I want to be on the same wavelength with the guests whose lives are in my hands even before entering the mountain | Backcountry Guide Satoshi Arakawa -Granix 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 up-and-coming guides who choose professional guiding as their profession and step slowly and steadily into the world.

An encounter with snowboarding that would take the reins of his life

Arakawa Satoshi was born and raised in Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture. In the third grade of elementary school, he joined a youth club and began kendo. He continued practicing until he was 15, achieving a second-degree black belt.
"I've always loved physical activity, and was called upon to represent my school in city track and field meets, and I was crazy about kendo in elementary and middle school. Why kendo? Apparently my father wanted me to be a police officer. In the end, I ended up in the exact opposite position (laughs)."

In high school, Arakawa took a bus to a ski resort with a friend, and that's when he encountered snowboarding, which would change the course of his life.
"Snowboarding was popular at the time, so my friends and I decided to give it a try, and we got on the bus to Grandi Lake Hatori Ski Resort. We rented equipment and tried skiing, but I kept falling over and it wasn't much fun. But after going a few times, I started to get better, and then I bought a cheap three-piece ski set and spent my time with my friends trying to figure out what snowboarding really was."

After graduating from high school, he considered going on to higher education, but wanted to pursue his new obsession with snowboarding even more, so he came up with the idea of ​​working at a ski resort.
"An acquaintance who worked at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata asked me if I wanted to try digging, so I holed myself up in Naeba during the winter, building a park. I got paid to ski while I was there, so I enjoyed every day. In the summer, I signed up with a temp agency and did all sorts of jobs, like loading tires and selling mobile phones. Everything was for the sake of skiing."

Backcountry skiing is addictive because it's difficult

It was during his time at Naeba, in his early twenties, that he had his first experience of backcountry skiing, climbing and skiing down snowy mountains. At the time, shouldering a snowboard and climbing and skiing down snowy mountains on snowshoes was an edgy pastime that only a handful of people did.

"A senior colleague who I used to ski with at the time was also into climbing and skiing, so he bought a beacon, shovel and all the necessary equipment and took me up to the snowy mountains. Looking back now, I think we only climbed for about 30 minutes, but even so, the powder-covered slopes were fresh and exciting. After that, I climbed and skied down Mt. Hirashira and Myoko-Akakura, but it wasn't like I was having so much fun. I would get covered in powder or be scared of the nooks. I was devastated by my own inability to ski."

The difficulty of skiing on fresh snow ignited a fire in the heart of the addicted Arakawa.
"I kept wondering how I could ski, and I kept trying to figure it out as I skied every day. Gradually, I got better, and my desire to ski in the side country and on snowy mountains became stronger, rather than on slopes or in parks." No

one is good at it at first. But it's precisely because they can't do it that the joy of finally succeeding is so great. He says he still interacts with guests, never forgetting the beginner's aspirations and struggles he had when he first started snowboarding and backcountry skiing. Just as he was becoming addicted to skiing on snowy mountains, he encountered a stunning view that would become a turning point in his life.

"There happened to be a competition in Hakuba, so I drove to Hakuba, passing through Nagano City and Ogawa Village. As I crossed the mountains and emerged into the Hakuba Basin, the huge, pure white massif of the Hakuba mountain range caught my eye. Those white mountains were a shock. I thought it would be fun to live at the foot of the mountain and ski down all the slopes, and that was the moment I became interested in the mountains and life in Hakuba."

Moved to Hakuba after being captivated by the Hakuba mountain range

From the age of 27, he lived in Hakuba, moving from one share house to another, before moving permanently to Hakuba at the age of 30.

"I started living in Hakuba and began studying to get my Shinshu mountain guide qualification. It was around that time that the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred," he said. He was referring to the
2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. He received news that his family's home had been completely destroyed, and immediately flew from Hakuba to Fukushima. Fortunately, everyone in his family was safe. While cleaning up his family's home, he continued studying for his exam in May. Arakawa is the eldest son with two younger sisters. Should he return to his hometown of Fukushima, where only his parents live? Or should he aim to become a guide in Hakuba? He was wavering on this decision.

"I was planning to decide whether to return to my hometown after the results of my guide qualification came out. If I had failed, I might have returned to Fukushima. But I passed, so I thought, let's try a little longer, let's try a little longer, and that's how I got to where I am now (laughs).
First, I worked hard as a summer mountain guide to get to know the mountains. The guided tour in Hakuba was a two-night, three-day trip, staying mostly in huts. When I got home, I would just sleep and walk the mountains. Summer mountains are, of course, tough. You have to work long hours, learn the names of plants and animals, get caught in the rain and freeze."

At the same time, he helped fellow guide Yu Takeo start up his company, Bantei, where he spent three years building up experience as a backcountry guide. Then, in 2013, he achieved his long-awaited goal of obtaining his Stage II Ski Guide qualification.
"I think that's true for all guides. I want to communicate with each and every customer, and use my own judgment to take them to the slopes they're aiming for, the lines they have in mind. So, ever since I obtained my Stage II Ski Guide qualification, I've been thinking about going independent."

