Photo/Kazuya Igarashi (PowderStation) , Diceman , Daigo Onozuka ,
STEEP Editorial Department
This series introduces the so-called teppanyaki tours that are definitely good and guests will love them, organized by the Backcountry Guide Club. The tour route was reproduced in as much detail as possible by the professional guide who actually led the tour, or by the participating guests. I would like to convey not only the appeal of the route and the value of the guide service, but also the important things to enjoy the backcountry safely.
[ TOUR ] "Regular 1DAY Tour"
- 8:00 Gathering ~ Briefing ~ From Goroma to BC Gate
- 9:30 Submit climbing notification and equipment check at the gate
- 9:45 Hike to the morning destination "Northern Slope"
- 12:00 Back to BC gate ~ Lunch time
- 13:30 Long run from reflector
- 14:00 Return to the course of Tashiro Slope and go to Kagura
- 15:00 Tour ends
The ski shop "Powder Station" in the Kagura ski resort parking lot sells wear and ski gear, and also hosts Kagura BC powder tours. There are various plans such as a one-day course, an introductory course, and a one-night, two-day course where you stay at the Wada hut halfway up the ski resort.
I participated in the Kagura Backcountry Tour
This time, I participated in the one-day course held on the weekend in late January. The guides are Kazuya Igarashi and Nobuhiko Takahashi. Mr. Igarashi is a professional skier, a former All Japan mogul coach, a mountaineer who supported Yuichiro Miura's adventures and climbed Mt. Everest. He has 13 years of experience as a Kagura guide.
Mr. Nobu, who works as a tail guide, is truly a kagura tutor who not only works as a guide, but also works as a Kagura patrol.
8：00 Gathering ~ Briefing ~ From Goroma to BC Gate
Participants gather at the shop at the meeting time of 8:00 in the morning. Briefing will be held when everyone is gathered. This time, everyone was a repeater, so we immediately took the ropeway to the slopes. By the way, there are first-time participants, and in the beginner course, you can learn how to put on a beacon, check gear, use gear, and how to use a rucksack. You can also rent gear for the BC tour at the powder station.
There are 8 participants and 2 guides. Since it is Saturday, the slope powder is already over. The summit lift, commonly known as Goroma (= 5th Romance), opens at 9:00 (9:30 on weekdays), so head straight for the summit.
9：30 Submit a mountain climbing notification at the gate and go to BC
At Kagura Gate 1, Mr. Igarashi submitted a climbing report, and each participant checked the beacons and left the course.
9:45 Hike to morning destination "Northern Slope"
Here we put on stickers, explained the overall flow including where to go, weather, temperature, etc., and the hike began. The destination in the morning is commonly known as the "Northern Slope". Under the bright blue sky, which could be called Kagura Blue, we go along a gentle ridgeline. Since the course has a gentle slope, there is almost no difficulty. Walk at a leisurely pace without sweating too much. I can talk with the participants. Looking at the south slope of Nakaridge on your right, you will feel exhilarated just by walking in the crisp, cold air.
In less than an hour, reach the peak of Nakaridge. Remove the seal at this point, which is one step higher on the ridgeline. You can see the slope of Kagura and the line you climbed at a glance. If you look in the distance, you can see the three mountains of Echigo and the Tanigawa mountain range. If you look in the direction of Tsunan, you can see Mt. It's a superb view. Depending on the day, you can see not only the Sea of Japan, but also Sado.
360 degree panorama. It's worth coming here just to see this view. And it's less than an hour. BC COSPA is really good.
Put the skis in sliding mode and go further to reach the drop point. I wonder if the altitude is about 1800 m.
No track on the north slope with the best snow quality
Open barn on north slope.
"I'll go first. As long as I can see it, it's okay to go anywhere as long as it doesn't go further down than me." Saying this, Igarashi-san slowly made a vertical turn and glided down the center of the bowl-shaped area. go.
I stopped when I disappeared due to ups and downs and reappeared.
