I want to be on the same wavelength as my guests, whose lives I entrust to them, even before they enter the mountains. | Backcountry Guide Satoshi Arakawa - Granix Mountain Guide -

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.

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

Tomo Arakawa was born and raised in Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture. He started practicing kendo in the third grade of elementary school when he joined a youth club. He continued kendo until he was 15 and holds a second-degree black belt.
"I've always liked physical activity, and I was called upon to represent my school at the city's track and field competitions. I was really into kendo in elementary and junior high school. Why kendo? My father wanted me to become a police officer. In the end, I ended up in the complete opposite profession (laughs)."

When he was in high school, he took a public bus with friends to a ski resort, and that was his first encounter with snowboarding, which would take the helm of his life.
"Back then, snowboarding was popular, so my friends and I decided to give it a try and took a bus to Grandy Hatori Lake Ski Resort. We rented equipment and tried it out, but we just kept falling and it wasn't very fun. But after going a few more times, we started to get the hang of it, and then we bought a cheap three-piece snowboard set and spent our time exploring what snowboarding was all about with my friends."

　After graduating from high school, he considered going to college, but he wanted to pursue snowboarding, which he had become hooked on, 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, 'Why don't you try being a digger?' So I holed up in Naeba during the winter and built a park. I was able to snowboard while getting paid, so every day was fun. In the summer, I registered with a temp agency and did all sorts of jobs, like loading tires and selling cell phones. It was all a life centered around snowboarding."

Backcountry skiing is addictive because it's difficult

It was during his early twenties, while riding in Naeba, that he first experienced backcountry skiing, which involves climbing and skiing down snowy mountains. At the time, carrying a snowboard on your back and climbing and skiing down snowy mountains with snowshoes was a cutting-edge pastime done by only a handful of people.

"A senior I was skiing with at the time was into climbing and skiing, and he got a full set of equipment, including a beacon and a shovel, 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. Hiratake and Mt. Myoko Akakura, but it wasn't a feeling of 'I'm having so much fun!' I got buried in the powder, and the knolls were scary. I was crushed by my own lack of skill."

　The difficulty of skiing on fresh snow ignited a fire in Arakawa's heart, who is prone to getting hooked on things.
"I spent my days trying to figure out how to ski, exploring as I went. Gradually, I got better, and my desire to ski in the sidecountry and on the snowy mountains grew stronger than on groomed slopes or in parks."

Everyone struggles at first. But that's precisely why the joy of finally succeeding is so great. He says he's always remembered the beginner's spirit and struggles he had when he first started snowboarding and backcountry skiing, and that's how he interacts with guests now. Just as he began to get hooked on skiing on the snowy mountains, he encountered a breathtaking sight that would become a turning point in his life.

"By chance, there was a competition in Hakuba, so I drove through Nagano City and Ogawa Village to Hakuba. When I crossed the mountains and came out into the Hakuba Basin, I saw the massive, pure white mountain range, the Hakuba Mountains. Those white mountains were shocking. I thought it would be fun to live at the foot of them and ski down every slope, 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 various shared houses in Hakuba, and at 30, he moved permanently to Hakuba.

"I started studying to get my Shinshu mountain guide certification after moving to Hakuba. It was around that time that the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred." This refers to the
2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Upon receiving news that his family home had been completely destroyed, he immediately flew from Hakuba to Fukushima. Fortunately, his family was all safe. While cleaning up his family home, he continued to study for the exam in May. Arakawa is the eldest son with two younger sisters. Should he return to his family home in Fukushima where only his parents live? Or should he aim to become a guide in Hakuba? His heart was constantly wavering.

"I was planning to decide whether to go back to my hometown after the results of my guide certification exam came out. If I had failed, I might have gone back 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, to get to know the mountains, I worked hard as a summer mountain guide. Guides in Hakuba are mostly 2-night, 3-day trips with overnight stays in mountain huts. When I got home, I just slept and walked in the mountains the whole time. Summer mountain climbing is tough in its own way, of course. The hours are long, you have to memorize the names of plants and animals, and you get caught in the rain and freeze."

Around the same time, he helped his fellow guide, Yu Takeo, launch his company, "Bantei," where he spent three years gaining experience as a backcountry guide. Then, in 2013, he obtained his long-desired Ski Guide Stage II certification.
"I think every guide feels the same way. I want to communicate with each and every customer, and use my own judgment to take them down the slopes they're aiming for, along the lines they envision. That's why, ever since I got my Ski Guide Stage II certification, I've been thinking about going independent."

Started a guide company at age 35

Independence means being able to control the tour, but also taking on all the responsibility. That's why I want to be fully prepared before heading into the snowy mountains. In the fall of 2016, I left "Bantei" and established "GRANIX mountain guide."