Started a guide company at age 35

While going independent gives him control over the tours, it also means taking on full responsibility. That's why he wants to be fully prepared when he hits the snowy mountains. In the fall of 2016, he left Bantei and launched GRANIX mountain guide.

"My ideal BC guide was a small-group tour. If there were 10 guests, some wouldn't say a word. Rather than taking 10 people down one run and then calling it a day, I wanted to have a small group of up to six people ski two or three runs on good snow. With a small group, I could take better care of the guests, manage risk properly, and act quickly. I might make less money, but nothing beats safety."

This guide philosophy of small groups is also reflected in his summer mountain adventures.
"Until now I worked as a mountain climbing guide on behalf of travel agencies, but I would be taking groups of 20 or so guests, so I wasn't able to manage the risks or take care of the guests. COVID-19 made me reconsider, and I stopped working for the travel agency. Hakuba Village runs a Meister Tour, which allows two guides and a maximum of 12 guests (minimum five). We only use this and guides from 'GRANIX mountain guide'." As well

as working as a guide, he also does mountain work unique to the trailhead of the Northern Alps, such as maintaining mountain trails, replacing trail signs, and helping carpenters demolish the Hakuba Yari Onsen hut, and he is now fully immersed in local Hakuba life.

A yearly routine for climbing Hakuba and Mt. Tateyama

This winter marks his eighth season as an independent skier. His seasonal routine is pretty much set in stone, and it goes something like this: He climbs Mt. Tateyama for about two weeks from mid-November to the end of the month. When Hakuba ski resorts open in early December, he prepares for things he can't do during the season, like on-piste lessons and splitboarding classes. Around Christmas, when the cold weather sets in, he hosts backcountry tours. Then, in the spring, he returns to Mt. Tateyama, and sometimes even ventures to Mount Chokai in Tohoku.

"In the harsh winter, my go-to areas are Happo, Tsugaike, and Goryu. We gather in downtown Hakuba the morning of the day and announce our destinations before we begin. Of these, Goryu holds a special place for me. Its complex terrain, with disconnected streams, steep terrain, and challenging terrain make it challenging. Goryu is the mountain range that taught me the basics of backcountry skiing." He

gathers information for each day, compares it with his own experience, digests it, and uses his brain to its full potential to take action. Specifically, his information gathering method is as follows:
"Real information from the field is the most reliable, so I try to go into the snowy mountains every day. If there's no snowfall or wind at night, I try to imagine what it'll be like the next morning. I collect data online by checking the wind, temperature, and raincloud radar on 'Windy,' checking the freezing level on 'Snow Forecast,' snowfall amount on 'Powder Search,' and general weather forecasts. I combine all of this information and use it on the day. I hire a professional to clear the snow from my house, so I feel bad for everyone, but I get an extra hour of sleep (laughs)."

He also pays attention to his bedtime and daily meals. This is because BC guides' lunches tend to be unbalanced.
"Lunch during tours is easy-to-grab snacks. I'm limited to foods that won't freeze even in low temperatures, so I tend to eat a lot of dorayaki, sweet bread, and jelly, which can lead to an unbalanced diet. That's why I try to eat as nutritionally balanced meals as possible in the morning and evening. My wife prepares meals that are balanced with carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins. I also relax my muscles in the bath. This is how I take care of my body during the season."

I want to get on the same wavelength as my customers before they enter the mountains

The number of foreign visitors to the Hakuba area continues to grow year by year. Here too, communication is a key factor in whether or not a guest will be accepted.
"Basically, we're thinking of doing tours for Japanese people only, but we'll also accept foreigners who can speak Japanese. The key is being able to communicate. This is because it's not just about the safety of the individual, but the safety of all the members,"

Arakawa said, repeatedly using the word "communication" throughout the interview. This shows how much he values ​​communication with his guests and his desire to close the gap between them. In addition to on-site safety management, he also places great importance on conversations before the tour to find out what kind of terrain they want to ski on, what kind of snow they want to ski on, and whether they want to climb back up as much as time allows.

"BC tours are limited to six people per day on a first-come, first-served basis. If the group registration exceeds six, we assign a sub-guide. For example, if a regular, advanced skier contacts us on a day when we have beginners booked, we will honestly say, 'We have a beginner here, if that's okay.' The same is true in reverse; the tours are first-come, first-served. By having transparent conversations with everyone, the tour runs smoothly and first-timers can participate with peace of mind. It is in this sense of careful consideration that six people is the maximum." Even if

a sub-guide were assigned and the group size increased to seven or eight, on-site safety could be managed, but the ideal level of communication from the day before would be difficult. This is exactly the kind of snow-capped skiing as one team that Arakawa has always wanted.

"I want to talk with the customers and get a sense of it, or at least be on the same wavelength, before we even hit the mountain. I don't want them to think, 'Huh? This isn't what I expected,' when they arrive on the snowy mountain. It's a pain for me (laughs)."

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