A sunny day with freshly fallen snow feels like one of those days everyone has been waiting for. Happo One ski resort is in full swing. We’ll ride up the gondola, followed by a lift.
Once we reach the top of the lift, we’ll prepare to enter backcountry area. We’ll turn on our beacons and do a group check. Now we’re ready to go!!
Check out the amazing views when we first start climbing!
The three pure white peaks of Shirouma against the clear blue skies are absolutely stunning. This is not a sight you can see every day, so if you are lucky enough to have the chance, it can be quite moving.
We are now coming up on the target slope for today. The first sight of the pristine, untracked white slope is more exciting than anyone expects.
Take a commemorative photo with the three stunning peaks of Mt. Shirouma in the background. During the rest stops, you’ll be so busy taking photos it won’t be much of a rest.
Even on clear days, there is often a strong wind on Happo. Today too, the wind is fierce. After the hard climb up, we have finally made it to the long-awaited drop point. It has a great slope.
Assessing the risk of avalanches is also an extremely important step. Be careful of belongings flying off with the wind as you prepare for the drop.
After checking for avalanches, we are ready!
Everyone’s excitement is palpable!
Let’s go for it!
Haaaa! What fantastic snow!
A fantastically large turn on this fantastically large powder slope!
It looks so graceful, and I bet it feels fantastic!
The snow swirling up with the wind tells its own story.
The downwind slope is a different world from the upwind summit.
Slightly tighter packed powder feels a little better under your feet and allows you to get more speed.
Look at that huge spray of snow!
Arrive at the regrouping point, which avoids avalanches from several directions, and take a look back at your long powder run!
What a great feeling that was!
Everyone is grinning and in good spirits as they look back on the exhilarating line they glided down.
After a satisfying first run it’s time for a break.
Great food, drink, and conversation bring smiles to everyone’s faces.
It’s time to climb again in pursuit of the next run. Maybe it’s because of the great weather, or maybe it’s because the first run was so fantastic, but it seems like everyone is moving a little quicker! Climb along the ridge on the way back up to avoid any avalanche slopes.
Enjoy the surrounding scenery while taking your time to hike up. If you look down the whole time, you’ll be missing out!
When we reach the top of the ridge, you’ll find the wind has gotten stronger since this morning! Quickly prepare for the run and use the slope for protection against the wind!
Here’s a good slope! Onto the second run of the day! The wind doesn’t feel as strong on this slope as we make giant turns along its pristine surface.
The snow quality is delightful, and the contrast of light and shadows on it is simply beautiful.
This slope is not quite as steep as the first one, but the snow feels amazing as one fantastic turn follows another.
After enjoying the last ride of the day, it’s time to head back down to the village, but we’re going backcountry all the way!
Our adventure includes traverse runs and uneven slopes. Let’s take our time and enjoy each new challenge!
We have some time now to chill out and catch our breath. Looking back on the day’s events, there’s a bit of sadness that its supreme fun has now come to an end; proof of exactly how much fun was had, but don’t get distracted before the last run through the forest.
Arriving at the base of the mountain unharmed, we give thanks to the mountain, the weather, and those who took the trip with us. The fun of venturing into a raw natural landscape and dynamically gliding down its giant slopes is not something we’ll ever be able to give up. We had a fantastic time on this banner day giving it our all in the back country. Let’s go again sometime. Great job today!
GRANIX mountain guide