com/
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