"The ideal backcountry guide I envisioned was a small-group tour. If you have 10 customers, there will be some who don't talk at all. Rather than letting 10 people ski and ending it at one run, I wanted to ski two or three runs on good snow with a small group of a maximum of six people. With a small group, I can take good care of the guests, manage risks sufficiently, and act quickly. I may not make as much money, but nothing is more important than safety."

This guiding policy of small groups is also reflected in his summer mountain tours.
"Until now, I've worked as a mountain guide on behalf of travel agencies, but I was taking groups of 20 or more people, so I couldn't properly manage risks or provide guest care. The pandemic prompted me to reconsider, and I quit my job with travel agencies. Hakuba Village runs a Meister Tour, which has a maximum of 12 customers (minimum of 5) for two guides. Now I only do that

and work as a guide for 'GRANIX mountain guide'." In addition to guiding, he also takes on mountain jobs unique to the trailheads of the Northern Alps, such as maintaining mountain trails, replacing signposts, and helping carpenters demolish the Hakuba Yarionsen Hut. He is now completely immersed in the Hakuba local life.

A yearly routine for climbing Hakuba and Mt. Tateyama

This winter marks my eighth season as an independent skier. My season routine is pretty much set, and it goes something like this: I go up to Tateyama for about two weeks from mid-November to the end of the month. When the Hakuba ski resort opens at the beginning of December, I do preparations that I can't do during the season, such as slope lessons and splitboard lessons. From around Christmas, when the real cold wave arrives, I start backcountry tours. Then, in the spring, I go up to Tateyama again, and sometimes I also go to Mt. Chokai in Tohoku.

"My go-to activity areas during the peak of winter are Happo, Tsugaike, and Goryu. We gather in the center of Hakuba in the morning of the day, and we start after I announce where we're going that day. Among them, Goryu is a special place for me. The terrain is complex, with streams that aren't connected, it's steep and not easy. Goryu is the mountain range that taught me the basics of backcountry skiing." He

gathers information each day, compares it with his own experience, digests it, and uses his brain to its fullest to take action. This is how he specifically gathers information:
"I try to go into the snowy mountains every day because real-time information from the field is the most reliable. If there is no snowfall or wind at night, I try to imagine what it will be like the next morning. For data gathering online, I check the wind, temperature, and rain radar with 'Windy,' look at the freezing level with 'Snow Forecast,' and for snowfall amounts with 'Powder Search,' as well as general weather forecasts. I combine all of that and use it on the day. I have a company clear the snow from my house, so I feel bad for everyone, but I can sleep an extra hour (laughs)

." He pays attention to his sleep schedule and daily meals because lunch as a backcountry guide tends to be unbalanced.
"Lunch during tours consists of easy-to-eat snacks. We're limited to things that won't freeze even in low temperatures, so we tend to eat a lot of things like dorayaki, sweet buns, and jelly, which can lead to nutritional imbalances. That's why I try to eat nutritionally balanced meals in the morning and evening. My wife prepares meals that are rich in carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins. And then, I relax my muscles in the bath. That's 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 Hakuba area is seeing a steady increase in foreign visitors year after year. Here too, communication is the criterion for whether or not to accept a customer.
"Basically, we plan tours for Japanese people only, but we will accept foreigners who can speak Japanese. The point is, the ability to communicate is a prerequisite. This is because it concerns not only the safety of the individual but also the safety of all members,"

Arakawa said, repeating the word "communication" many times during the interview. This shows how much importance he places on communication with customers and how much he wants to build a close relationship with them. In addition to on-site safety management, he also values ​​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 first-come, first-served and limited to 6 people per day. If a group booking exceeds 6, we'll add a sub-guide. For example, if a regular advanced skier contacts us on a day when we have a booking for beginners, we'll honestly tell them, 'There are beginners in the group, so please join us if that's alright with you.' The reverse is also true; the tours are first-come, first-served. By having transparent communication with everyone, we can ensure the tour runs smoothly, and even first-timers can participate with peace of mind. Six people is the maximum number, and it's partly because we strive to provide this kind of detailed support." Even if they added

a sub-guide and increased the group to 7 or 8 people, while they could manage safety on-site, it would be difficult to achieve the ideal of communication from the day before. This is exactly what Arakawa has always wanted to do: skiing in the snow as one team.

"I want to talk to the customers and get a feel for them, or rather, be on the same wavelength, before we even enter the mountains. I don't want them to think, 'Huh? This isn't what I expected,' when they're on the snow. It's a bit of a hassle for us (laughs)."

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