This year's Tateyama looks even more amazing than usual. The heavy snowfall of the 2022 season will undoubtedly have a positive impact on Tateyama in the spring. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, which is closed every year from early to mid-April due to snow, will be fully reopened. It is said that the snow walls of Murododaira, a famous spring tourist attraction, will exceed 20 meters this year. With its exquisite slopes of 3,000 meters, this report will cover spring in Tateyama, one of Japan's leading backcountry spots, along with a look at the guided tour "K2 Tateyama Tengu Classic" held last season
Photography: Takahiro Nakanishi, Editorial Department, Interview Cooperation: K2 Japan
K2's famous BC tour "Tengu Classic"
Murododaira, the starting point of Mount Tateyama, is located exactly halfway along the Kurobe Alpine Route, which connects Ogizawa in Nagano Prefecture with Toyama. It is at an altitude of 2,450m. It is an extraordinary space that can be reached by bus, cable car, ropeway, etc. From here, you can enjoy a panoramic view of famous 3,000m-class peaks such as the main peak, Mount Oyama, as well as Mount Betsuyama, Mount Masago, and Mount Dainichi. Mount Jodo and Mount Kunimidake loom right in front of you. Mount Kunimidake, towering in front of the terminal, is an imposing mountain at 2,620m above sea level
This time, I accompanied the K2-sponsored Tateyama Tengu Classic Tour, a popular tour in which K2/BCA contracted guides Jun Horie, Iwao Saeki, and Kazuya Igarashi escort the group on the best routes of Mt. Tateyama
Tour from Murododaira to Kunimi-dake and Tengu-yama
On this day, Horie led a short tour from Mt. Kunimidake to Mt. Tenguyama. From Murododaira, we hiked up a gentle slope using skins and snowshoes. It took about 30 minutes to reach the summit of Mt. Kunimidake. These two mountains do not have maintained summer trails, so you can only reach the summit during this time of year when there is snow, and from the top you can enjoy a spectacular view of the entire Tateyama mountain range
The north face of Mt. Kunimidake receives particularly heavy snowfall, even within the Tateyama Mountains, due to snowdrifts. This is why snow walls well over 10m high, commonly known as "Snow Valley," form every year in the "Otani" that stretches out directly below. From the summit, we head for the vast slopes of the northwest face. It's fine weather today, but the temperature is low and the packed granular snow makes for easy skiing
We skied down to the middle of Mt. Kunimi and headed for Mt. Tengu (2,521m) on the left. From the traverse, we climbed barefoot along the knife-edge ridge without skis, and the hike while enjoying the scenery below and in the distance was both tense and enjoyable. On the left stretched the mountain ranges of Mt. Dainichi and Mt. Okudainichi, and on the right, Mt. Oyama, Mt. Betsuyama, and the imposing Mt. Tsurugi
From the summit of Mt. Tengu, a long, horizontal run stretches out on a steep slope. Below you can see the Tateyama Toll Road, winding through the snowfield, and Tengu-daira Mountain Lodge, the starting point. The slope is so large that it doesn't really feel steep, but it seems to be about 30 degrees, and the elevation difference is about 200m. Because the run faces west, the snow is just loose enough, creating some amazing granular tracks. This is a long run that really gives you a taste of Mt. Tateyama
A wide variety of ski routes in Mt. Tateyama
Mt. Tateyama has an extremely wide range of skiing spots. In addition to the aforementioned Mt. Kunimidake, various lines extend from the summits of Mt. Murodo, Mt. Jodo, Mt. Oyama, Mt. Ryuo, Mt. Masago, and Mt. Betsuyama along the ridge. There are many courses to choose from, including classic routes such as Yamazaki Cirque, Osashiri, Raichozawa, Ozendani, Miyamadani, and Tambodaira
You climb everything on your own two feet, and then ski down as far as you climb. Most of the area of this magnificent 3000m snowy mountain is at the tree line, making it difficult to ensure visibility in bad weather and quite dangerous. However, on a clear day like today, you can enjoy both the breathtaking scenery and the skiing
Also, at this time of year, Mt. Tateyama still offers light fresh snow after snowfall, and when conditions are right, such as sunny, cool mornings, you can ski on the finest film crust. Film crust is when a thin layer of ice forms on the snow like glass, dazzling the sun. When you slide your skis on it, you hear a crunching sound, and every step feels indescribably good under your feet
Mt. Tateyama offers a wide range of snow types and weather conditions over a long period from early April to June. While it can be challenging to enjoy the skiing while maintaining good visibility, there is an incredible variety of skiing options
From Ichinogoe to Onidake, 2750m above sea level
Among the many variations on the route, next we joined a tour that took us on a steep route that descended from the summit of Onidake into Miyama Valley. Our guide was Jun Horie again. This was a tough route that required us to head to Ichinogoe from the base terminal, Murodo, and then make a steep climb up to Onidake at an altitude of 2,750m
It takes about an hour to hike gently from Murododaira to the ridge called Ichinogoe. From there, it takes another hour and a half to ski and climb to Onidake. The weather is clear and the temperature is rising steadily. The spring sunshine is merciless. Even though I know that the more I climb, the easier it is to ski, hiking at a high altitude of 3000m is quite tough
We finally reached the col on the ridge and it was time for lunch. The bento lunch prepared by Tengu-daira Sanso was packed with ingredients, tasted great, looked great, and had no leaks. It was perfect. Eating a meal under the blue sky was something special
