Four gun skiers, off duty Andy and Asahidake. These were the ingredients for today’s recipe.
It was a super busy day today, and the queue to the ropeway was all the way down the stairs and we had to wait over 20 minutes for a ride. The 1st run was through the ‘Baby Bowl’ so we could suss out the conditions. The alpine and exposed areas were going to be wind scoured and a bit icy. The treeline was the place to be. It was the punctuated affair that was Asahidake. Super short runs of great quality. Thinking only as a skier I was still battling with whether I liked this place or not. It could be compared with an orgasmic experience, short but awesome. But, then there was this thing called Tantric Skiing. I digress.
(click on image to enlarge)
The conditions were not perfect for a hike up the top so we skied the midsection of my favourite face in the morning. We then hot lapped and farmed skied along the creek line skiing mainly freshies. My greedy mind was thinking whilst soft snow was good, fresh lines were better. Andy had the same idea, and for our last run we ventured out further for more fresh snow.
It was a beautiful hike out with wispy clouds and fluffy blue sky – a rare sight in Asahidake. We found that infamous Asahidake charm – a 5 second orgasmic ride and we were done. That familiar ‘last run’ of the day feeling hit home pretty quickily when we had to hike back out from the swarm. Full credit to the team for looking after each other, sharing skins, chocolates and developing a pole stop system to facilitate a climb.
The end of a good day – tired bodies, fresh snow, great photos and memories. Asahidake never disappoints until tomorrow… (just ask Stephen).
Make Friends On A Powder Day 