The running distance is about 500m. There is not much ups and downs, and it is a slope where you can see forever, so there is no need to worry. One by one, the participants descended on the no-track slope while raising their voices. The snow that sinks deeply under the light, and the snow that is a little tighter.
When everyone is ready. Proceed through the forest on the northern slope with a feeling of traversing. Because the temperature is cold, skiing runs even if the slope is gentle. It feels good to ski in the quiet forest in the cool and cold air.
If you drop your skis here and there, you will arrive at the bottom of the ridge called Nakaridge. I can already see the slopes in front of me. Head to the slopes while enjoying the dessert-like petit powder that descends the ridge. The north slope tour of about 2 hours is over.
12:00 Back to BC Gate ~ Lunch time
After a restroom break, we aim for Goroma again.
The 5th Romance Lift operates until 14:00 (until 12:00 in January), which is shorter than the other lifts. It was lunch time at a point overlooking the Tashiro Ski Resort in the distance. We had lunch that each of us brought, such as rice balls and cup noodles, and had a good time.
Powder run on a straight slope that can be wide and long
After lunch, it's skiing time again. The blue sky was hiding, and the weather was getting dubious, but the situation was fine. It's a powder run with a long slope from the drop point.
As expected, the snow is light and the slope is gentle, but the thick rockers go smoothly. You can't go deep like the north slope, but the distance of about 500m feels great. I raise my voice involuntarily.
13:30 Long run from reflector
"Yes, please attach the sticker again," said Mr. Nobu. Aim for the reflector from here. A "reflector" is a plate-shaped structure built in Kagura's backcountry area (its purpose is to reflect radio waves, but currently it is not in operation because satellites can be used). Because it is installed alone in the great outdoors, it is very conspicuous.
The bottom from the reflector is a vast open barn. There are no ups and downs and the slope is reasonable, so you can fly hard. Above all, I can ski without anxiety. The clouds are getting suspicious. Just when I thought it was covered with white clouds, it suddenly snowed. There is no wind, so visibility is bad, but there is no problem with skiing. The tour continues.
After only 30 minutes of snowfall, the track has been reset quite a bit. Drop from under the reflector. Visibility is poor, but the snow is light due to the low temperature. The voices of the participants echo. When everyone has skied, everyone pays attention to Mr. Igarashi's instructions at the rendezvous point. From here, return to the slopes of Tashiro using the stream-like course. This is the end of BC skiing.
14:00 Return to the course of Tashiro Slope and go to Kagura
Return to the course of the Tashiro slope and head to the Kagura area. Next, go to the forest course inside the Kagura slope. it's afternoon and there's still powder left. As expected, the tour leader who knows Kagura is different.
15：00 end of tour
In complete contrast to the morning, we returned to the snowy Kagura slopes and the tour ended. People who went down the mountain, people who continued to slide until the lift stopped, each of them ended with a smile.
Kagura BC is close to Tokyo and has a high altitude, so you can enjoy good quality light snow. Even though it is a guided tour, there is no difficulty such as crossing or having to use a rope, so it is less stressful. If you choose a course, it seems to be recommended for BC beginners, children, and elderly people.
■ TOUR DATA (reference data only as a model plan)
| tour name | Regular 1DAY tour |
|---|---|
| average hike time | less than 2 hours |
| guide ratio | Guide 2: 10 guests or less |
| Required equipment | Beacon, shovel, probe, climbing gear, helmet (recommended) |
| Difficulty (required BC experience level) | BC Beginner Skiing skill is intermediate or higher and can handle fresh snow |
| Participation fee | 12,000 yen |
| others | Wada hut tour 32,000 yen (tax included / lift ticket not included) |
| Reservation/Inquiry | http://kagurapowderstation.com/tour |
*In addition to the standard course, powder station tours include advanced tours to Misumi, Karigamine, etc., depending on the weather and technique.
Interview cooperation: Kagura Powder Station
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