Although the purpose of the trip was skiing, the scenery alone was enough to satisfy. After a break, we finally headed to the highlight, the summit of Onidake. Near the top, we took off our skis and climbed the rock face barefoot. To the left was Ryuo-dake, and below us was Miyama Valley. At this point, the slope was steep and fog was starting to form. This is also part of Mt. Tateyama
One by one, we dropped down the steep slope from the top of Onidake. The snow was wetter and slightly heavier than the granular snow on Mt. Tengu, but the steepness made it easy to go fast and felt great. Following guide Horie, guest skier Godai Sakamoto, who accompanied us, showed off some big turns at high speed, drawing cheers from the other participants. It was an exhilarating run through the heart of nature, dropping down towards a large stream called Miyamadani
Once everyone has gathered at the regroup point, we start climbing back up the valley. In the quiet spring valley, the only sound we can hear is our own breathing. Hiking through this wilderness is also a "tough but fun" experience
Tour starting from Tengudaira Sanso
Tengudaira Mountain Lodge, the base of the K2 Tengu Classic Tour, is located about a five-minute drive down the Toyama side from Murododaira. A tour unique to this lodge is skiing down Mt. Tengu without hiking
Tour participants traverse around Mt. Tengu from behind the inn. Then, a large slope appears towards the Tateyama Road. There is a route that does not require hiking up, as buses run from the middle of Mt. Tengu onto the Tateyama Road. After sliding down, participants take a local bus back to the mountain lodge. On this day, the tour was being shuttled back and forth in a special van. We started our morning skiing here twice. On Mt. Tateyama, which requires walking to get started, this was easy and pleasant
Even in bad weather, there's still a chance to ski if you start from Tengu-daira. Tenguyama, towering behind the lodge, can be reached by simply hiking barefoot, using skins, or snowshoes, and then skiing down the area you climbed, allowing you to visualize the area even in poor visibility. During our three-day tour, we encountered rain with poor visibility, but those who wanted to try were determined to make the 20-minute hike up the steep slope. Although it was a short hike, by the time we reached the summit, our sunglasses were fogged up, our faces were wet, and our hearts were pounding
Taking a deep breath, I looked back at the slope I'd just climbed, but I couldn't see the mountain lodge or even 30 meters ahead. It was a steep slope in the rain, over 30 degrees. Visibility was poor and I had to be mindful of my line, where even small cracks could be found. I carefully and nervously skied down a slope that I would have avoided if I were skiing on my own. It was very different from skiing lightly over granular rocks, but this was also a valuable tour experience that allowed me to get a feel for Mt. Tateyama
Learn about backcountry skiing by joining a tour
The K2 Tengu Classic Tour is usually held in May after the Golden Week holiday. The tour is run by three contracted advisors for K2 and BCA (Backcountry Access): Jun Horie, Iwao Saeki, and Kazuya Igarashi. With these three guides who know Mt. Tateyama inside and out, the tour aims to ensure that you can fully enjoy Tateyama's spring skiing over a three-day, two-night period
A basic three-day schedule is set up, including backcountry tours, workshops, and events. Guide meetings are held in the morning and evening, and the program is carried out by flexibly responding to weather and conditions and rearranging the schedule
By paying attention to the guide's movements and listening to what he has to say at times, the tour is a great opportunity to understand the importance of route selection and learn the know-how of climbing while experiencing it
Tengu Classic also includes a lecture workshop led by the guide. Although it is a lecture, it is not a strict one, and the main topics are backcountry experiences and how to use gear and accessories. The lecturers for this lecture were guide Saeki and guest Akio Shintani from the Niseko Avalanche Research Institute
Additionally, overnight tours offer plenty of opportunities for everyone to talk, and the atmosphere is one in which participants, including the guide, feel free to ask questions and give advice to each other. For example, there's no end to the topics to discuss, such as equipment, situational judgment, and what to pay attention to when skiing. Another advantage of these tours is that participants with similar interests gather together, and even those meeting for the first time can quickly become friendly and have in-depth conversations
Backcountry know-how shared with us by the professionals on this tour
The joys of travel
"Tengu-daira Sanso , located about a 5-minute bus ride down the Toyama side from Murodo-daira via Yuki-no-Otani . As you can see in the photo, the meals were so luxurious that it was hard to believe they were from a mountain lodge at an altitude of 3,000 meters. Of course, there was also a bath, so you could relax and soothe the sweat and fatigue from a day's hike.
"4th K2/BCA Tateyama Tengu Classic 2022"
The K2 Tengu Classic Tour is scheduled to be held again in 2022 from May 14th to 16th. Applications for the tour have already begun. With abundant snowfall this year, the conditions are sure to be perfect. Be sure to check out the tour details
❖ K2 JAPAN Official Website NEWS/INFORMATION
Spring skiing in Tateyama is a valuable experience that allows you to fully experience the charm of the mountain, meet like-minded people, and enjoy the fun of skiing down a backcountry together. In addition to this K2 tour, various guided tours are planned for the spring season in Tateyama. We highly recommend experiencing backcountry skiing in Tateyama
Photo: Takahiro Nakanishi Report: STEEP Editorial Department Interview: May 14-16, 2021